GB 0102 PP MS 23 - Furnivall, John Sydenham

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0102 PP MS 23

Title

Furnivall, John Sydenham

Date(s)

  • Created 1917-1961 (Creation)

Level of description

Extent and medium

13 boxes

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

John Sydenham Furnivall was born on 14 February 1878 in Great Bentley, Essex. His early education was at the Royal Medical Benevolent College, Epsom. He won a scholarship to Trinity Hall, Cambridge in 1896, and in 1899 obtained a second class degree in the Natural Science Tripos. In 1901 he joined the India Civil Service. He arrived in Burma on 16 December 1902 and took up the appointment of Assistant Commissioner and Settlement Officer. He was made Deputy Commissioner in 1915 and Commissioner of Land Settlement and Records in 1920. He retired in 1925.

In 1910 he worked with Professor Duroiselle and U May Aung in the Burma Research Society. In 1924 he founded the Burma Book Club and in 1928 the Burma Education Extension Association.

Following his retirement to Britain, John Sydenham Furnivall became Lecturer in Burmese Language, History and Law at Cambridge University (1936-1941). In 1940, together with C W Dunn, Furnivall published a Burmese-English Dictionary. In 1942 he wrote Reconstruction in Burma for the Government of Burma. He was awarded the Order of Orange-Nassau in 1948; Thado Thiri Thudhamma from the Burma Government in 1949; and Degree of D. Litt by Rangoon University in 1957. He died in 1960.

Other published works by J S Furnivall include: Political Economy of Burma (1931); Wealth in Burma (1937); Netherlands India (1939); Progress and Welfare in South East Asia (1941); Educational Progress in South East Asia (1943); Experiment in Independence (1947); Colonial Policy and Practice (1948); The Government of Modern Burma (1958); The Fashioning of Leviathan (edited by Gehan Wijewardene) (1991).

Archival history

GB 0102 PP MS 23 Created 1917-1961 Collection (fonds) 13 boxes Furnivall , John Sydenham , 1878-1960 , colonial administrator
John Sydenham Furnivall was born on 14 February 1878 in Great Bentley, Essex. His early education was at the Royal Medical Benevolent College, Epsom. He won a scholarship to Trinity Hall, Cambridge in 1896, and in 1899 obtained a second class degree in the Natural Science Tripos. In 1901 he joined the India Civil Service. He arrived in Burma on 16 December 1902 and took up the appointment of Assistant Commissioner and Settlement Officer. He was made Deputy Commissioner in 1915 and Commissioner of Land Settlement and Records in 1920. He retired in 1925.

In 1910 he worked with Professor Duroiselle and U May Aung in the Burma Research Society. In 1924 he founded the Burma Book Club and in 1928 the Burma Education Extension Association.

Following his retirement to Britain, John Sydenham Furnivall became Lecturer in Burmese Language, History and Law at Cambridge University (1936-1941). In 1940, together with C W Dunn, Furnivall published a Burmese-English Dictionary. In 1942 he wrote Reconstruction in Burma for the Government of Burma. He was awarded the Order of Orange-Nassau in 1948; Thado Thiri Thudhamma from the Burma Government in 1949; and Degree of D. Litt by Rangoon University in 1957. He died in 1960.

Other published works by J S Furnivall include: Political Economy of Burma (1931); Wealth in Burma (1937); Netherlands India (1939); Progress and Welfare in South East Asia (1941); Educational Progress in South East Asia (1943); Experiment in Independence (1947); Colonial Policy and Practice (1948); The Government of Modern Burma (1958); The Fashioning of Leviathan (edited by Gehan Wijewardene) (1991).

Bequeathed to SOAS in December 1997.

Papers, 1917-1961, of John Sydenham Furnivall, comprising correspondence (1948-1956), mostly with C W Dunn (co-editor of the Burmese-English Dictionary); draft annotated chapters of Reconstruction in Burma; statistics and other research material gathered for the above work; Furnivall's lecture notes, scripts of his talks, articles and manuscript research notes.

The collection is arranged into four sections: correspondence; draft chapters for Reconstruction in Burma, A Study of the Social and Economic History of (British) Burma; lectures, articles (published/unpublished) and various papers of J S Furnivall; research material/manuscript notes.

Unrestricted.

Copyright held by SOAS. No publication without written permission. Apply to archivist in the first instance.
English and Burmese

Unpublished handlist.

15 May 2000 Academic teaching personnel Asian cultures Asian history Asian languages Authors Books Burmese Central government Civil servants Civil service Colonial administration Colonial countries Dictionaries Dunn , Charles William , 1877-1966 , colonial administrator Economic and social development Economic history Economics Educational personnel Furnivall , John Sydenham , 1878-1960 , colonial administrator Government Historians History Myanmar National cultures National history Political systems Public administration Publications Reference materials Social history Social scientists South and Southeast Asian languages South East Asia Statistical data Statistics Teachers Writers Communications media Information sciences Personnel People by occupation People

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Bequeathed to SOAS in December 1997.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Papers, 1917-1961, of John Sydenham Furnivall, comprising correspondence (1948-1956), mostly with C W Dunn (co-editor of the Burmese-English Dictionary); draft annotated chapters of Reconstruction in Burma; statistics and other research material gathered for the above work; Furnivall's lecture notes, scripts of his talks, articles and manuscript research notes.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

The collection is arranged into four sections: correspondence; draft chapters for Reconstruction in Burma, A Study of the Social and Economic History of (British) Burma; lectures, articles (published/unpublished) and various papers of J S Furnivall; research material/manuscript notes.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Unrestricted.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copyright held by SOAS. No publication without written permission. Apply to archivist in the first instance.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English and Burmese

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Unpublished handlist.

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Publication note

Notes area

Note

Alternative identifier(s)

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Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

School of Oriental and African Studies

Rules and/or conventions used

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area