WÜRTH, Johann Gottlob. Pleidelsheim bei Ludwigsburg, Württemberg 18.9.1820 — Mangalore2?.12.1869 (soon after Christmas). Rev. German Missionary in South India. Of a modest family, apprenticed to local village surgeon when 14. He turned to religion and from 1840 was trained as missionary in Basel. Joined the Basel Mission and arrived in…
WORTHAM, Biscoe Hale. Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire 1843 — Brentwood, Essex 23.9.1928. Rev. British Priest and Translator of Sanskrit Literature. Son of Biscoe Hill Wortham (1814–1895, Regius Professor of Hebrew at Cambridge) and Martha Lee. From 1863 studies at Trinity College, Oxford, B.A. 1868. Vicar of Shepreth, Hertfordshire, 1874-80, from 1880…
WOOLNER, Alfred Cooper. Etruria Hall near Hanley, Staffordshire 13.5.1878 — Lahore 7.1.1936. British Indologist in India. Professor in Lahore. Son of Captain Henry Woolner, an artist and art teacher, and his wife Catherine Esther, grew up in Suffolk. Educated in Ipswich, in 1897-1902 studied Sanskrit (Macdonell), Chinese and Classics at…
WOODWARD, Frank Lee (nom-de-plume Vanapāla). Saham Toney, Norfolk 13.4.1871 — West Tamar (Rowella), Tasmania 27.5.1952. British Indologist (Pāli Scholar) and Bauddha (Theosophist). Son of an Anglican clergyman, William Woodward, and Elizabeth Many Ann Lee. After traditional public school (Christ’s Hospital) in London came in the age of 18 to Cambridge…
WOODS, James Haughton. Boston 27.11.1864 — Tokyo 14.1.1935. U.S. Indologist. Professor in Cambridge MA. Son of Joseph Wheeler Woods and Caroline Frances Fitz. Studies at Harvard (A.B. 1887) and Cambridge Theological Seminary. Further studies at Berlin in 1889-91, Oxford 1891 and Strassburg 1894-97. Ph.D. 1896 Strassburg. Teaching at Harvard: from…
WOODROFFE, John George (pen-name Arthur Avalon). Calcutta 13.2./15.12. 1865 — Beausoleil, France 16/18.1.1936. Sir. British Lawyer and Indologist in India. Son of of James Tisdall Woodroffe (1838–1§908), later Advocate-General of Bengal (1899-1904), and Florence Hume. Educated at Woburn Peak Catholic public school, studies at University College, Oxford (B.C.L. 1888, M.A.). In 1889 admitted at…
WOOD, Mark. Perth, Scotland 1747 — London 6.2.1829. Sir (Bart.). British (Scottish) Military Engineer and Traveller in India. Son of Alexander Wood. Cadet 1770, in 1772 joined Bengal Engineers, his two brothers were also in E.I.C.’s military service. Surveyor-General 1787, Chief Engineer in Bengal 1790, retired as Colonel and returned…
WOOD, John. Perth, Scotland 1812 — London 13.11.1871. British (Scottish) Naval Officer in India and Traveller in Central Asia. Educated at Perth Academy, in 1826 joined the E.I.C.’s navy. “Commanded the first [steam] vessel, the Indus, in the navigation of the Indus river, 1835-6; Assistant to Burnes in his commercial…
WOOD, Francis Asbury. Point Bluff, Wis. 17.1.1859 — La Jolla, Calif. 19.6.1948. U.S. IE and Germanic Linguist. Professor in Chicago. Son of Rev. Harvey Colcord Wood and Ann Jane Ellis. Educated at Northwestern University (A.B. 1880, A.M. 1883). In 1988-90 further studies at Göttingen in Germany. In 1890-93 Professor of…
WOLLHEIM DA FONSECA, Anton Eduard (also known as Wollheim von Secka). Hamburg 12.2.1810 — Berlin 24.10.1884. German Indologist. Born in a Catholic family (?) of Jewish origin as A. E. Wollheim (Wikipedia says he himself adopted catholicism only later), son of merchant Hirsch Jakob Wollheim and Antonie von Secka (Wikipedia)…