DUNCAN, Jonathan. Wardhouse, Forfarshire 15.5.1756 — Bombay 11.8.1811. British (Scottish) Civil Servant in India. Son of Alexander Duncan (d. 1792), one of the directors of E.I.C., and Jean Michie. Accepted to the E.I.C.’s civil service he arrived at Calcutta in 1772. After serving in various subordinate capacities, he was selected,…
DUFF (Mrs. Rickmers), Christian Mabel. Calcutta 7.12.1866 — Munich 24.12.1939. British (Scottish) Traveller and Indologist. Daughter of merchant William Pirie Duff, a merchant in Calcutta, and Isabella Davidson, granddaughter of the pioneer of Scottish mission in India, Dr. Alexander Duff (1806–1876). Educated in London and Berlin, she studied Sanskrit at…
DRUMMOND, John Graham. 28.10.1884 — Aberdeen 19.4.1958. British (Scottish) Civil Servant in India. Son of James William Drummond (1855–1934) and Williamina MacFie 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…
DREW, William Hoyles. Plymouth 21.12.1805 — Plicate (Pazhaverkadu) May 1856. Rev. British Missionary in South India. Son of William Drew, 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.…
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…
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…
DOWNES, Edmund. Northampton, Middlesex 1844 — Eastbourne, Sussex 11.1.1912 (others 11.12.1911). Rev. British Colonial Officer turned Missionary. Son of Rev. John Downes and Lucy Todd. Educated at Radley College and Woolwich. Served as lieutenant in Royal Horse Artillery in India about 8 years, then left army and worked for Church…
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…
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…
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 (Wikipedia Laurence Carroll as U Dhammaloka is earlier, see W. on him). The ordination took place in…