FORSTER, Henry Pitts. 1766? (or 1761) — Calcutta (?) 10.9.1815. British Civil Servant in India and a Pioneer of Indology. Possibly studied at Oxford. In 1783 joined the Bengal Civil Service, from 1793 Collector of Tipperah, from 1794 Registrar of the Sadr Diwani Adalat of 24 Parganas. From 1803 in…
FORBES, Duncan. Kinnaird, Pertshire 28.4.1798 — London 17.8.1868. British (Scottish) Oriental Scholar (Persian and Urdū). Born in a poor family, in 1801 remained with his grandfather, when the parents moved to the U.S.A. In the age of 12 he still knew not English (or was illiterate in it), but as…
FERGUSON, Charles Albert (“Fergie”). Philadelphia, PA 6.7.1921 — Palo Alto, CAL 2.9.1998. U.S. Linguist (Bengali Scholar) and Linguist. Professor in Stanford. Born in a working-class family, grew up in Philadelphia From 1939 studies at University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia: B.A. 1942, A.M. 1943 (thesis on Arabic), Ph.D. 1945 (Bengali). In…
FÉER, Henri Léon. Rouen 22.11.1830 — Paris 10.3.1902. French Indologist and Buddhist Scholar. Librarian in Paris. Probably son of Paul Féer (1792–1847) and Jeanne Marie Labauche (Wikitree on Isabelle Féer mentions him as her uncle, but the same on Paul Féer does not list him among his children). Educated in…
FARQUHAR, John Nicol. Aberdeen 6.4.1861 — Manchester 17.7.1929. British (Scottish) Missionary in India, a Scholar of Indian Religion. Son of George F., of Aberdeen. Apprenticed as draper, in 1882 entered Aberdeen grammar school, 1883 University of Aberdeen, from 1885 at Christ Church in Oxford (B.A. 1889). Student of Macdonell. M.A.…
DAMANT, Guybon Henry. Cowes, Isle of Wight 9.5.1846 — Khonoma, Nagaland 14.10.1879. British Civil Servant and Ethnologist in India (1869-79). Son of Henry James D., a lawyer, and Elizabeth Johnson Knight. Educated at St. Paul’s School (or Merchant Taylor’s School?) in London. Studies from 1864 at Christ’s College, Cambridge, M.A.…
CUST, Robert Needham. Cockayne Hatley, Bedfordshire 24.2.1821 — Campden Hill, London 28.10.1909. British Indologist. Son of Hon. and Rev. Henry Cckayne Cust (1780–1861), of a noble family (his uncle was Earl Brownlow), and Anna Maria Needham. Educated at Eton, planned first to become a lawyer and began studies at Trinity College,…
COWELL, Edward Byles. Ipswich 23.1.1826 — Cambridge 9.2.1903. British Indologist. Professor in Cambridge. In 1856-64 in India. Son of Charles C. (a merchant, d. 1842) and Marianne Byles. Educated in Ipswich, as a schoolboy already attracted to Sir William Jones’ Persian grammar. After the school he followed his late father…
CLARK, Thomas Welbourne. Ilkeston, Derbyshire 2.1.1904 — 22.12.1969. British Indologist, a Specialist of Bengali and NIA Linguistics. School in Derbyshire, from 1921 studies of English and Latin at University College of Nottingham (then affiliated to London University). Graduated there, then one year at Cambridge. In 1925 joined Bengal Educational Service,…
CAREY, William. Paulerspury, Northamptonshire 17.8.1761 — Serampur 9.6.1834. British Missionary and Pioneer of Indology, in India 1794–1834. Son of Edmund C., a village schoolmaster, and Elizabeth Wells, became in the age of 14 apprentice to a shoemaker in Hackleton. He was interested in religion and joined the Baptists in 1783.…