BREEKS, James Wilkinson. Warcop, Westmoreland 5.3.1830 — Ootacamund 7.6.1872. British Civil Servant and Ethnologist in India. Son of Richard Breeks and Elizabeth Wilkinson, educated at Haileybury. Arrived at Madras in 1849, served in revenue and financial departments. In 1861-64 Private Secretary to Governor William Denison (whose daughter he married 1863),…
BRAY, Denys de Saumarez. Aberdeen 29.11.1875 — Winchester 19.11.1951. Sir. British Civil Servant in India, a Scholar of Baluchistan and its Languages (Brahui). Son of Rev. Thomas William Bray (1840–1887) and Rachel Le Mesurier. Educated at the Realgymnasium in Stuttgart and Blundell’s School in Tiverton (Devon), then studies at Balliol…
BRANFILL, Brydges Robinson. Upminster Hall, Essex 22.11.1834 (or 1833?) — Billericay, Essex 26.5.1905. British Colonial Officer in India. Son of Champion Edward Branfill (1789–1844) and Anna Eliza Hammond (1797–1873). From 1854 in Bengal Cavalry, Lieutenant-colonel (1876). From 1871 Deputy-Superintendent in Trigonometrical Survey of India, in charge of Madras Party (in…
BRANDRETH, Joseph Edward Lyall. Liverpool 4.2.1823 — London 10.12.1907. British Civil Servant and one of the Pioneers of NIA Linguistics in India. Son of Joseph Pilkington Brandreth (1781–1853), a physician, and Alice Harper. Educated at Eton and Haileybury (learned Sanskrit there). Served in North India (Benares, Rajasthan, Punjab, Delhi. Rawalpindi).…
BRADLEY, William Henry. 6.10.1807 — Sandgate, Kent 22.8.1881. British Physician in India. Medical training in London (M.D. 1829), then served as naval surgeon. In 1837 joined Bombay Army as Assistant Surgeon, promoted Surgeon 1849 and Surgeon Major 1860. He served in Bhil campaign (1837-38), Afghanistan (1839-40) and Nagpur. From 1844…
BOYD, Palmer. Simla, India 29.9.1840 — 1875. British Indologist. Son of the Lieutenant-General Mossom Boyd (1781–1865) of Bengal Army and Charlotte Loftie (1806–1867), joined himself first the army and served from 1858 as second lieutenant in Bengal Artillery. Resigned in 1864 and from 1867 studied Sanskrit, etc. at Cambridge (Trinity…
BOXWELL, John. Butlerstown, co. Wexford 31.5.1838 — Dacca (Dhaka) 15.5.1891. British (Irish) Civil Servant in India. Son of Francis Boxwell and Martha Carey. Educated in Armagh, studies at Trinity College, Dublin. In 1888 in Bengal Civil Service, some time Collector of Gaya. In the 1870s Deputy Commissioner in Santal Parganas,…
BOWRING, Lewin Bentham. Hackney, London 15.7.1824 — Torquay, Devon 14.1.1910. British Civil Servant in India. Son of Sir John Bowring (1792–1872), a linguist, traveller, politician, diplomat, governor of Hong Kong, even poet, and Maria Lewin. Educated in Exeter, at Haileybury and Fort Williams (Calcutta). Worked in Bengal Civil service in…
BOWREY (Bowry), Thomas. Wapping, London 7.9.1659 — 1?.7.1713. British Sea Captain in the East. Came to Madras as a child of 7 after the 1666 great fire of London. In India and South-East Asia in as sailing master, then captain, until 1688. If the Hudson Bay Dictionary is by him,…
BOWER, Hamilton St.Clair. Portsea Island, Hampshire 1.9.1858 — North Berwick, East Lothian 5.3.1940. Sir. British (Scottish) Colonial Officer and Traveller in Central Asia. Son of Admiral James Paterson Bower (1806–1889) and Barbara Hickson (from Ireland). Educated in Edinburgh and at Royal Naval School. Served in British India from 1884. As…