Sir Arthur Allen Waugh, (18911968) was a British civil servant in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

and folklorist.

Early years and education

Waugh was born on 25 July 1891 and educated at

George Watson’s College George Watson's College is a co-educational private day school in Scotland, situated on Colinton Road, in the Merchiston area of Edinburgh. It was first established as a hospital school in 1723, became a day school in 1871, and was merged with ...

and the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...

Career

Waugh joined the

Indian Civil Service The Indian Civil Service (ICS), officially known as the Imperial Civil Service, was the higher civil service of the British Empire in India during British Raj, British rule in the period between 1858 and 1947. Its members ruled over more than 3 ...

in 1914 (via examination) and was gazetted to the

United Provinces of British India The United Provinces of Agra and Oudh was a province of India under the British Raj, which existed from 22 March 1902 to 1937; the official name was shortened by the Government of India Act 1935 to United Provinces (UP), by which the province h ...

. He was promoted to Revenue Secretary in 1934 and was made Settlement Commissioner in 1939. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, he played an important role in overseeing the productive capacity of the United Provinces. In 1943, Waugh was called to

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...

to be made secretary of the Central War Supply Department. In 1945, Waugh was appointed to the Executive Council of the Governor-General. He was made Companion of the

Order of the Indian Empire The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria on 1 January 1878. The Order includes members of three classes: #Knight Grand Commander (:Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire, ...

(CIE) in 1937, Companion of the

Order of the Star of India The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes: # Knight Grand Commander ( GCSI) # Knight Commander ( KCSI) # Companion ( CSI) No appointments ...

(CSI) in 1943, and Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE) in 1945. He retired from the Indian Civil Service in 1946 and later held roles with the British Council and Salaries Commission in Ghana.

Folklorist

Following his retirement, Waugh increasingly spent his time researching legendary monsters, particularly sea creatures. He joined the

Folklore Society The Folklore Society (FLS) is a registered charity under English law based in London, England for the study of folklore. Its office is at 50 Fitzroy Street, London home of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland. It wa ...

, quickly becoming a member of its Council and serving as its President from 1959 to 1961. His Presidential lectures were on the topics of the folklore of

merfolk Merfolk, Mercreatures, Mermen or Merpeople are legendary water-dwelling, human-like beings. They are attested in folklore and mythology throughout the ages in various parts of the world. Merfolk, Merpeople, or simply Mer refers to humanoid creatur ...

and whales, and in 1961 he co-authored ''Sea Enchantress: The Tale of the Mermaid and her Kin''.

Selected works

* Waugh, Arthur (1960) "The Folklore of the Merfolk", ''Folklore'', 71:2, 73-84 * Waugh, Arthur (1961) "The Folklore of the Whale", ''Folklore'', 72:2, 361-371 * Benwell, Gwen & Waugh, Arthur (1961), ''Sea Enchantress: The Tale of the Mermaid and her Kin.'' New York: Citadel Press.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Waugh, Arthur 1891 births 1968 deaths Knights Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire Companions of the Order of the Star of India Companions of the Order of the Indian Empire Presidents of the Folklore Society