ROEBUCK, Thomas. Linlithgowshire ?.12.1784 — Calcutta 8.12.1819. British (Scottish) Colonial Officer and Linguist in India. Son of an iron-works manufacturer, educated at Alloa and Edinburgh. Came to India in 1801 and served in Madras, in 1805 health problems forced him to return to the U.K., but he came back in 1810,…
ROBSON, John. Lasswade, Midlothian 14.1.1836 — Aberdeen 12.8.1908, when 72. Rev. British (Scottish) Missionary in India. Son of Rev. Dr. John Robson and Agnes Renton. Educated in Glasgow, Geneva, Heidelberg and Göttingen. M.A. D.D. United Presbyterian Missionary in Ajmer in 1861-72, retired because of health problems. Then living in Aberdeen,…
ROBINSON, William Henry.1829? — Edmonton 1910 (when 81) – says JRAS, but the editor’s preface in his book has Westminster 1824 — 1906. Britishman, interested in Indology. Of modest background, grew up in Hampstead. In middle age became interested in Orient and without formal studies learned Sanskrit from books. Worked…
ROBINSON, William. Bencoolen (?) 4.9.1819? — Assam 27.8.1863. British Baptist Missionary in India. Son of Rev. William R. (Olney, Buckinghamshire 18.1.1784 — Dacca 2.9.1853), a shoemaker turned into missionary working in Indonesia and Bengal, and Margaret Gordon (1798–1822). Their son was Inspector of Government schools in Assam. He claimed that…
ROBERTSON, Elphinstone Pourtales. 1831 — Middlesex 30.1.1912. British Civil Servant in India. Educated at Haileybury. Arrived at Bombay in 1851, worked in Surat, Ahmedabad, Colaba, etc. in Gujarat, from 1869 in Dharwar. From 1876 Revenue and Police Commissioner for Southern Division, 1878 Commissioner of Central Division. Retired 1886. Publications: Vocabulary English…
ROBERTS, Hugh. Pontyraran, Dolgellau, Merionethshire 23.6.1841 — Ruabon near Wrexham 1916. Rev. British (Welsh) Missionary in India. Son of Robert Roberts. Ordained priest 1865, a Calvinistic Methodist. Arrived in India with his wife in 1866, worked as teacher in Sylhet (hills and plain) until 1876. Then retired and returned to…
ROBERTS, Roger Elliot. 1753? — London 9.8.1831. British Colonial Officer in India. As Major in 1777 visited Burma, in the mid-1780s called Persian interpreter. In 1798 Lieutenant-Colonel, 180? Colonel. Member of Asiatic Society (1802/10) and Royal Society (1801-31). Also knew Hindustani. According to thepeerage.com one Colonel R.E.R. (the same?) married Mary…
RICHARDSON, David Thomas. Langholm, Dumfriesshire 176? — on sea ?.11.1808. British (Scottish) Colonial Officer in India. Son of Gilbert Richardson (1722–1783) and Susanna Scott (d. 1775). Like several of his brothers he went to India as cadet in 1779. Learned soon Persian and Hindustani. In 1799 came to England accompanied by…
RICCAZ, Alexis. Saint-Jean-d’Arves (Savoie) 26.1.1834 — Jabalpur 8.9.1892. Monseigneur. French Catholic Missionary in India. Ordained in 1861 as priest of Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales d’Annecy and arrived in India next year. Worked first in Visakhapatnam, where he quickly learned Telugu and Oṛiyā. From 1887 the first Bishop of…
RIBBACH, Samuel Heinrich. Hebron, Labrador 10.2.1863 — 31.5.1943. German Missionary. In 1892-1913 served Moravian Mission in Lahul and later in Leh, Ladakh, to 1927. Back in Germany worked worked in Museum für Völkerkunde in Hamburg. Publications: An den Grenzen Tibets Bilder aus der Himalaya-Mission der Brüdergemeine. Herrnhut 1900, 2nd ed. 64 p.…