LEES, William Nassau. London 26.2.1825 — London 9.3.1889. British (Irish) Colonial Officer and Oriental Scholar in India, Specialist of Arabic, Persian and Hindustani. Fourth son of Sir Harcourt Lees, Bart. (1776–1852), a Protestant clergyman from Ireland, and Sophia Lyster, educated at Nut Grove and Trinity College in Dublin. In 1846…
LAMBRICK, Hugh Trevor. Shardlow, Derbyshire 20.4.1904 — Oxford 31.8.1982. British Civil Servant and Historian in India. Son of Rev. Charles Mengier (Menzies?) L. (1862–1947) and Jessie Mabel Trevor (1875–1946). Educated in Caterham, Surrey and Fleetwood, Lancashire. Born in a family with long traditions in colonial service and especially in Sindh,…
KENNEDY, Vans. Pinmore, Parish of Ayr 1784 — Bombay 28.12.1846. British (Scots) Colonial Officer and Indologist in India. Major-General. The youngest son of Robert K. of Pinmore, of an old Ayrshire family, and Robina Vans. The father lost his money in the bankruptcy of Ayr bank and had to sell…
KAYE, John William. Acton (London) 3.6.1814 — London 24.7.1876. Sir. British Colonial Officer, Publisher and Historian in India. Son of Charles K., solicitor to the Bank of England, and Eliza Atkins. Educated at Eton and Addiscombe. Joined the Bengal Artillery and went to India in 1832/33. Retired from the army…
HUNTER, William Wilson. Glasgow 15.7.1840 — Oaken Holt near Oxford 7.2.1900. Sir. British (Scottish) Civil Servant, Historian, Statistician, Ethnologist and Linguist in India. Son of Andrew Galloway H., a manufacturer, and Isabella Wilson. Educated at Glasgow Academy and University (B.A. 1860). Further studies in Paris and Bonn (i.al. some Sanskrit).…
HILL, Samuel Charles. Berhampore, West Bengal 16.7.1857 — 6.5.1926. British Historian of India. Son of Rev. Samuel John Hill (1825–1891), L.M.S. missionary in India (also his father, Micaiah Hill, had been missionary in India) and Leonora Josephina Müller. Educated at Blackheath School (for the sons of missionaries), at University College…
HEARN, Gordon Risley. 7.9.1871 — 7.6.1953. Sir. British Colonial Officer (Engineer) in India. Colonel. Educated at Winchester College, Woolwich Military Academy and School of Military Engineering. From 1890 served in Royal Engineers in India, for 30 years Superintending Engineer constructing railways in India (incl. the Khyber Railway from Peshawar to…
JONES, William. Westminster 28.9.1746 — Calcutta 27.4.1794. Sir. British Pioneer of Indology. Judge in Calcutta. He was the youngest child of the mathematician William Jones (1675–1749), originally a Welshman from Anglesey, and Maria Nix. Lost early his father and was raised by mother. Educated from 1753 at Harrow, where he…
JOHNSTON, Alexander. Carnsalloch, Dumfriesshire 25.4.1775 — London 6.3.1849. Sir. British (Scottish) Civil Servant in Sri Lanka. Son of Samuel J. and Hester Napier. Grew up in Madurai, where his father served as official and where Chr. Fr. Schwarz was his teacher. Learned Tamil, Telugu and Hindustani. In 1792 the family…
JACOB, George Le Grand. Glamorganshire near Cardiff 24.4.1805 — London 27.1.1881. Sir. British Colonial Officer and Indologist in India. Fifth son of John Jacob (1765–1840), later known as historian of Channel Islands, and Anna Maria Le Grand (1768–1818), cousin of —> Philip W. Jacob and uncle of —> Samuel Swinton…