PRENDERGAST, Thomas. Madras 22.4.1806 — Cheltenham, Gloucestershire 14.11.1886. Sir. British Civil Servant and Linguist in India. Son of General Sir Jeffrey Pr. (1769–1856), of Indian army, and Elizabeth Dalrymple. After studies at Haileybury in 1825-26 joined the Madras Civil Service, finally Magistrate and Collector of Ganjam (Buckl.) or Rajahmundry (Boase),…
PHEAR, John Budd. Earl Stonham, Suffolk 9.2.1825 — Exmouth, Devon 7.4.1905. Sir. British Lawyer in India. Son of Rev. J. Phear, a rector, and Catherine Wreford. Educated privately, studies at Pembroke College, Cambridge (B.A. 1847, M.A. 1850), then Fellow, Lecturer of Mathematics and Assistant Tutor at Clare College, Cambridge. “Senior…
PETROVSKIJ, Nikolaj Fëdorovič. 30.11.(12.12.)1837 — Taškent 19.11.(2.12.)1908. Russian Diplomat and Central Asian Scholar. After an early military career he joined in 1861 Finance Department and in 1870 Foreign Department. He was Russian Consul in Kashgar in 1882-1904 (from 1895 General Consul) and an eager antiquarian, who donated his big collection…
PARKER, Henry John. 1849 — 19??. British Engineer and Civil Servant in Sri Lanka. Arrived in 1873 and in 1873-1904 worked as Irrigation Officer at Public Works Department, serving in different parts of the island. Interest in ancient reservoirs led him to archaeology. At the same time he achieved an…
PARGITER, Frederick Eden. Jaffna, Sri Lanka 1852 — Charlbury, Oxfordshire 18.2.1927. British Civil Servant and Indologist in India (I.C.S. 1875-1906). Son of Rev. Robert P. and Anna Matilda Palm, educated at Taunton Grammar School. Studies at Oxford (Exeter College), mathematics, Sanskrit, etc. In 1875 he joined the Bengal Civil Service…
VANSITTART, Henry. Bloomsbury, Middlesex 3.6.1732 — on sea 1770. British Civil Servant in India. Son of Arthur van Sittart (1691–1760), a wealthy merchant of Dutch origin, and Martha Stonhouse. “Educated at Reading [school] and Winchester [college]; went out as a writer of the E.I.C. to the Madras service, 1745. To…
ORME, Robert. Anjengo (Anchuthengu), Travancore 25.12.1728 — Great Ealing (London) 13.1.1801. British Civil Servant and Historian in India. Historiographer of the E.I.C. Son of Surgeon Alexander Orme of E.I.C. and his wife, née Hill. In the age of two he was sent to his aunt in London, educated at Harrow…
ORIANNE, Georges-Barthélemy. London 9.3.1802 — Pondichéry 22.4.1854. French Colonial Servant and Indologist interested in Indian law. Son of Claude Charles O. and Mary Keech. Served in Chandernagore, from 1841 conseilleur à la Cour royale de Pondichéry, finally President of Cour d’appel there. Translated Indian legal works from English. Married 1838…
OMAN, John Campbell. Calcutta 1841 — 31.5.1911. British Indologist and Scholar of Religion in India. Son of the elder John Campbell Oman, a planter, and Maria Eweler. In 1866-77 in Indian Public Works Department. In 1877-97 Professor at Government College in Lahore, then retired. In 1898-99 Principal of Khalsa College…
OLDHAM, William Benjamin. Monkstown, county Dublin 16.4.1845 — Christchurch near Bournemouth 14.10.1916. British (Irish) Civil Servant in India. Son of Thomas Wilson Oldham (1801–1854) and Mary Anne Bradley (1810–1895). “Educated at Kingstown School and Trinity College, Dublin. Went to Bengal in the Civil Service, 1865, was employed in Famine service…