WILKINS, Gordon Smedley. Derby 2.3.1869 — Bromley, Kent 5.1.1957. Rev. British Baptist Missionary in India. Son of George Wilkins (1830–1886) and Mary Stevenson. Worked in Sambalpur 1892-95, Berhampur 1895-1907, Cuttack 1907-09, Russekonda 1909-11, Berhampur 1911-13, Padampur 1913-16 and Cuttack 1916-27. In retirement living in London. Married Ellen Lucy Pike (1872–1958),…
WILKINS, Charles. Frome, Somerset bapt. 21.6.1749 (not 1750!) — London 13.5.1833. Sir. British Pioneer of Indology. In India 1770-86. Son of Hugh Wilkins (Sengupta Walter Wilkins) and Mary Wray, a modest family. Trained as a printer. Joining the E.I.C.’s service he came to India as a Writer in July 1770…
WILHELM, Erdmann Eugen. Neustadt an der Orla, Thüringen 5.6.1842 — 1923. German Iranian Scholar. Professor in Jena. Son of a Superintendent, educated in Weimar. Studies at Jena and Halle. Ph.D. 1864. In 1864 tutor in Holstein, from 1865 Oberlehrer at Eisenach Gymnasium. From 1876 Professor and acting Director at Jena Gymnasium. From…
WILFORD, Francis. 1761 (1771 makes him too young for his early career) — Benares 1822. British (of German Origin) Colonial Officer and Indologist in India. Born in the Kingdom of Hannover, obtained classical education. In 1781 joined the E.I.C.’s military service. Served many years as Lieutenant, in the end Colonel.…
WIKANDER, Oscar Stig. Norrtälje 27.8.1908 — Uppsala 20.12.1983. Swedish Indo-Iranian Scholar. Professor in Uppsala. Son of Åke Magnus Wikander, a pharmacist with classical education and literary activity, and Gerda Holmberg, educated in Uppsala. Studies in 1925-38 at Uppsala, of classics, Semitic (Zetterstéen), Iranian (Nyberg) and Indology (Charpentier), then alsoat Copenhagen…
WIDENGREN, Geo. Stockholm 24.4.1907 — Stockholm 28.1.1996. Swedish Scholar of Comparative Religion and of Iranian and Semitic Philology. Professor in Uppsala. Son of Hugo Jakobsson, a soldier, and Anna née Widengren, grew up in Stockholm. Matriculated in 1925, in 1925-27 in military service. Studies in 1928-36 at Uppsala under H.…
WHITNEY, William Dwight. Nothampton, Mass. 9.2.1827 (hardly 1828) — New Haven, Conn. 7/8.6.1894. U.S. Indologist. Professor in New Haven. Born in an old Yankee family as the son of a businessman, Josiah Dwight Whitney (1786–1869), and Sarah Williston (1800–1833). Educated in 1842-45 at Williams College (B.A. 1845). In 1845-49 he…
WHITLEY, Jabez Cornelius. London (or Shoreditch, Middlesex) 20.1.1837 — Darjeeling 13/18.10.1904. Right Rev. British Missionary in India. Son of Rev. Edward Whitley and Ann Hunt, educated at the Mercer’s School, Holborn, and Queen’s College, Cambridge (B.A. 1859), ordained deacon 1860, priest 1861. “Went to India in 1862 as a Missionary…
WHEELER, Benjamin Ide. Randolph, Mass. 15.7.1854 — Vienna, Austria 3.5.1927. U.S. Classical and IE Scholar. Son of Rev. Benjamin Wheeler (1807–1876), a Baptist priest, and Mary Eliza Ide. Studies at Brown University 1871-75 (A.B. 1875, A.M. 1878), instructor at the same 1879-81. In 1881-85 further studies in Germany: Leipzig, Heidelberg,…
WESTERGAARD, Niels Ludvig. Copenhagen 27.10.1815 — Copenhagen 9.9.1878. Danish Indologist and Iranian Scholar. Professor in Copenhagen. Son of a master carpenter, Niels Nielsen W. (1772–1835) and Sophie Magdalene Nyeborg. As a schoolboy he became interested, from the example of Rask, in comparative linguistics and Oriental languages. From 1833 studied at…