DUNCAN, Jonathan

DUNCAN, Jonathan. Wardhouse, Forfarshire 15.5.1756 — Bombay 11.8.1811. British (Scottish) Civil Servant in India. Son of Alexander D., one of the directors of E.I.C. Accepted to the E.I.C.’s civil service he arrived at Calcutta in 1772. After serving in various subordinate capacities, he was selected, because of his known uprightness,…

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DUFF (Mrs. Rickmers), C. Mabel

DUFF (Mrs. Rickmers), Christian Mabel. Calcutta 7.12.1866 — Munich 24.12.1939. British (Scottish) Traveller and Indologist. Daughter of William Pirie Duff, a merchant in Calcutta, granddaughter of the pioneer of Scottish mission in India, Dr. Alexander Duff (1806–1876). Educated in London and Berlin, she studied Sanskrit at Kiel under Deussen. From…

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DRUMMOND, John Graham

DRUMMOND, John Graham. 28.10.1884 — Aberdeen 19.4.1958. British (Scottish) Civil Servant in India. Son of James Dr. and Williamina Graham. Studies at Christ’s College, Cambridge (B.A. 1906). In 1906-36 in I.C.S. in Bengal, then Lecturer in Bengali at Christ’s College, Cambridge. Ph.D. there 1938/39. Married 1912 Clarina Hogarth, no children.…

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DREW, William H.

DREW, William Hoyles. Plymouth 21.12.1805 — Plicate (Pazhaverkadu) May 1856. Rev. British Missionary in South India. Son of William Dr., a merchant, who died when he was three. Grew up in Dartmouth and early entered the service of a local trading company, which involved two or three trips to Newfoundland.…

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DOWSON, John

DOWSON, John. Uxbridge near London 1820 — Sandhurst, Buckinghamshire 23.8.1881. British Indologist. Professor in Sandhurst. In the age of 16 came to London to assist his uncle —> Edwin Norris, the secretary of R.A.S. He became soon interested in Oriental languages. He was a self-made scholar, but very able. Tutor…

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DOWNING, Clement

DOWNING, Clement. 16?? — at sea 1736. British Engineer in India 1715-23. In Mughal service. Birth and early years unknown, to India perhaps in 1715. According to his title page he was “Midshipman on board the Salisbury; afterwards Lieutenant of the Victory Frigate, Fame Gally, and Revenge Grab, part of…

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DOWNES, Edmund

DOWNES, Edmund. Northampton (?) 1844 — Eastbourne, Sussex 11.12.1911. Rev. British Officer turned Missionary. Son of Rev. John D. and Lucy Todd. Educated at Radley College and Woolwich. Served as lieutenant in Royal Horse Artillery about 8 years, then left army and worked for Church Missionary Society in Madhapore by…

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DOW, Alexander

DOW, Alexander. Crieff, Perthshire 1735/36 — Bhagalpur 31.7.1779. British (Scottish) Colonial Officer, Historian and Persian Scholar in India. Son of a customs officer. He had mercantile education, but had to leave Scotland after a fatal duel. He came to Bencoolen (Sumatra) as a sailor and entered in 1760 the E.I.C.’s…

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DOUGLAS, James

DOUGLAS, James. 4.6.1826 — 3.8.1904. British (Scottish) Banker in India, interested in History. Son of William Douglas, a solicitor, “educated at Sorbie Parish School and privately in Edinburgh. Went to Karachi in 1864 as Agent of the Chartered Bank of India, Australia, and China, Agent in Bombay 1865-72. Exchange and…

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DOUGLAS, Gordon (Bhikkhu Asoka)

DOUGLAS, Gordon (Bhikkhu Asoka). 18?? — April 1900 (Payer) or 1905. British Bauddha. He was claimed to be the very first British who was ever (known to be) ordained as a Buddhist monk (W. Laurence Carroll as U Dhammaloka is earlier, see W. on him). The ordination took place in…

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