GB 0102 MS 380710 - Turner, Sir Ralph Lilley

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0102 MS 380710

Title

Turner, Sir Ralph Lilley

Date(s)

  • c1910-1983 (Creation)

Level of description

Extent and medium

2 boxes

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Born, 1888; educated at the Perse Grammar School; Christ's College, Cambridge (Senior Scholar); first class, Classical Tripos Part I, 1909; first class, Oriental Languages Tripos, 1910; first class, Classical Tripos Part II, 1911; awarded the Brotherton Memorial Sanskrit Prize; elected Fellow of Christ's College, 1912; Indian Educational Service Lecturer in Sanskrit at Queen's College, Benares, 1913; Wilson Philological Lecturer, Bombay University, 1914; served with the 2nd/3rd Queen Alexandra's Own Gurkha Rifles in Palestine and India, 1915-1919; awarded the Military Cross; twice mentioned in despatches; Examiner, Oriental Languages Tripos and Classical Tripos Part II, Cambridge; Professor of Indian Linguistics, Benares Hindu University, 1920-1922; Wilson Philological Lecturer, Bombay University, 1922; Professor of Sanskrit, School of Oriental Studies, University of London, 1922-1954; Philological Society Honorary Treasurer, 1931-1962, and President, 1939-1943; Director of the School of Oriental Studies, from 1938 the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), 1937-1957; under his Directorship the first department of the languages and cultures of Africa in a British university was begun, and the School moved from the City of London to Bloomsbury; during the Second World War, following his warnings that the forces lacked sufficient personnel trained in Asian languages, SOAS trained servicemen in Chinese and Japanese for intelligence work; elected Fellow of the British Academy, 1942; instrumental in the appointment of the Scarborough Commission (which was to recommend expanded provision in British universities for the study of Asia and Africa), 1944; subsequently engaged in implementing the Commission's recommendations at SOAS; Knight, 1950; Honorary Fellow, Christ's College, Cambridge, 1950; Royal Asiatic Society President, 1952-1955, Gold Medallist, 1953, and Honorary Vice-President, 1963; retired as Professor, 1954; Emeritus Professor, 1954; Honorary Fellow, SOAS, 1957; Honorary Fellow, Deccan College, Poona; member of the Inter-Services Committee on Language Training, Linguists' Committee of Ministry of Labour and National Service, Colonial Social Science Research Council, Advisory Committee on the Humanities of the British Council, Advisory Committee on Education in the Colonies, Treasury sub-committee for studentships in foreign languages and cultures, and University Grants Committee sub-committee on Oriental and African Studies; member of various overseas learned societies in Europe, America and Asia; recipient of numerous medals, honorary degrees, and awards; died, 1983. Publications: various works on linguistic subjects, including Indo-Aryan languages, among them A Comparative and Etymological Dictionary of the Nepali Language (1931), and A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages (1966), with Indexes by his wife Lady Dorothy Rivers Turner (1969) and a Phonetic analysis (1971), and the posthumously-published Addenda, ed J C Wright (1985).

Archival history

GB 0102 MS 380710 c1910-1983 Collection (fonds) 2 boxes Turner , Sir , Ralph Lilley , 1888-1983 , Knight , Orientalist
Born, 1888; educated at the Perse Grammar School; Christ's College, Cambridge (Senior Scholar); first class, Classical Tripos Part I, 1909; first class, Oriental Languages Tripos, 1910; first class, Classical Tripos Part II, 1911; awarded the Brotherton Memorial Sanskrit Prize; elected Fellow of Christ's College, 1912; Indian Educational Service Lecturer in Sanskrit at Queen's College, Benares, 1913; Wilson Philological Lecturer, Bombay University, 1914; served with the 2nd/3rd Queen Alexandra's Own Gurkha Rifles in Palestine and India, 1915-1919; awarded the Military Cross; twice mentioned in despatches; Examiner, Oriental Languages Tripos and Classical Tripos Part II, Cambridge; Professor of Indian Linguistics, Benares Hindu University, 1920-1922; Wilson Philological Lecturer, Bombay University, 1922; Professor of Sanskrit, School of Oriental Studies, University of London, 1922-1954; Philological Society Honorary Treasurer, 1931-1962, and President, 1939-1943; Director of the School of Oriental Studies, from 1938 the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), 1937-1957; under his Directorship the first department of the languages and cultures of Africa in a British university was begun, and the School moved from the City of London to Bloomsbury; during the Second World War, following his warnings that the forces lacked sufficient personnel trained in Asian languages, SOAS trained servicemen in Chinese and Japanese for intelligence work; elected Fellow of the British Academy, 1942; instrumental in the appointment of the Scarborough Commission (which was to recommend expanded provision in British universities for the study of Asia and Africa), 1944; subsequently engaged in implementing the Commission's recommendations at SOAS; Knight, 1950; Honorary Fellow, Christ's College, Cambridge, 1950; Royal Asiatic Society President, 1952-1955, Gold Medallist, 1953, and Honorary Vice-President, 1963; retired as Professor, 1954; Emeritus Professor, 1954; Honorary Fellow, SOAS, 1957; Honorary Fellow, Deccan College, Poona; member of the Inter-Services Committee on Language Training, Linguists' Committee of Ministry of Labour and National Service, Colonial Social Science Research Council, Advisory Committee on the Humanities of the British Council, Advisory Committee on Education in the Colonies, Treasury sub-committee for studentships in foreign languages and cultures, and University Grants Committee sub-committee on Oriental and African Studies; member of various overseas learned societies in Europe, America and Asia; recipient of numerous medals, honorary degrees, and awards; died, 1983. Publications: various works on linguistic subjects, including Indo-Aryan languages, among them A Comparative and Etymological Dictionary of the Nepali Language (1931), and A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages (1966), with Indexes by his wife Lady Dorothy Rivers Turner (1969) and a Phonetic analysis (1971), and the posthumously-published Addenda, ed J C Wright (1985).

