Edward Wheler Bird

Edward Wheler Bird (sometimes seen as Edward "Wheeler" Bird) was born in India in 1823, the son of a provincial judge.[1] He returned to London for schooling and is listed in London's University College School's alumni as having attended from '32-38 and being "a great Tamil scholar."[2] He went back to India for a career in the Madras Civil Service and is listed as having been "special assistant to collector and magistrate, Masulipatam."[3]

In 1868, he retired from civil service and moved to Bristol, where he became involved in various missionary organizations, including the London Society for Promoting Christianity Amongst the Jews and the Bible Society.[1]

Bird became active in the British Israelite Movement in 1874, after having read a book by John Wilson.[1] He helped found the Anglo-Israel Association, which merged with the Anglo-Ephraim Association in 1878. Bird became president of the newly formed Metropolitan Anglo-Israel Association.[4]:209 He oversaw an excavation of the Hill of Tara that caused irreparable damage in the early years of the 20th century.

References

  1. Bernardini, Paulo (2001). The Jews and the Expansion of Europe to the West, 1450 to 1800. Berghahn Books. p. 114. ISBN 9781571814302.
  2. University College School, Temple Orme (1892). Alphabetical and Chronological Register for 1831-1891. Lawrence. p. 63.
  3. East-India Register and Army List. W.H. Allen. 1853.
  4. Kidd, Colin (2006). The Forging of Races: Race and Scripture in the Protestant Atlantic World, 1600-2000 (1. publ. ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0521797290.

Further reading

See also

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