VOLNEY DE CHASSEBOEUF (BOISGIRAIS), Constantin-François, comte de. Craon, Anjou 3.2.1757 — Paris 25.4.1820. French Asian Traveller, Historian, Philosopher and Politician. Son of Jacques-René Chasseboeuf and Jeanne Gigault (d. 1759), of minor nobility. Studied classics in Paris and soon befriended with intellectuals. In 1782 left for Egypt, then travelled in the…
VEYSSIÈRE DE LACROZE, Mathurin (M. V. de La Croze). Nantes 4.12.1661 — Berlin 21.5.1739. French Oriental Scholar and Polyhistor. Son of a rich merchant, he left school and went to the colony of Guadeloupe to learn trade. Back in Nantes (1677) and after the bankruptcy of his father studied medicine…
VENTURA, Giovanni (Jean-Baptiste V., originally Rubino ben Torah). Finale near Modena 25.5.1794 — Lardenne near Toulouse 3.4.1858. Italian Officer in India. Son of Gavriel Massarani (Reuben Ben Torah) and his wife Vittoria. He had traditional Jewish education, but joined army in the age of 17. Rising into colonel of infantry…
VANSITTART, Henry. Bloomsbury, Middlesex 3.6.1732 — on sea 1770. British Civil Servant in India. Son of Arthur van Sittart, a wealthy merchant of Dutch origin, and Martha Stonhouse. “Educated at Reading and Winchester; went out as a writer of the E.I.C. to the Madras service, 1745. To Fort St. David,…
UPHAM, Edward. Exeter 1776 — Bath 25.8.1834. British Bookdealer and Orientalist. Born in Exeter, where his father Charles U. was later (1796) the mayor. Himself worked as bookseller in Exeter, in 1807 became its sheriff and 1809 mayor. After earlyretirement lived in Dawlish (Devon) and Bath. Married 1801 Mary Hoblyn.…
ŽUKOVSKIJ, Vasilij Andreevič. Tula province 19.1.(9.2.)1783 — Baden-Baden 12.(24.)4.1852. Russian poet. He was “illegitimate son of a landowner and a Turkish slave girl, was educated in Moscow. He served in the Napoleonic War of 1812 and in 1815 joined the tsar’s entourage, becoming tutor to the heir to the throne…
ZIEGENBALG, Bartholomäus. Pulsnitz, Saxony 14.6.1683 (or 10.6.1682?) — Tranquebar, India 23.2.1719. German Missionary and Precursor of Indology (Tamil Scholar). In South India 1706-19. Son of the elder B.Z. (d. 1694), a modest grain merchant, and Maria Brückner (d. 1692). After gymnasium in Görlitz and Berlin, studied one year under A.…
YATES, William. Loughborough, Leicestershire 15.12.1792 — on sea 3.7.1845. Rev. British Missionary and Indologist in India. Son of elder W.Y., a Baptist shoemaker, and his wife Ann, went to school in Leicestershire. He intended to follow in his father’s profession, but became engaged in religion and started in the age…
ORME, Robert. Anjengo (Anchuthengu), Travancore 25.12.1728 — Great Ealing (London) 13.1.1801. British Civil Servant and Historian in India. Historiographer of the E.I.C. Son of Surgeon Alexander Orme of E.I.C. and his wife, née Hill. In the age of two he was sent to his aunt in London, educated at Harrow…
ORAZIO DELLA PENNA DI BILLI, Francesco (Franciscus Horatius a Pennabilli; lay conte Luzio Olivieri). Pennabilli, Marche ?.11.1680 — Patan, Nepal 20.7.1745. Count. Italian Capuchin Missionary in Tibet. Born as an Italian nobleman, son of count Orazio Olivieri and his wife Francesca, entered the Capuchin monastery of Pietrarubbia in 1700.As a member…