BRUCE, John. Fife 1744/45 — Fife 16.4.1826. British (Scottish) Historian of the Colonial Period. Son of shipmaster Andrew Bruce (1716–1761) and Jean Squyre (1724–1794). Studies at Edinburgh, then Professor of Logic and Moral Philosophy there. Historiographer of E.I.C. from 1801. In 1809-14 M.P. for Michell, Cornwall. Founding member of Royal…
BRODIE, Alexander Oswald. Madras 1821 — Edinburgh 5/6.11.1874. British (Scottish) Civil Servant in Sri Lanka. Son of Colonel James Brodie (1782–1831), of Madras Army, and Eliza Thompson (1795–1868). From 1845 in Ceylon rising 1850 to Assistant Agent of Nuwarakalawiya, in 1853 returned to the U.K., got married and resigned from…
BREUIL, Paul René Marie Jouveau du. Vincennes, Paris 15.3.1932 — Neuilly-sur-Seine (Hats-de-Seine) 19.10.1991. French Scholar of Religion. Studies of anthropology at É.P.H.É. (continued until 1975). Fieldwork in Sierra Leone (1954-57) and Mexico (1976-78), then further studies of Oriental religions in the U.S.A. Ph.D. California (diss. on local religions). Professor of Oriental…
BRÉAL, Edouard Auguste. 19.2.1868 — Marseille 17/22.1.1941. French Critic, Art Historian and Painter. Son of —> Michel Bréal (1832–1915) and Henriette Bamberger. Bachelier ès lettres 1888, Licencie ès lettres 1890, Licencie en droit 1892, then further studies in Cambridge (Christ’s College). Among other things also studied Hindustani (Urdu). From 1907 living in…
BRANDT, Francis. Pendleton, Lancashire 6.5.1840 — Cheltenham, Gloucestershire 17.7.1925. British Civil Servant in India. Son of Robert Brandt and his wife Margaret Sarah. Educated at Cheltenham College, became famous as cricketer. After graduation from Oxford (Brasenose College, B.A. 1870) joined I.C.S. in 1862, served in South India. From 1884 Judge…
BRADDOCK, John. Westminster 1794 (bapt. 30.4.) — Madras 9.8.1840. British Colonial Officer in India. Son of John Braddock, a master refiner of saltpetre, and his wife Sarah. From 1813 served as engineer in Madras army as “an expert making gunpowder”. In the Preface to gunpowder book, signed in Madras 1830,…
BOUGLÉ, Célestin Charles Alfred. Saint-Brieuc (Côtes-du-Nord, now Côtes-d’Armor) 1.6.1870 — Paris 25.1.1940. French Positivist Philosopher and Sociologist. Son of officer Célestin Aimable Bouglé (b. 1832) and Nathalie Louise Leroux (1841–1920), family originating in Brettany. Educated in Paris. From 1890 studies at École normale supérieure, agrégé in philosophy 1893. Ph.D. 1899. Taught…
BONET-MAURY, Amy Gaston Charles Auguste. Paris 2.1.1842 — Paris 20.6.1919. Rev. French Protestant Historian. Son of General Frédéric Bonet (catholic, 1792–1853) and Julie Chabrier (protestant). After school in Paris (lycée Henri IV) studies of theology at Geneva and Strasbourg, graduated 1867 from Strasbourg. Protestant pastor in Dordrecht 1867-72, Beauvais 1872-76 and Saint-Denis…
BOISSELIER, Jean Henri Joseph Albin. Paris 26.8.1912 — Paris 26.2.1996. French Archaeologist, Art Historian and Buddhist Scholar. Son of the military illustrator Henri Boisselier (1881–1959). In the 1920s studied at École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, already then interested in Cambodian art. Worked as painter and drawing teacher. In…
BOER, Richard Constant. Warnsveld near Zutphen 31.1.1863 — Amsterdam 20.8.1929. Dutch Linguist. Son of Richard Willem Boer and Constantia Gisius Nanning. Ph.D. 1888 Groningen. In 1888-1900 taught Dutch and geography at gymnasium in Leeuwarden, also PD at Groningen. In 1900-29 Professor of Old Germanic and Sanskrit at Amsterdam, after 1921…