POWELL, Eyre Burton. Brecknockshire, Wales 1818/19 — Streatham, London 10.11.1904. British Civil Servant in India. Son of the elder E. B. Powell and Elizabeth Labeste, studied at Pembroke College, Cambridge (B.A. 1840, M.A. 1857). In 1848 joined Madras Civil Service. Worked as teacher, finally Principal of Presidency College in Madras.…
PETRI, Winfried Wilhelm Eduard Emil. Braunschweig 4..9.1914 — 10/11.4.2000.German Historian of Astronomy. Studied mathematics, physics and Oriental languages and worked in various positions, mainly in Berlin. Ph.D. 1943. He was American war prisoner and then went to Munich. Now studied Sanskrit and Tibetan under H. Hoffmann, a new Ph.D. 1966. PD…
BILLARD, Roger. Puteaux (Paris) 29.12.1922 — Mennecy near Paris 30.12.2000. French Indologist. He was of modest origin and had to work after school, but the post in Oriental bookshop Adrien Maisonneuve led him to studies and he soon entered É.L.O.V. Studied Sanskrit (Renou), Hindi, Khmer, Arabic and Chinese. In 1945-51…
WHISH, Charles Matthew. London 9.1.1795 — Cuddapah (Kadapa) 14.4.1833. British Civil Servant in India. Son of Martin Whish (1743–1826), a Commissioner of Excise, and Harriet Tysson (1765–1841). After studies at Haileybury served in Madras Presidency from 1812, in Zillah Court of South Malabar. Then criminal judge in Cuddapah. He was…
WARREN, John (Jean Baptiste François Joseph de Warren). Leghorn 21.9.1769 — Pondichéry 9.2.1830. British-French Colonial Officer in India. Lieutenant-Colonel. Son of Count Henri Hyacinthe de Warren (1732–1781) and Christine Walburge de Meurers (1737–1819). In 1793 moved to London and soon went to Calcutta. After a failed attempt as indigo planter joined…
PLAYFAIR, John. Benvie, Forfarshire 10.3.1748 — Burntisland, Fife 20.7.1819. British (Scottish) Scientist and Mathematician. Son of Rev. James Playfair and Margaret Young, educated at home. Studies at St.Andrews and Edinburgh, began with divinity, but turned to science. Worked as preacher and tutor, continuing his studies. From 1785 Professor of Mathematics…
SPOTTISWOODE, William. London 11.2.1825 — London 27.6.1883. British Mathematician and Physicist. Son of Andrew Sp. (1787–1866), a printer and politician, and Mary Longman, father’s family originally from Scotland. Educated at Eton and Harrow, in 1842-45 studies of mathematics at Oxford (Balliol College). Then entered his father’s printing firm and worked…
WILKINSON, Lancelot. Crosby-Ravensworth, Cumbria 22.6.1805 — Sehore near Bhopal 13.11.1841. British Scholar of Astronomy in India. Son of James Wilkinson (1765–1820) and Nanny Eggleston (1771–1820). Came to India as a writer around 1822 and joined Bombay C.S. From 1824 Assistant to Collector of Southern Konkan, from 1826 Assistant Resident in…
WIJK, Walter Emile van. Amsterdam 23.1.1887 — Arnhem 14.11.1961. Dutch Scholar of Chronology and History of Science. Son of Wouter van Wijk (1854?–1915), an insurer, and Emilie Hunziker (1858?–1942). Studies of science at Leiden, 1920 dr. in chemistry. Even before this worked as teacher in adult education. PD of Chronology…
RODET, Léon. 1832? — 1895. French Oriental Scholar and Historian of Mathematics. Several internet sources (e.g. wikidata) give the impossible 1850 as his birth year (1832? in DataBnF). Studies at École polytechnique, Paris, then living in Paris styling himself only as a member of Société Asiatique, which perhaps indicates employment…