ROCKHILL, William Woodville. Philadelphia, Pa. 1.4.1854 — Honolulu 8.12.1914. U.S. Diplomat, Traveller, Sinologist and Tibetan Scholar. Son of Thomas Cadwalader Rockhill (1819–1871) and Dorothea Anne Woodville (1823–1913). Lost his father when 13 (but ancestors.familysearch.org claims he died 19.2.1854) and the mother settled in Paris to avoid the Civil War. Studies…
ROBINSON, Richard H. Carstairs, Alberta 21.6.1926 — Madison 6.8.1970. Canadian Buddhist Scholar in the U.S.A. Professor in Madison. Son of a farmer, of Scottish-Irish ancestry. Educated in Carstairs, learned Chinese from a Chinese friend. In 1944-47 studies of economics, French and German at University of Alberta (B.A. 1947), then Chinese,…
ROBERTSON, William. Borthwick, Midlothian 19.9.1721 — Edinburgh 11.6.1793. British (Scottish) Historian. Son of Rev. William R. (1686–1745) and Eleanor Pitcairn, educated at Borthwick Parish School and Dalkeith Grammar School. He studied theology at Edinburgh, 1733-41. In 1743-59 minister at Gladsmuir in East Lothian, then in Edinburgh. Rector (Principal) of Edinburgh…
RITTER, Pavlo Grigorovič (Russian Pavel Grigor’evič Ritter). Čutove, Poltava obl. 5.4.1872 — 17.4.1939. Ukrainian Indologist, Literary Historian, Critic, etc. Professor in Harkiv. Son of the manager of a landed estate. Studies at Harkiv under Ovsjaniko-Kulikovskij, mainly Slavic, but also Sanskrit. Graduated 1894. Further studies of Sanskrit in 1895-96 under Geldner in…
RICHARDSON, Hugh Edward. St.Andrews 22.12.1905 — St.Andrews 3.12.2000. British (Scottish) Tibetologist. Son of an army medical officer, Colonel Hugh Richardson, and grandson of an I.C.S. officer (Henry Cockburn R.), his mother was Elizabeth McClean. After Trinity School in Glenalmond studied classics at Keble College, Oxford. In 1928 (or 1930?) he…
RIBEIRO, João. Baptized Lisbon 17.5.1622 — ?.11.1693. Portuguese Officer in South Asia. Son of a cap-maker. Left for India as private soldier in 1640 and was sent from Goa to Ceylon (Sri Lanka). Participated in the war between Portugal and the Netherlands, wounded several times. In 1658 caught by the…
RENNEL, James. Chudleigh, Devonshire 3.12.1742 — London 29.3.1830. British Colonial Officer and Geographer in India. Son of Captain John R. (of artillery), who died in action in 1747, and Anne Clarke. After mother’s new marriage brought up by Rev. Gilbert Burrington. Educated at Chudleigh (and as a schoolboy draw a…
REINAUD, Joseph-Toussaint. Lambesc (Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence) 4.12.1795 — Paris 14.5.1867. Abbé. French Oriental (Arabic and Persian) Scholar and Historian. Professor in Paris. After seminary in Aix-en-Provence studied theology from 1814 in Paris, where he soon became student of Silvestre de Sacy. As secretary of de Portalis he continued his studies in…
REHATSEK, Edward (Ede). Illack (now Ilok in Croatia) 3.7.1819 — Bombay (Mumbai) 11.12.1891. Hungarian Oriental Scholar in India. Son of the forest inspector of princess Odescalchi, educated in Budapest and graduated as civil engineer from Budapest University. Leaving Hungary in 1842 he spent four months in Paris and four years in…
REES, John David. London 16.12.1854 — London 2.6.1922. First Baronet (1919). British Civil Servant in India. Son of Lodwich William Rees and Ann Jones. “Educated at Cheltenham. Entered the Madras Civil Service, 1875. Private Secretary to three successive Governors…; Government Translator in Tamil, Telugu, Persian and Hindustani. British Resident in…