WORTHAM, Biscoe Hale. Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire 1843 — Brentwood, Essex 23.9.1928. Rev. British Priest and Translator of Sanskrit Literature. Son of Biscoe Hill Wortham (1814–1895, Regius Professor of Hebrew at Cambridge) and Martha Lee. From 1863 studies at Trinity College, Oxford, B.A. 1868. Vicar of Shepreth, Hertfordshire, 1874-80, from 1880…
WOOLNER, Alfred Cooper. Etruria Hall near Hanley, Staffordshire 13.5.1878 — Lahore 7.1.1936. British Indologist in India. Professor in Lahore. Son of Captain Henry Woolner (1837–1902), an artist and art teacher, and his wife Catherine Esther Cooper, grew up in Suffolk. Educated in Ipswich, in 1897-1902 studied Sanskrit (Macdonell), Chinese and…
WOODWARD, Frank Lee (nom-de-plume Vanapāla). Saham Toney, Norfolk 13.4.1871 — West Tamar (Rowella), Tasmania 27.5.1952. British Indologist (Pāli Scholar) and Bauddha (Theosophist). Son of an Anglican clergyman, Rev. William Woodward (d. 1912), and Elizabeth Mary Ann Lee. After traditional public school (Christ’s Hospital) in London came in the age of…
WOODROFFE, John George (pen-name Arthur Avalon). Calcutta 13.2./15.12. 1865 — Beausoleil (Alpes-Maritimes), France 16/18.1.1936. Sir. British Lawyer and Indologist in India. Son of of James Tisdall Woodroffe (1838–1908), later Advocate-General of Bengal (1899-1904), and Florence Hume. Educated in England, at Woburn Park Catholic public school, studies at University College, Oxford (B.C.L. 1888, M.A.). In…
WOOD, Mark. Perth, Scotland 16.3.1750 (hardly 1747) — London 6.2.1829. Sir (Bart.). British (Scottish) Military Engineer and Traveller in India. Son of Alexander Wood. Cadet 1770, in 1772 joined Bengal Engineers, his two brothers were also in E.I.C.’s military service. Surveyor-General 1787, Chief Engineer in Bengal 1790, retired as Colonel…
WOOD, John. Perth, Scotland 1812 — London 13.11.1871. British (Scottish) Naval Officer in India and Traveller in Central Asia. Educated at Perth Academy, in 1826 joined the E.I.C.’s navy. “Commanded the first [steam] vessel, the Indus, in the navigation of the Indus river, 1835-6; Assistant to Burnes in his commercial…
WOLFENDEN, Stuart Norris. London 1889 — Berkeley, Calif. 28.12.1938 (when 47). British Tibeto-Burman Linguist in the U.S.A. Son of physician Richard Norris Wolfenden and Jessie Stuart Jardine, born with somewhat crippled hip. Parents separated in practice 1892 (formally 1902) because of mother’s alcoholism, grew up with his father in Pangbourne,…
WISE, Thomas Alexander. Dundee 13.6.1802 (?) — Norwood, London 23.7.1889. British (Scottish) Physician in India. Son of Thomas Wise, also a physician. Graduated M.D. in medicine, Edinburgh 1824. In 1827-51 in Indian Medical Service, soon became interested in Āyurveda. He studied Sanskrit and achieved an extensive collection of artefacts illustrating…
WINSTEDT, Richard Olaf. Oxford 2.8.1878 — Putney, London 2.6.1966. Sir. British South-East Asian (Malay) Scholar. Son of a naturalized Swedish father and English mother, Sarah Castell. Educated at Magdalen College School, studied classics at New College, Oxford (M.A.). In 1902 joined Malayan Civil Service, served first in Perak. From 1913…
WINFIELD, Walter Warren. 8.6.1889 — 6.4.1970. Rev. British Baptist Missionary in India. Son of Harry (1854–1915) Winfield and Clara Jane East (1852–1906). B.A., B.D. In 1917-27 worked in Udayagiri (Nellore dt., Andhra Pr.), 1927-29 in Banbury, then taught from 1930 at Serampore College. Married 1919 in Madras Lottie Lydia Johnson…