Transferred from the South Asian Department, School of Oriental and African Studies, in two deposits in 1999 (Ref: MS 380710/1-7, 10-17) and 2000 (Ref: MS 380710/8-9).

Papers, c1910-1983, of Sir Ralph Turner.

Papers relating to his military experience comprise leave pass, Cambridge University Officer Training Corps, undated, c1910 (Ref: 1); volume containing manuscript 'Diary of Small Events', 1915-1917, compiled from war diary, battalion orders, Turner's letters, and diaries of other soldiers, containing brief entries on subjects including work and personnel changes, with some days blank (Ref: 2), and another volume containing a similar manuscript diary, 1917-1919 (Ref: 3); file containing typescript and manuscript notes, correspondence, maps, and other documents on military action in Egypt and the Middle East, 1915-1919, including personnel, awards and casualties, also including papers, 1919-1922, relating to a proposed history of the battalion 2nd/3rd Queen Alexandra's Own Gurkha Rifles (Ref: 4); file containing typescript and manuscript notes and texts and cutting on military action in Palestine, 1917-1918, including later copies of other participants' accounts (Ref: 5).

Language papers comprise a bound manuscript, 'Dvâvimúatyavadâna', 1911, collected from 9 manuscripts in various locations (Ref: 6); file on the Dvâvimúatyavadânakathâ, containing loose manuscript and typescript notes and texts, undated (Ref: 7); notebook entitled 'Dvâváúatyavadânakathâ Notes', containing numbered manuscript notes (index), with additional notes inserted, undated (Ref: 8); postcard on language to Turner from Jules Bloch, 1913 (Ref: 9); file entitled 'IA Introduction', containing manuscript notes and texts on Indo-Aryan languages, including lectures, largely undated [1920s or after] (Ref: 10); draft letter from Turner to [Sir Edward Denison?] Ross, 1926, on Turner's edition of the Dvavimúatyavadânakathâ manuscripts (Ref: 11); two letters from C E A W Oldham and three letters from Turner to Oldham, 1936, concerning place-names in Indic languages, and Turner's appointment [presumably as Director of the School of Oriental Studies] (Ref: 12); letter to Turner from J C Powell-Price, 1962, concerning various matters relating to India and Asia (Ref: 13); copy of a typescript foreword by J Brough to a collection of articles by Turner, undated [before 1983] (Ref: 14).

Copies of five plans and one drawn view of the School of Oriental Studies, 1938 (Ref: 15).

Papers relating to Turner's death comprise two letters from his daughter Audrey [Turner] to 'Clifford' [Wright?] concerning his death, 1983 (Ref: 16); printed order of thanksgiving service in memory of Turner, 1983 (Ref: 17).

The papers comprise two boxes: MS 380710/1-5 (Box 1); MS 380710/6-17 (Box 2).

Unrestricted.

No publication without written permission. Apply to archivist in the first instance.
English, French, Sanskrit and other Indic languages

The British Library, Oriental and India Office Collections, holds further papers of Sir Ralph Turner (Ref: MSS Eur D 1166).

