WULFF, Kurt. Hellerup 4.9.1881 — Copenhagen 4.5.1939. Danish Linguist (Indologist, South-East and East Asian Scholar and Sinologist). Librarian in Copenhagen. Son of Peter Wulff (d. 1898), a cigar manufacturer, and Emma Heydorn, a Holsteinian (German, but politically on Danish side) family. Matriculated in 1900, studied classics at Copenhagen, also linguistics…
WILSON, Horace Hayman. London 26.9.1786 (date uncertain) — London 8.5.1860. British Indologist. In India 1808-32, then Professor in Oxford. Born in a modest family. Educated in London and studied medicine at St.Thomas’ Hospital, but also learned the elements of minting. In 1808 left forBengal as Assistant-Surgeon, during the six months’…
WILKINS, Charles. Frome, Somerset bapt. 21.6.1749 (not 1750!) — London 13.5.1833. Sir. British Pioneer of Indology. In India 1770-86. Son of Hugh W. (Sengupta Walter W.)and Mary Wray, a modest family. Joining the E.I.C.’s service he came to India as a Writer in July 1770 and served in 1770-72 as…
WEISSBACH, Franz Heinrich. Chemnitz 25.11.1865 — Markkleeberg near Leipzig 20.2.1944. German Assyriologist. Librarian in Leipzig. Son of Franz Robert W., a hat maker, and Clara Auguste Leonhardt. Gymnasium in Zwickau. From 1885 studies of classical and Oriental (F. Delitzsch) philology and theology at Leipzig. Ph.D. 1889 Leipzig. From 1888 working…
ROST, Ernst Reinhold. Eisenberg, Sachsen-Altenburg 2.2.1822 — Canterbury 7.2.1896 (thus both Wikip., Weise & Wollaston; Stache-W. 2007 d. London 15.2.1896). German Indologist and South-East Asian Scholar in the U.K. Son of Christian Friedrich Rost, a Lutheran minister. After school in Altenburg studies of theology and Oriental languages at Jena (under Gildemeister). Ph.D.…
RIEU, Charles Pierre Henri. Geneva 8.6.1820 — London 19.3.1902. Swiss Indologist and Oriental Scholar in the U.K. Professor of Arabic in Cambridge. Son of an officer (later the first syndic of Geneva), Jean Louis Rieu (1788–1868), and Françoise Lasserre. After Geneva Academy studies of Arabic (Freytag, Gildemeister), Sanskrit (Lassen), etc.…
RIDDING, Caroline Mary. Meriden, Warwickshire 30.8.1862 — Cambridge 9.11.1941. Miss. British Indologist. Daughter of Rev. William Ridding (1830–1900) and Caroline Selina Caldecott. Studied classics and Sanskrit (under Cowell) at Cambridge, for a while scholar of Girton College (1883-86). Then further studies financed by tutoring. Living in Clapton (1892) and London…
REINAUD, Joseph-Toussaint. Lambesc (Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence) 4.12.1795 — Paris 14.5.1867. Abbé. French Oriental (Arabic and Persian) Scholar and Historian. Professor in Paris. After seminary in Aix-en-Provence studied theology from 1814 in Paris, where he soon became student of Silvestre de Sacy. As secretary of de Portalis he continued his studies in…
RÉGNIER, Jacques-Auguste-Adolphe. Mainz 7.7.1804 — Fontainebleau 20.10. 1884. French Indologist. Born in a French family in German area then occupied by the French. After studies worked as schoolteacher (of literature and German) in provincial schools. From 1829 agrégé des classes supérieures des lettres, then also maître de conférence teaching German,…
RANDLE, Herbert Niel. Bombay 19.10.1880 — Richmond, Surrey 8.7.1973. British Indologist. Civil servant (teacher) in India and Librarian in London (India Office). Son of Nathaniel Randle (1839–1893), manager of a vining company, and Elfrida Clark. The family returned soon to the U.K. and he was educated at Dulwich College in…