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 Pargiter (1816–1915) and Anna Matilda Palm, educated at Taunton Grammar School. Studies at Oxford (Exeter College), mathematics, Sanskrit, etc. In 1875 he joined the Bengal Civil…
VANSITTART, Henry. Bloomsbury, Middlesex (D.N.B. London) 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 (1697–1782). “Educated at Reading [school] and Winchester [college]; went out as a writer of the E.I.C. to the Madras…
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 Orianne (1767–1849) and Mary Keech (of London). Served in Chandernagore, from 1841 conseilleur à la Cour royale de Pondichéry, finally President of Cour d’appel there. Translated Indian legal works from…
OMAN, John Campbell. Calcutta 1841 — 30/31.5.1911. British Indologist and Scholar of Religion in India. Son of the elder John Campbell Oman (1814–1849), a planter, and Maria Eweler (1813–1868). In 1866-77 in Indian Public Works Department. In 1877-97 Professor at Government College in Lahore, then retired. In 1898-99 Principal of…
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…
OLDHAM, Charles Evelyn Arbuthnot William. Galway, Ireland 15.9.1869 — 18.11.1949. British (Irish) Scholar and Civil Servant in India. I.C.S. 1885-1919. Son of Charles Aemilius Oldham (1831–1869), a geologist working in India, who died before his birth, and Evelyn King, nephew of —> Thomas Oldham (1816–1878). Educated at Galway Grammar School…
NEVILL, Hugh. Tottenham, Middlesex (London) 19.6.1847 — Hyères, France 10.4.1897. British Civil Servant in Sri Lanka. Son of William Nevill (1808–1874), an amateur geologist), and Mary Oridge (1818–1857), grew up in Godalmig, Surrey. Came to Ceylon when 17 as private secretary to Chief Justice and served 27 years there, finally…
MUIR, John. Glasgow 5.2.1810 — Edinburgh 7.3.1882. British (Scottish) Indologist in India (1829-53) and in Edinburgh. Son of William Muir (1783–1820), a merchant, and Helen Macfie (1784–1866), elder brother of Sir William Muir (1819–1905) who also served in India and was a well-known scholar of Arabic and Islam. Educated at…