BURNES, Alexander. Montrose, Angus 16.5.1805 — Kabul 2.11.1841. Sir. British (Scottish) Colonial Officer (Lieutenant-Colonel) and Traveller in India, Afghanistan and Central Asia. Son of James Burnes (1760–1852, provost and a cousin of the poet Robert Burns) and Elizabeth Glegg, brother of —> James Burnes (1801–1862). After attending the famous college…
BURNELL, Arthur Coke. St.Briavels, Gloucestershire 11.7.1840 — West Stratton, Hampshire 12. or 16.10.1882. British Civil Servant and Indologist in India. Son of Arthur Burnell, of E.I.C.’s marine service, and Mary Agnes Coke. Educated at Bedford School, studies at King’s College in London (met Fausbøll there who aroused his interest in…
BUCHANAN-HAMILTON, Francis (until 1815 Francis Buchanan, then Francis Hamilton). Branziet, Callander, Pertshire 15.2.1762 — Callander 15.6.1829. British (Scottish) Physician in India, Traveller and Naturalist, a Pioneer of Burmese Studies and of Indian Archaeology. Son of Thomas B., a physician, and Elizabeth Hamilton, took himself a M.D. at Edinburgh in 1783…
BRIGGS, Henry George. Bombay 20.10.1824 — Bombay 4.7.1872. British Merchant, Traveller, and Orientalist. Son of Henry Briggs. In 1843 travelled in South Africa, in 1845 in China. In 1846 settled at the office of Briggs & Co. in Bombay. For a while lived in Karachi (1854/55), then from 1856 Assistant…
BOWRING, Lewin Bentham. Hackney, London 15.7.1824 — Torquay, Devon 14.1.1910. British Civil Servant in India. Son of Sir John Bowring (1792–1872), a linguist, traveller, politician, diplomat, governor of Hong Kong, even poet, and Maria Lewin. Educated in Exeter, at Haileybury and Fort Williams (Calcutta). Worked in Bengal Civil service in…
BOWREY (Bowry), Thomas. Wapping, London 7.9.1659 — 1?.7.1713. British Sea Captain in the East. Came to Madras as a child of 7 after the 1666 great fire of London. In India and South-East Asia in as sailing master, then captain, until 1688. If the Hudson Bay Dictionary is by him,…
BOWER, Hamilton St.Clair. Portsea Island, Hampshire 1.9.1858 — North Berwick, East Lothian 5.3.1940. Sir. British (Scottish) Colonial Officer and Traveller in Central Asia. Son of Admiral James Paterson Bower (1806–1889) and Barbara Hickson (from Ireland). Educated in Edinburgh and at Royal Naval School. Served in British India from 1884. As…
BOGLE, George. Daldowie on Clyde near Glasgow 26.11.1746 — Calcutta 3.4.1781. British (Scottish) Traveller and Diplomat. Youngest son of George Bogle (1700–1784), an important Glasgow merchant, and Ann Sinclair, mother died when he was 17. Educated at Haddington, Glasgow, then at Edinburgh University. After four years in family business joined…
BERNIER, François. Joué-Étiau (Maine-et-Loire) 26.9.1620 — Dauphine (or Paris?) 22.9.1688. French Physician and Traveller in India. Spent twelve years (1656-68) in India, and was eight years physician at the Mughal court. Son of Pierre Bernier, one of the foremost tenants of the chapter of Angers, and Andrée Grimault. He lost…
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…