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…
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…
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…
PRATT, John Henry. London 4.6.1809 (?) — Ghazipur 28.12.1871. Rev. British Clergyman, Astronomer and Mathematician in India. Son of Rev. Josiah Pratt and Elizabeth Jowett. After Oakham School studies at Caius College, Cambridge. B.A. 1833, M.A. 1836. From 1838 chaplain in service of E.I.C., from 1850 Archdeacon of Calcutta. Fellow…
PLUNKET, Emmeline Mary. Dublin 1.10.1835 — 6.4.1924. British Historian of Astronomy. Daughter of John Span, the 3rd Baron Plunket (1793–1871), and Charlotte Bushe. Unmarried, living in Wimbledon. Publications: “Astronomy in the Rig Veda”, OC 12, Rome 1899, 1, 1901, 55-100. – Ancient Calendars and Constellations of the Ancient World. 16+263…
NEUGEBAUER, Otto Eduard. Innsbruck 26.5.1899 — Princeton, N.J. 19.2.1990. Austrian Historian of Astronomy and Mathematics in the U.S.A. Son of Rudolph N., a railway engineer and collector of Oriental carpets, lost early his parents. In 1917 he left Akad. Gymnasium, Graz, to join the army and thus obtained his matriculation…
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…