Identity area
Reference code
Title
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
Publication note
Notes area
Note
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
- Educational personnel » Teachers » Academic teaching personnel
- National cultures » Asian cultures
- National history » Asian history
- Asian languages
- Authors
- Books
- Asian languages » South and Southeast Asian languages » Burmese
- Government » Public administration » Central government
- Government » Public administration » Central government » Civil service » Civil servants
- Government » Public administration » Central government » Civil service
- Political systems » Colonial countries
- Books » Reference materials » Dictionaries
- Economic and social development
- Economics » Economic history
- Economics
- Educational personnel
- Government
- Social scientists » Historians
- History
- National cultures
- National history
- Political systems
- Government » Public administration
- Books » Reference materials
- History » Social history
- Social scientists
- Asian languages » South and Southeast Asian languages
- Statistics » Statistical data
- Statistics
- Educational personnel » Teachers
- Authors » Writers
- Information sciences
- Personnel
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Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
- English