ANDERSON, Robert. 1792 — March 1843. Rev. British Civil Servant and Tamil Scholar in India, Madras Presidency. Born of a wealthy family, educated at Harrow and Haileybury. Learned Sanskrit, Persian and Bengali at East India College, went to India, but after nine years was forced to return in 1819 because…
ANDERSON, Philip. 25.5.1816 — Malabar Hill, Bombay 13.12.1857. Rev. British Priest in India interested in Sanskrit and History. Son of Captain Thomas Anderson of the E.I.C., educated at St. Paul’s School in London. Studies at Cambridge (Corpus Christi College, B.A. 1838, M.A. 1849), ordained priest 1840. In 1849 to India,…
ANDERSON, James Drummond. Fort William, Calcutta 11.11.1852 — Cambridge 24.11.1920. British Civil Servant in India, Bengali Scholar. Son of James Anderson (1811–1891, M.D.) and Ellen Mary Garstin (1831–1857). Born in Calcutta, he learned fluency of Bengali as child, but was sent to England when he was seven. Educated at the…
ALLAN, John. Bolton, East Lothian 8.8.1884 — Edinburgh 26.8.1955. British (Scottish) Numismatician and Indologist. Son of John Gray Allan, a head master, grew up on Longniddry. Educated at Royal High School in Edinburgh and at the Universities of Edinburgh and Leipzig. From 1907 working in British Museum, in 1924-31 as…
ALEXANDER, James Edward. Stirling 16.10.1803 — Ryde, Isle of Wight 2.4.1885. Sir. British (Scottish) Colonial Officer in India. Son of banker Edward Alexander and Catherine Glas. Educated at Edinburgh, Glasgow and Sandhurst. In 1821 joined Madras cavalry. In February 1824 he visited the Ajanta Caves (he was not the first,…
ALABASTER, Henry. Hastings 22.5.1836 — Bangkok 8.8.1884. British Diplomat in South-East Asia, interested in Buddhism. Son of James Chaloner Alabaster and Harriet Woodman, educated at King’s College, London. Served as interpreter to British consulate-general in Bangkok 1864-71 (Wikipedia says from 1856), finally acting consul. Returned then to England and lived…
ADAM, Matthew Thomson. 17?? — 18??. Rev. British Priest in India and Author of Books on Hindi/Urdu. Ordained 1819, arrived in 1820 at Calcutta with his wife and soon proceeded to Benares, working for London Missionary Society as teacher at Hindu College. He was a keen student of Hindi. In…
ABERCROMBY (-bie), Robert. Tullibody, Clackmanshire 21.10.1740 — Airthrey, Stirlingsgire 3.11.1827. Sir. British (Scottish) General. Son of George Abercromby and Mary Dundas. Served as officer in the French war in India and in American revolutionary war. Captain 1761, Lieutenant-Colonel 1773, Colonel 1787. In 1790–92 Governor of Bombay and from 1793 commander-in-Chief of…
ABBOTT, James. Calcutta 12.3.1807 — Ellerslie, Ryde, Isle of Wight 6.10.1896. British Colonial Officer, Poet and Indologist. General. In India 1823-67. Son of merchant Henry Alexius Abbott and Margaret Welsh, brother of Major-General Augustus Abbott (1804–1867, 1819-59 in India) and Major-General Sir Frederick Abbott (1805–1892, 1823-47 in India). Educated at…