GENTIL, Jean Baptiste Joseph. Bagnols (Rhône) 25.6.1726 — Bagnols-sur-Cèze (Rhône) 15.2.1799. French Officer in India. Born in a noble family, joined the army and went out to India in 1752 as officer in an infantry regiment. “Served with distinction under Dupleix, Law of Lauriston, Lally, etc. After the collapse of…
FRYER, George Edward. India 25.11.1832 — Kensington, London 1891. British Colonial Officer and Pāli Scholar in India and Burma. Son of colonel George Fryer, of Madras army. School at Rugby, in the age of 20 joined Indian army, and Sarah Moore. Served 8 years in regiment and, after a brief…
FRYE, John Percival. London 1807 — Berhampore, West Bengal 16.4.1856. British Colonial Officer in India. Served in Madras Infantry. Lieutenant 1839. From 1844 as Lieutenant Assistant to the Agent in Ganjam, from 1849 Assistant to the Agent, then in 1858 (?) as Lieutenant in charge of the Agency in the…
FRANCKLIN, William. 1763 — 12.4.1839. British Colonial Officer and Historian in India. Son of Thomas Fr. (1721–1784), an academic clergyman, and his wife, née Venables. Educated at Westminster and Trinity College, Cambridge. Cadet 1782, joined the E.I.C.’s Bengal Native Infantry in 1783. In 1786 travelled in Iran, resided 8 months…
FORLONG, James George Roche. Springhall, Lanarkshire 11.1824 — Edinburgh 29.3.1904. British (Scottish) Military Engineer and Scholar of Religion in India. Major-General. Son of William F., of Erines, and Crawfurd Pollock Gordon. Educated as an engineer, joined the Indian army in 1843. “In the S. Mahratta Company, 1845-6, in the Madras…
FORBES, Charles James Forbes Smith- (C. J. F. Smith). 1834 — Tharrawaddy, Burma ?.11.1879. British Colonial Officer in Burma, Pāli and Burmese scholar. Came to the East in 1858 as Captain of Queen’s Army, and was sent to Burma with his regiment. He soon became so fascinated with the country…
FITZCLARENCE, George Augustus Frederick, First Earl of Munster. London 29.1.1794 — London 20.3.1842. British Officer and Traveller. Illegitimate son of William IV and Dorothea Bland (née Jordan, from Ireland). Served as officer in Napoleonic wars and 1815-18 in India. Major-General. Earl and Privy Councillor 1833. Married 1819 Mary Wyndham (1792–1842),…
FERGUSSON, John. 17?? — Cape of God Hope 4.9.1773 (?). British Colonial Officer in India. Captain. The author of the first English Hindustani dictionary in 1773, describing the colloquial speech of soldiers for the use of officers, mixing together different forms of language (but with some preponderance of Magahī). Early…
EVEREST, George. Gwernvale near Brecon, Wales 4.6.1790 — London 1.12.1866. Sir. British (Welsh) Colonial Officer (Military Engineer) and Geographer in India. Eponymous for Mount Everest. Son of William Tristram E.,, a solicitor and justice of peace, and Lucetta Mary Smith. Educated at the military schools of Great Marlow and Woolwitch.…
EASTWICK, Edward Backhouse. Warfield, Berkshire 13.3.1814 — Ventnor, Isle of Wight 16.7.1883. British Colonial Officer, Diplomat, Indologist and Oriental Scholar (Urdu and Persian). Son of sea-captain Robert William E. (1772–1865) of Bombay Marine, brother of William Joseph E. (1808–1889) of I.C.S. and Council of India. Educated at Charterhouse and from…