LEWIS, R. E. (or G. C.?). 1817? — Anerley ?.3.1899. British Businessman in Sri Lanka. Arrived in 1841, when 24, representing Parlett, O’Halloran & Co. In 1848-53 the editor of the Ceylon Examiner. In 1853 left for England, returned 1855 and worked in business. Finally returned to England in 1870. Publications: “The…
LEWIS, Oscar (born Lefkowitz). New York 25.12.1914 — New York 16.11.1970. U.S. Anthropologist. Son of a rabbi, raised in a farm in upper New York state. Studies at City College of New York (B.A. 1936 in history) and Columbia University, switched from history to anthropology (Ruth Benedict). Ph.D. 1940 there. Taught…
LEWIN, Thomas Herbert. London 1.4.1839 — Abinger, Surrey 11.2.1916. British Colonial Officer in India. Lieutenant-Colonel. Son of George Herbert Lewin (1808–1856) and Mary Friend (1811–1890). Educated at Littlehampton and Addiscombe, in 1857 to India. Until 1874 served in Chittagong Hill Tracts. From 1875 Deputy Commissioner of Cooch Behar and from…
LERH, Pëtr Ivanovič (Peter von Lerch). St.Petersburg 1828 — Hamburg 16.9.1884. Russian (with German background) Archaeologist and Scholar of Comparative Iranian. Born in a German family living in Russia. Studied Oriental languages at St.Petersburg, graduated in 1850. Worked then in minor office for the Academy. In 1856 fieldwork among Persian…
LELAND, Charles Godfrey. Philadelphia, PA 15.8.1824 — Florence 20.3.1903. U.S. Journalist and Amateur Folklorist. Son of merchant Charles L. and Charlotte Godfrey. Studies at Princeton, then at Heidelberg, Munich and Paris (he was there during the 1848 revolution). Back home passed in the bar, but never practised as lawyer. Instead…
LE GOUZ DE LA BOULLAYE, François. Baugé, Anjou 1623 (or 1610?) — Isfahan 1668. French Traveller. Born in a family of English origin, he served in the French troops of Charles I. Back in France in 1644 he soon left via Constantinople to Persia, posing himself as Ibrāhīm Bey. He continued…
LEEPER, Frederick James. Dublin 1831 — Vernham Dean, Wiltshire 16.1.1906. Rev. British (Irish?) Missionary in South India. Went to India in 1856, trained in Madras, ordained deacon 1857, priest 1860. Worked in Tinnevelly, Secunderabad, Kumbakonam, Tranquebar and Cuddalore. Retired in 1881, from 1887 curate of Vernham Dean. Married 1857 Mary…
LEDRUS, Michel. Gossellies, Wallonia 21.12.1899 — Rome 20.8.1983. S.J. Father. Belgian Theologian interested in Indian Thought. B.Litt. Ph.D. D.D. Taught at Louvain (1931) and at Università Gregoriana in Rome (1932-33), then apparently in Calcutta until 1939. Back in Rome, again teaching at Gregoriana. From 1949 spiritual director of Collegio Internazionale…
LECKEY, Edward. 1811 — West Derby, Lancashire 1870. Britishman, apparently in Bombay, where he served as clerk in Military Board Office in 1857. Married 1845 in Bombay Mary Smith (or 1850 Mary Derby?). Unlike the most writers of the time, he took in his 1859 book critical view of the…
LEACH, Abigail. Brockton, MA 28.5.1855 — 29.12.1918. U.S. Greek Scholar and Pioneer of Female Education. Born as the daughter of the shoe manufacturer Marcus Leach. Through her insistent demands to Harvard professors the Harvard Annex for women (now Radcliffe College) was established and she was its first student in 1879-82.…