The Syro-Egyptian Society was founded on Tuesday 3 December 1844, the inaugural meeting taking place at the Society's Rooms, No. 71 Mortimer Street, Cavendish Square, London. Dr. John Lee was in the Chair and the meeting was attended by a 'very numerous company of Ladies and Gentlemen distinguished by their rank in Society, and by their attainments; including various celebrated Authors and Oriental Travellers...'. The Society was founded 'to bring together those who had travelled in, and directed their attention to the Antiquities and general History of Egypt, Nubia, Abyssinia, Arabia, Palestine, Syria, Mesopotamia, and Asia Minor'. It seems that a Council had already been formed before this meeting to oversee the Society whose originator was Dr. W. Holt Yates.
The identity of Mrs Skinner is not known. She was not a member of the Society at this time. Samuel Skinner of Portland Place, was a member and John Skinner, was a member of the Madras Literary Society, an allied society. It is possible she was the spouse of either of these.
Soob Row was born in Ongole in 1784, of a Maratha Brahman Desatha family. After his father's death, he moved, age 10, to Masulipatam where a cousin who worked as an Accountant in the Secretariat of the district's Head Office taught him to copy out Arabic accounts and Roman letters in copperplate hand. An uncle in Vinukonda, Manager of the Postmaster's Office, then tutored Soob Row. He next worked again in the Musulipatam Collectorate Office and studied English with a fellow Brahman. He subsequently worked as a volunteer copying out documents in English script. By 1799 he was proficient enough for paid employment and worked for Henry Wilson at Guntur. He continued to improve his competency and by 1818 had become Head Translator to the Sadr Adalat (High Court).
When the Madras School Book Society was formed in 1820 Soob Row became its secretary and a powerful advocate for a modern educational system. He retired in 1828 and spent the latter part of his life in ensuring provision for his decendants.
Biography was taken from Frykenberg, Robert Eric, "Christianity in India: From Beginnings to the Present", Oxford University Press, 2008, pp. 310-313.
Professor Edward H. S. Simmonds was born in 1919 at Littlehampton, Sussex. He was educated at Lord Weymouth's school, Warminster. He was enrolled into a course that sponsored by the Institute of Bankers in 1937 because his father want him to be a distributor of agricultural machinery and farming supplies. But Simmonds enlisted in the ranks of the Royal Horse Artillery and was commissioned in 1940. He was involved in the Malayan Campaign and the surrender of Singapore. He spend four years as a prisoner of war in Singapore and Thai camps. After returning to England, he went to Keble College Oxford in 1946 to study English Language and Literature. However Simmonds continued to be interested in the Thai people and their culture, thus, leading to him teaching linguistics at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London, from 1948. He remained at SOAS until his retirement in 1982 from the position of Professor of the Languages and Literatures of South East Asia.
Simmonds played also a major role in the Royal Asiatic Society. He became a Fellow in 1954 and served as Director (1965-68), Vice-President (1968-72 & 1976-80) and President (1973-76). He was married to Patricia Simmonds, actress and artist. He died in 1994.