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 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…
MORRIS, John Carnac. Madras (or Ootacamund) 16.10.1798 — Jersey 2.8.1858. British Civil Servant and Telugu Scholar in South India. Son of John Morris (1763?–1840), of Bombay Civil Service, and Sarah Mackay, also his five younger brothers served E.I.C. Midshipman in Royal Navy in 1813-15, then at Haileybury 1815-17. In 1818…
MORELAND, William Harrison. Belfast 13.7.1868 — Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire 28.9.1938. British (Anglo-Irish) Historian of Islamic India. Born in Northern Ireland, son of the elder W. H. Moreland and Emily McGowan. Educated 1881-86 at Clifton College, Somerset. In 1886 accepted to I.C.S., studied law and other subjects at Cambridge (LL.B. 1889…