WINDEKENS, Albert Joris van. Mountain-Ash, Wales 23.4.1915 — Leuven 28.3.1989. Belgian Linguist. Professor in Louvain. Born in the U.K., after the war family returned to Belgium. Studies under Carnoy at Louvain, then under Filliozat in Paris. Dr. en philologie classique 1939, Dr. en philol. & histoire orientales 1941. From 1944…
WINANS, Samuel Ross. Lyons Farms, NJ 1.3.1855 — Princeton, NJ 25.7.1910. U.S. Classical Philologist also interested in Sanskrit. Son of the elder S. R. Winans and Ann D. Woodruff. Educated at Princeton (A.B. 1874, Ph.D. 1882). In 1876-81 tutor in Greek, 1881-83 adjunct Professor of Greek and instructor of Sanskrit,…
WIMMER, Ludvig Frands Adalbert. Ringkøbing on Jutland west coast 7.2.1839 — Copenhagen 29.4.1920. Danish Linguist. Son of Adalbert Ernst Wimmer, a customs officer, and Karoline Henriette Petersen. Educated in Kolding and Ribe. Studied at Copenhagen Germanics, classics, comparative linguistics and Sanskrit (under Westergaard), even Arabic and Hebrew. Ph.D. there 1868.…
WILSON, John. Lauder, Berwickshire 11.12.1804 — near Bombay 1.12.1875. Rev. British (Scottish) Missionary in India, Indologist and Iranian Scholar. Son of Andrew Wilson, a farmer and township councillor, and Janet Hunter, grew up in Lauder. From the age of 14 studied arts, then theology at Edinburgh, during holidays worked as…
WILSON, Horace Hayman. London 26.9.1786 (date uncertain) — London 8.5.1860. British Indologist. In India 1808-32, then Professor in Oxford. Born in a modest family. Educated in London and studied medicine at St.Thomas’ Hospital, but also learned the elements of minting. In 1808 left forBengal as Assistant-Surgeon, during the six months’…
WILLMAN-GRABOWSKA, Helena Antonina Maria. Warsaw 4.1.1870 — Cracow 31.10.1957. Polish Indologist. Professor in Krakow. Daughter of Józef Wojciech Grabowski (1818–1892) and Elżbieta Lipińska (1848–1908). After school in Warsaw she became a schoolteacher in 1887 (when 17). Soon active in anti-Russian movement. Women were then not allowed to the university, but…
WILLIAMS, Alfred Owen. South Marston near Swindon, Wiltshire 7.2.1877 — Ibid. 10.4.1930. “The Hammerman Poet”. British Poet interested in Sanskrit Literature. Son of carpenter Elias Williams, who soon left his family in poverty. He was a self-taught man, who worked many years in railways, finally retiring with broken health. In…
WILKINSON, Lancelot. Crosby-Ravensworth, Cumbria 22.6.1805 — Sehore near Bhopal 13.11.1841. British Scholar of Astronomy in India. Son of James Wilkinson (1765–1820) and Nanny Eggleston (1771–1820). Came to India as a writer around 1822 and joined Bombay C.S. From 1824 Assistant to Collector of Southern Konkan, from 1826 Assistant Resident in…
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…
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.…