RAVENSHAW, Edward Cockburn. Mangalore 1804 —14.4.1877. British Civil Servant in India. Son of John Goldsborough R. (1777–1840), later the chairman of E.I.C., and Hannah Bond. In 1820 Prizes in Bengali and Persian from Haileybury, soon entered Indian Civil Service. Apparently served also in the residence of Hyderabad (in 1830 short time…
RADCLIFFE-BROWN, Alfred Reginald (born A. R. Brown). Sparkbrook, Birmingham 17.1.1881 — London 24.10.1955. British Social Anthropologist. Son of Alfred Brown (d. 1886), a manufacturer’s clerk, and Hannah Radcliffe. Educated in Birmingham, from 1901 studies at Cambridge (Trinity College: B.A. 1905, M.A. 1909, under W. H. R. Rivers, Fellow of College…
POSTANS, Thomas. Lee, Kent (?) 1808 — Deesa, Gujarat 11.12.1846. British Colonial Officer interested in Ethnology and Archaeology of India. Captain. Son of Thomas and Agathe Postans, the mother was of French origin, but died in 1816. Joined E.I.C. service as cadet in 1827 and came to Bombay. From 1834…
POPLEY, Herbert Arthur. Richmond, Surrey 31.10.1878 — Coonoor, India 9.5.1960. Rev. British Missionary and Indologist in India, specialized in Classical Tamil Literature. Studies at Hackney College (B.A.). Ordained priest 1901 and left to India as London Missionary Society’s missionary. Worked in Erode, founding Community Training School there. In 1921 moved…
PIGGOTT, Stuart Ernest. Petersfield, Hampshire 28.5.1910 — 23.9.1996. British Archaeologist. Son of G. H. P. Piggott, a teacher. After Churcher’s College (in Petersfield, Hampshire) worked from 1927 at Reading Museum, where he learned knowledge of Neolithic pottery and soon evolved an archaeologist. Excavated several Wessex sites. Formal diplom only 1936…
PERRY, Thomas Erskine. Wimbledon 20.7.1806 — London 22.4.1882. Sir British Judge in India. Son of James Perry (1756–1821), a journalist, and Anne Hull (1773–1815), educated at Charterhouse School. Studies at Trinity College, Cambridge (B.A. 1828). Began his career as lawyer, but soon left and studied two years at Munich. Back…
PEPPE, William Claxton. Birdpur, Gorakhpur dt. 1.2.1852 — Welshpool, Montgomeryshire 19.2.1937. British Engineer in India, interested in Archaeology. Son of —> William G. Peppe (1822–1889) and Delia Patience Bown. Educated in Aberdeen, then studied there engineering. He inherited from his father the indigo estate of Birdwood in Piprahwa (in U.P.…
PEPPE, William George. Aberdeen 19.4.1822 — on Red Sea 19.7.1889. British (Scottish) Businessman in India, interested in Archaeology. Son of George Peppe (born Peape, 1785–1837) and Janet Thomson, brother of —> Th. F. Peppe (1826/33–1907). Studied engineering at Aberdeen. In 1843 went to India with his brother George (1820–1864) to…
PEPPE, Thomas Frazer. Scotland 1826/33 (not 1839/44) — Ranchi, India 4.6.1907. British (Scottish) Civil Servant in India, interested in Archaeology and Photography. Son of George Peppe (born Peape, 1785–1837, as he died in 1837, the birth years 1839 and 1844 are impossible) and Janet Thomson, brother of —> William G.…
PEARSON, James (Jim) Douglas. Cambridge ?.12.1911 — Cambridge 1.8.1997. British Librarian, Specialist of Asian Books. Of humble origins, grew up in Cambridge and was employed from the age of 16 as bookfetcher in the University Library there. He developed a taste for “exotic languages” and won a scholarship for Hebrew…