CLOUGH, Benjamin. Bradford, Yorkshire 1791 — Southwark, Kent 13.4.1853. British Methodist Missionary and Pāli Scholar in Sri Lanka. Lost his father, a militia officer, when four. Joined the Methodists in the age of 17 and became a preacher. Ordained priest and went to Ceylon among the first Methodist missionaries in…
CHILDERS, Robert Cesar. Cantley, South Yorkshire 1838 — London 25.7.1876. British Indologist (Pāli scholar). Born in southern France as the son of Charles Childers (1806–1896), the English chaplain of Nice (then still part of the kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia), and Dulcibella Chester. Grew up in Nice. From 1857 studies at Wadham…
CHAPMAN, Isham J. 1??? — 1???. British Colonial Officer in Ceylon. Captain of Royal Artillery. Possible relatives in I.C.S. (see Buckland). The first article is based on field observations made in 1828, the second on information obtained from others. One Captain Isham Chapman died in 1852, but the rare name…
CHALMERS, Robert (1919 first baron of Chalmers of Northiam). Stoke Newington, London 18.8.1858 — Oxford 17.11.1938. Lord. British (Scottish) Civil Servant and Indologist (Pāli Scholar). Born in London in a Scottish family, son of John Chalmers and Julia Mackay. Educated at City of London School (under E. Abbott). From 1877…
CARTER, Charles Henry. Leicestershire 29.10.1828 — Auckland 6.7.1914. Rev. British Baptist Missionary in Sri Lanka. Son of Thomas Carter, a stonemason, and Anne Thomson, raised near Leicester. Became Baptist and from 1849 studied at Horton College, learning Hebrew and Greek. Arrived in the island 1853, from 1855 Pastor of the…
BOWDEN, Ernest Monnington. Rochford, Herefordshire bapt. 17.7.1859 — Ramsgate, Kent 3.4.1904. British Author and Inventor (Wikipedia calls him Irishman, which seems unlikely, his father was born in London). Son of Rev. Ellis Treacher Bowden and Maria Jones (d. 1875). After Malvern College studies at Pembroke College, Cambridge (B.A. 1881). In…
BOAKE, William John Slade. Colombo 1844 — London 2.6.1889. British (Irish) Civil Servant in Sri Lanka. Son of Rev. Dr. Barcroft Boake of Dublin (1814–1876), Principal of Colombo Academy in 1842-70, and Mary Katherine Slade (d. 1860). Obtained Lic. Med. of Trinity College, Dublin, and Diploma of Medicine and Surgery,…
BELL, Harry Charles Purvis. India 21.9.1851 — Kandy 6.9.1937. British Archaeologist of Sri Lanka. Son of General Harry Wainwright Bell (1821–1888) of Irish/Scottish descent, and Harriet Croker. From 1864 educated at Cheltenham College, but never went to a university. From 1873 in Ceylon Civil service, served in various positions, finally…
AYRTON, Edward Russell. Wuhu, prove. Anhui, China 17.12.1882 — Tissamaharama 18.5.1914. British Archaeologist in Sri Lanka. Son of William Scrope Ayrton (1849–1904), of China Consular Service, and Ellen Louisa McClatchie. Educated at St.Paul’s School in London. Archaeological training in Europe and Egypt (as Flinders Petrie’s Assistant 1902-04 at Abydos). In…
AA, Jean Baptiste van der. Brussels 11.6.1843 — 1900?. S.J. Flemish Jesuit Father, Missionary in Sri Lanka. Educated at Collège Saint-Michel, entered S.J. when 17. Ordained priest in 1875, taught philosophy at Louvain (Leuven). In 1895 he went to Sri Lanka and worked as teacher at the Papal Seminarium in…