BURT, Thomas Seymour. 1805 — Cotmandene, Dorking, Surrey 8/9.3.1890. British Colonial Officer in India. Possibly from Plymouth. Educated in 1821-23 at Addiscombe. From 1824 served as lieutenant in Bengal Engineers, from 1843 Major, in 1847 dismissed. In 1840 discovered the Bairāṭ Edict (erroneously called the Bhabra Edict) of Aśoka. N.B.…
BURNEY, Henry. 27.2.1792 — at sea 4.3.1845. British Colonial Officer (Captain, 1834 Lieutenant-Colonel) and Diplomat in South-East Asia (Burma). Son of Richard Thomas Burney (1768–1808) and his wife Jane, father was the headmaster of Orphan School at Kidderpore near Calcutta. Joined Indian army in 1807. Attached to the 20th Marine…
BURNES, Alexander. Montrose, Angus 16.5.1805 — Kabul 2.11.1841. Sir. British (Scottish) Colonial Officer (Lieutenant-Colonel) and Traveller in India, Afghanistan and Central Asia. Son of James Burnes (1760–1852, provost and a cousin of the poet Robert Burns) and Elizabeth Glegg, brother of —> James Burnes (1801–1862). After attending the famous college…
BROWNE, James. 1744 — Patna 22.6.1792. British Colonial Officer in India. Lieutenant-Colonel. Joined Indian army in 1765, 1772 aide-de-camp of Warren Hastings. “Collector of the Jungleterry districts, 1773; had difficult work in administering the country and settling disturbances. Sent by the Council on an embassy to Shah Alam at Delhi…
BROWN, William. 1??? — 18??. British Colonial Officer in India. Captain, of the Revenue Survey (mentioned in 1822/42), in Dehra Dun. In 1828 surveyed Saharanpur, in 1842 Ludhiana. In 1842 he was Major. Publications: “Account of an ancient temple at Hissar, and of the ship model at that place”, JASB…
BROUGHTON, Thomas Duer. 1778 — London 16.11.1835. British Colonial Officer in India. Son of Rev. Thomas Broughton (Rector of St.Peter’s in Bristol) and his wife Mary., educated at Eton. Joined the Bengal Army in 1795, lieutenant 1797. Participated in the siege of Seringapatam 1799. In 1802 military resident with the…
BRIGGS, John. Madapollam, Madras 18.9.1785 — Burgess Hill, Sussex 27.4.1875. British Colonial Officer and Oriental Scholar, 1801-35 in India. Son of physician James (or John?) Briggs (1758–1830) and Martha Pybus (1758–1788), came to England 1789. Educated at Eton 1794-99. From 1801 in Madras infantry, participated in both Maratha wars. In…
BRANFILL, Brydges Robinson. Upminster Hall, Essex 22.11.1834 (or 1833?) — Billericay, Essex 26.5.1905. British Colonial Officer in India. Son of Champion Edward Branfill (1789–1844) and Anna Eliza Hammond (1797–1873). From 1854 in Bengal Cavalry, Lieutenant-colonel (1876). From 1871 Deputy-Superintendent in Trigonometrical Survey of India, in charge of Madras Party (in…
BOWER, Hamilton St.Clair. Portsea Island, Hampshire 1.9.1858 — North Berwick, East Lothian 5.3.1940. Sir. British (Scottish) Colonial Officer and Traveller in Central Asia. Son of Admiral James Paterson Bower (1806–1889) and Barbara Hickson (from Ireland). Educated in Edinburgh and at Royal Naval School. Served in British India from 1884. As…
BODEN, Joseph. 17?? — Lisbon 21.11.1811. British Colonial Officer. Founder of the famous Boden chair of Sanskrit at Oxford University. Entered the Bombay Native Army in 1781 as Lieutenant, held appointments in the staff in Bombay, and was member of the Military Board. Lieutenant-colonel 1806, retired in 1807 and moved…