STARK(E), James (or John?). Kirkcudbright 5.5.1798 — Troqueer Holm near Dumfries 8.11.1879. Hon. British (Scottish) Lawyer in Sri Lanka. From 1824 lawyer in Edinburgh. Queen’s Advocate in Ceylon 1838-40, then Puisne Justice of Supreme Court in Colombo (still 1849). In 1845 the first President of the Ceylon Branch of R.A.S.…
SPRUNG, George Mervyn Carter. Winnipeg 1913 — Peterborough, Ontario 5.1.2000. Canadian Buddhist Scholar. Son of Benjamin Franklin Sprung and Elizabeth Carter. Studies at Manitoba (B.A.), Toronto (M.A.) and Berlin (Ph.D. 1939). Back in Canada volunteered in army and, speaking fluent German, was taken to intelligence. Colonel. After war worked as army historian,…
SPRING, Francis. 17?? — 18??. Rev. British Missionary of Church Missionary Society in India. M.A. Chaplain of Madras Army in Tellicherry from before 1817, when he founded a school there. Returned to the U.K. in 1824. The first name is somewhat uncertain, some Internet sources call him Frederic James. On…
SMYTH, William Henry Carmichael. England 30.7.1780 — Alloway, Ayrshire 9.9.1861. British Colonial Officer in India. Son of James Carmichael Smyth, a Scottish physician. and his wife Mary, educated at Charterhouse School. In 1797 joined Bengal Artillery, after an expedition to South-East Asia served in Allahabad and Agra. In 1807 returned to…
SMITH, Robert Percy. 18?? — 1???. British Colonial Officer in India. Captain of Royal Artillery, signed his Preface in Bareilly (1890). There was an elder R.P.S., called “Bobus Smith” (1770–1845), the Judge Advocate General of Bengal and M.P., probably our man was named after him (but not his direct descendant). Publications: Urdu Grammar.…
SMITH, Maria Wilkins. Philadelphia, PA 21.6.1884 — 29.12.1973. U.S. Linguist. Daughter of William Horner Smith (1853–1889) and Henrietta Constantia Wilkins (1856–1933). Apparently the same M. W. Smith who studied at Bryn Mawr (1906) and passed Ph.D. 1929 at University of Pennsylvania (under Kent). She was Instructor, then Assistant Professor of Latin…
SMITH, Lewis Ferdinand. 17?? — 18??. British Colonial Officer in India. Son of Major Lewis Lucius Smith (d. 1794) of Indian army. Major in Scindia’s service. Secretary to Sir Harford Jones, Ambassador to Persia. Married with Ann Mitchell Nicholls, father of General Lucius Horton Smith (1793–1858). Publications: “A Chronological table of the…
SMITH, Emil. Kristiania (Oslo) 7.5.1887 — Oslo 16.5.1957. Norwegian Philologist and Linguist. Son of judge Hjalmar Smith and Johanna Ovidia Fredrikke Ellefsen. Grew up in Kristiansund and Kristiania. From 1905 studies, mainly of Greek, in Kristiania and 1910-11 at Berlin. Graduated 1914, from 1915 Docent at Kristiania. Never took Ph.D. Taught…
SMET, Jean de. 1862 — 1???. Rev. Father. S.J. Belgian Missionary in India. In Ranchi, Chota-Nagpore. Publications: Rudiments of a Mundari Grammar. 81 p. Calcutta 1891. Sources: No further details found.
SMART, Bath Charles. 1838 — 1887. British Physician interested in Gipsy Language. M.D. Worked in Manchester. Married Elizabeth Gurteen, widower 1867. Publications: The Dialect of the English Gypsies. 1863, 2nd rev. & enl. ed. with Henry Thomas Crofton. 23+302 p. L. 1875. Sources: Wikisource, wife’s name and death in Medical Journal, no…