Compiled by Rachel Kemsley as part of the RSLP AIM25 project. Sources: Dictionary of National Biography; Who Was Who; National Register of Archives; British Library OPAC. Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997. Aug 2002 Academic teaching personnel Armed forces Army personnel Asian literature Awards Bloch , Jules , 1880-1953 , linguist Brough , John , 1917-1984 , Professor of Sanskrit Cambridge University Officer Training Corps Colonial forces Diaries Documents Editing Educational administrators Educational personnel Egypt Higher education institutions History India Indic languages Indo-european languages Information sources International conflicts International relations Literary forms and genres Literature Maps Middle East Military awards Military history Military organizations National literatures Newspaper press Nonfiction North Africa Oldham , Charles Evelyn Arbuthnot William , 1869-1949 , colonial administrator Organizations Palestine Plans Press Press cuttings Price , J C , Powell- , fl 1962 x Powell-Price , J C Primary documents Prose Publishing Publishing industry Ross , Sir , Edward Denison , 1871-1940 , Knight , Orientalist x Ross , Denison School of Oriental Studies Second/Third Queen Alexandra's Own Gurkha Rifles Social behaviour Social norms South Asia State security Teachers Turner , Audrey , fl 1983 , daughter of Sir Ralph Turner Turner , Sir , Ralph Lilley , 1888-1983 , Knight , Orientalist Universities Visual materials War War diaries War victims World War One (1914-1918) World wars (events) Wright , Jack Clifford , b 1933 , Professor of Sanskrit x Wright , Clifford Wars (events) Personnel People by occupation People Educational institutions

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Transferred from the South Asian Department, School of Oriental and African Studies, in two deposits in 1999 (Ref: MS 380710/1-7, 10-17) and 2000 (Ref: MS 380710/8-9).

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Papers, c1910-1983, of Sir Ralph Turner.

Papers relating to his military experience comprise leave pass, Cambridge University Officer Training Corps, undated, c1910 (Ref: 1); volume containing manuscript 'Diary of Small Events', 1915-1917, compiled from war diary, battalion orders, Turner's letters, and diaries of other soldiers, containing brief entries on subjects including work and personnel changes, with some days blank (Ref: 2), and another volume containing a similar manuscript diary, 1917-1919 (Ref: 3); file containing typescript and manuscript notes, correspondence, maps, and other documents on military action in Egypt and the Middle East, 1915-1919, including personnel, awards and casualties, also including papers, 1919-1922, relating to a proposed history of the battalion 2nd/3rd Queen Alexandra's Own Gurkha Rifles (Ref: 4); file containing typescript and manuscript notes and texts and cutting on military action in Palestine, 1917-1918, including later copies of other participants' accounts (Ref: 5).

Language papers comprise a bound manuscript, 'Dvâvimúatyavadâna', 1911, collected from 9 manuscripts in various locations (Ref: 6); file on the Dvâvimúatyavadânakathâ, containing loose manuscript and typescript notes and texts, undated (Ref: 7); notebook entitled 'Dvâváúatyavadânakathâ Notes', containing numbered manuscript notes (index), with additional notes inserted, undated (Ref: 8); postcard on language to Turner from Jules Bloch, 1913 (Ref: 9); file entitled 'IA Introduction', containing manuscript notes and texts on Indo-Aryan languages, including lectures, largely undated [1920s or after] (Ref: 10); draft letter from Turner to [Sir Edward Denison?] Ross, 1926, on Turner's edition of the Dvavimúatyavadânakathâ manuscripts (Ref: 11); two letters from C E A W Oldham and three letters from Turner to Oldham, 1936, concerning place-names in Indic languages, and Turner's appointment [presumably as Director of the School of Oriental Studies] (Ref: 12); letter to Turner from J C Powell-Price, 1962, concerning various matters relating to India and Asia (Ref: 13); copy of a typescript foreword by J Brough to a collection of articles by Turner, undated [before 1983] (Ref: 14).

Copies of five plans and one drawn view of the School of Oriental Studies, 1938 (Ref: 15).

Papers relating to Turner's death comprise two letters from his daughter Audrey [Turner] to 'Clifford' [Wright?] concerning his death, 1983 (Ref: 16); printed order of thanksgiving service in memory of Turner, 1983 (Ref: 17).

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

The papers comprise two boxes: MS 380710/1-5 (Box 1); MS 380710/6-17 (Box 2).

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Unrestricted.

Conditions governing reproduction

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, French, Sanskrit and other Indic languages

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

The British Library, Oriental and India Office Collections, holds further papers of Sir Ralph Turner (Ref: MSS Eur D 1166).

Related descriptions

Publication note

Notes area

Note

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

School of Oriental and African Studies

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area