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…
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. Studies at École polytechnique, Paris, then living in Paris styling himself only as a member of Société Asiatique, which perhaps indicates employment outside scholarship. One…
LE GENTIL DE LA GALAISSIÈRE, Guillaume-Joseph-Hyacinthe-Jean-Baptiste. Coutances (Manche) 12.9.1725 — Paris 22.10.1792. French Astronomer and Traveller, in India 1768–71. Instead of the planned career in church, but turned to astronomy. Left for India in 1760 in order to observe the transit of Venus in 1761, but missed the occasion because…
KERN, Johan Kaspar Hendrik. Poerworedjo, Bagelen, Central Java 6.4.1833 — Utrecht 4.7.1917. Dutch Indologist and Indonesian Scholar. Professor in Leiden. Son of a colonial officer, Johan Hendrik Kern (1799–1863) and Marta Corradina Schindler (1803/04–1894), came from Java to the Netherlands with his parents in the age of seven to start…
KAYE, George Rusby. Leicester 1866 — Tunbridge Wells, Kent 1.7.1929. British Teacher and Indologist in India. Son of the elder George Rusby K. and Lucy Emma Oliver. Educated at Wyggeston Grammar School in London and St. Mark’s College in Chelsea. In 188? he came to India as teacher, taught first…
HOLTZMANN, Adolf H. (der ältere). Karlsruhe 2.5.1810 — Heidelberg 3.7.1870. German Indologist and Germanist. Professor in Heidelberg. Son of Johann Michael H., a teacher (at Lyceum), and Christiane Fetzer, brother of Karl Julius H., the father of the younger —> Adolf H. From 1828 studies of theology at Halle and…
HOISINGTON, Henry Richard. Vergennes, Vermont 23.8.1801 — Centerbrook, CT 6.5.1858. U.S. Missionary and Tamil Scholar in South Asia. Son of Job H. (1762–1813), a militia officer, and Sarah Elizabeth Knabb. Studies at Williams College and Auburn Theological Seminary. Ordained priest 1831. In 1833 joined the Sri Lanka mission and was…
JACOBI, Hermann Georg. Köln 11.2.1850 (or 1.2.?) — Bonn 19.10.1937. German Indologist. Professor in Bonn. Son of a steam mill owner, Friedrich Heinrich Otto J. (1803–1880) and Caroline Zeiz. Roman Catholic, educated in Köln. From 1868 studies of mathematics at Berlin, switched soon to Sanskrit and IE. Through Weber he…
HALL, Fitzedward. Troy, N.Y. 21.3.1825 — Marlesford, Suffolk 1.2.1901 (or 11.2.?). U.S. Indologist, in India 1846-62 and then in the U.K. Born in an old New England family, son of Daniel Hall, a lawyer, and Anginetta Fitch. Educated in Troy, Walpole and Poughkeepsie, graduated 1842 from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as…
GOLDINGHAM, John (born Johannes Guldenheim). London 1767 — Worcester ?.7.1849. British Astronomer in India, also an Architect and Surveyor. Son of Benjamin Guldenheim, of Denmark, and Elizabeth Williams. From 1788 assistant to sailor-astronomer Michael Topping (1747–1796) and thus came to Madras. Succeeded Topping as the astronomer of Madras Observatory and…