DAVIS, Samuel. West Indies 1760 — Croydon, Surrey 16.6.1819. British Engineer and Civil Servant in India, interested in Indian Astronomy. Son of an officer, John Davis and his wife, née Phillips. Lost early his father and came to England with his mother. He “went to Bengal as an officer of…
DAVIS, Edwin Bell. Lawrence, MA 3.6.1866 (or 13.6.) — Franklin, NJ 23.7.1957. U.S. Linguist. Professor in New Brunswick, NJ. Son of Bryan Bell Davis and Amelia Lockwood. Graduated from Dartmouth College (B.Litt. 1889). A.M. 1916 Rutgers. In 1889-90 teacher at a high school in New Brunswick, 1890-91 at Salt Lake…
DAVIES, John. 1812? — London 18.9.1890. Rev. British Indologist and Welsh Scholar. From Salford. From 1838 studies at Cambridge (St.John’s College, B.A. 1842, M.A. 1845). Ordained priest 1842. Curate of Smallwood in 1853-57, Rector of Walsoken, Norfolk 1857-71, then retired from church service and moved to London. Married 1846 Mary…
DAVIDSON, John. India 28.8.1845 — Menton, France (?) 9.9.1917. British Colonial Officer in India. Son of the physician Alexander Davidson (1797–1883) and Mary Anne Blundell. Educated at Winchester College, joined the army in 1863 and the Punjab Cavalry in 1866. From 1875 assistant adjutant-general in Pañjab Frontier Force. Served in…
DAVID-NÉEL, Alexandra (née Louise Eugènie Alexandrine Marie David). St.Mandé (Seine) 24.10.1868 — Digne (Basses-Alpes) 8.9.1969. French Bauddha and Traveller. The only child of Louis Pierre David, a huguenot freemason and ardent republican, also a journalist and teacher , and Alexandrine Borleman, a Catholic Belgian. From 1873 grew up in Belgium.…
DARMESTETER, James. Château-Salins (Meurth, Lorraine) 28.3.1849 — Maisons-Laffitte near Paris 19.10.1894. French Iranian Scholar. Professor in Paris. Son of Calmann Darmesteter, a Jewish bookbinder, and Rosalie Brandeis, younger brother of the philologist Arsène Darmesteter (1846–1888). Educated in Paris, matriculated from Lycée Concordet in 1866. Then studied philology (lic. 1868) and…
DANIELSSON, Olof August. Häradshammar, Östergötland 15.10.1852 — Uppsala 10.7.1933. Swedish Linguist. Professor in Uppsala. Son of Daniel Danielsson, a shoemaker, and Anna Brita Olofsdotter. School in Norrköping. From 1870 studied at Uppsala, M.A. 1874, Ph.D. 1880 there. Learnt Sanskrit from Erdman, then further studies under Windisch and Lindner at Leipzig…
DANIELL, William. Kingston upon Thames, London 1769/70 — Camden Town, London 16.8.1837. British Painter in India. Nephew of —> Thomas Daniell (1749–1840). Son of innkeeper William Daniell and his wife Sarah. After his father’s premature death in 1779 came to live with his uncle. “Accompanied his uncle … to India.…
DANIELL, Thomas. Kingston upon Thames, London 1749 — Kensington, London 19.3.1840. British Landscape Painter in India. Uncle of —> William Daniell (1769/70–1837). Studied and worked in London, in India 1785-94. “Son of an innkeeper… Was in India painting for ten years, from 1784, with his nephew… and published his pictures……
DAMES, Mansel Longworth. Bath 1850 — Guildford, Surrey 8.1.1922. British Civil Servant, Baluchi Scholar and Historian of India. Son of Captain George Longworth Dames (1808–1860, of Irish background) and Caroline Amelia Brunswick. Passed the I.C.S. examination in 1868 and 1870 joined Bengal Civil Service, first posted to the Punjab. Served…