Ross, Sir Edward Denison, 1871-1940 (orientalist and linguist)
Dates
- Existence: 1871 - 1940
Biography
Ross, Sir Edward Denison (1871-1940), orientalist. He was born in St. Philip's Vicarage, Stepney, London and attended Marlborough College (1882-87). In late 1887 he moved to France and discovered an unsuspected ability in speaking foreign languages. He then attended classes in English literature, French and Italian at University College, London (1888-89), and in Arabic, Persian, Turkish and other oriental languages in Paris (1891-93). After graduating Ph.D. in Strasbourg , he was appointed Professor of Persian at University College, London (1896-1901). He spent the years 1901 to 1914 mainly in India, and during his stay in Asia he also acquired knowledge of Chinese, Sanskrit and Tibetan. Ross returned to London in 1914 and he started working at the British Museum on a catalogue of the central Asian collection of Sir Aurel Stein. In November 1916 he was appointed as the first Director of the newly established School Of Oriental Studies in the University of London. He was appointed CIE in 1912 and knighted in 1918. Ross was Fellow of Calcutta and London Universities, foreign corresponding member of the Hungarian and Portuguese academies and the Royal Batavian Society of Arts and letters; he received the gold medal of the Royal Asiatic Society in 1935. In 1939 he was appointed counsellor to the British Embassy in Istanbul. He died in Istanbul, after short illness, on 20th September 1940.
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Correspondence of E.G. Browne and Sir E.D. Ross, 11th October 1891-21st July 1924
43 Letters from Sir E.D. Ross to E.G. Browne, 1-34 are typed office copies from the School of Oriental Studies, London; 35-62 are manuscript letters from an earlier date. The earlier letters document Ross's unhappiness in India and despair at finding relevant employment in England.