COPLESTON, Reginald Stephen. Barnes, London 26.12.1845 — Wandsworth, London 19.4.1925. Most Rev. British Priest in Sri Lanka and India. Son of Rev. Reginald Edward Copleston (1811–1878), Rector at Barnes, Surrey, and Anne Elizabeth Sharpe (d. 1898). Educated at Merchant Taylor’s school, studies from 1864 at Exeter or Merton College, Oxford…
COLINET, Philémon. Alost (Aalst) 2.3.1853 — Sleydingen 3.12.1917. Belgian Indologist, Linguist and Scholar of Religion. Professor in Louvain (Leuven). Son of Felix Joannes Colinet, a smith, and Maria Theresia Jolie. In 1877-82 student at Seminary of Ghent, in 1882 ordained as priest. In 1881-84 studied Oriental languages at Louvain under…
COLES, Stephen. Ringwood, Hampshire 1837 — Sri Lanka 13.9.1901. Rev. British Missionary, member of Church Missionary Society in Sri Lanka. Son of farmer William Coles (1807–1861) and Harriet Mist (1808–1892). After Highbury Training College arrived in Ceylon as early as 1861 and remained there until his death. Married 1860 Elizabeth…
CŒDÈS, George (Georges). Paris 10.8.1886 — Neuilly-sur-Seine 2.10.1969. French South-East Asian Scholar (Historian and Epigraphist). Son of bank director Hippolyte Cœdès (1845–1917) and Marie Carette. The family is sometimes claimed to have Hungarian Jewish origin, but according to Wikipedia his ancestors were already living in Strasbourg before 1740. Educated at…
CLOUGH, Benjamin. Bradford, Yorkshire bapt. 27.3.1791 — Southwark, Kent 13.4.1853. British Methodist Missionary and Pāli Scholar in Sri Lanka. Lost his father, the elder Benjamin Clough, a militia officer, when four. Mother Christina Balmfith or Balefith, an innkeeper. Joined the Methodists in the age of 17 and became a lay…
CLAUSON, Gerard Leslie Makins. Valletta, Malta 28.4.1891 — Chelsea, London 1.5.1974 (or 1973?). Sir. British Linguist and Central Asian (especially Turkish) scholar, but began with Pāli studies. The eldest son of Sir John Eugene Clauson (1866–1918), officer and colonial administrator, and Mary Elizabeth Makins (1862–1949). Educated at Eton, studies at…
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 still affiliated to London University). Graduated there, then one year at Cambridge. In 1925 joined Bengal Educational…
CHILDERS, Robert Cesar. Cantley, South Yorkshire 1838 — London 25.7.1876. British Indologist (Pāli scholar). Born in southern France as the son of Rev. Charles Childers (1806–1896), the English chaplain of Nice (then still part of the kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia), and Dulcibella Chester. Grew up in Nice. From 1857 studies of…
CHARPENTIER, Jarl Hellen Robert Toussaint. Nya Varvet near Gothenburg 17.12.1884 — Uppsala 5.7.1935. Swedish Indologist. Professor in Uppsala. Son of Claës Robert Adolf Charpentier (1832–1909), a major, of a Huguenot family which had emigrated to Sweden in the 17th century, and Helena Elisabeth Augusta Geijer (1848–1933). Educated in Gothenburg. From…
CHALMERS, Robert (1919 first baron of Chalmers of Northiam). Stoke Newington, London 18.8.1858 — Oxford 17.11.1938. Lord. British (Scottish) Civil Servant and Indologist (Pāli Scholar). Born in London in a Scottish family, son of John Chalmers and Julia Mackay. Educated at City of London School (under E. Abbott). From 1877…