Renouf, (Sir) Peter Le Page

Egyptologist and orientalist; born Guernsey, 23 Aug. 1822, son of Joseph R. and Mary Le Page; educated at Elizabeth College, Guernsey, and Pembroke College, Oxford, 1840, where he read Hebrew and left before taking a degree having become a Roman Catholic; he then went abroad, later becoming Classical tutor, Oscott College; appointed Professor of Ancient History and Oriental languages, Catholic University, Dublin, 1855-64; HM Inspector of Schools, 1864-85; while in Ireland became interested in Egypt through the funerary papyri preserved at Trinity College, Dublin; encouraged by Hincks he now began to publish Egyptological articles in the periodical Atlantis; he visited Egypt with his wife, Ludovica, daughter of Christian Brentano la Roche, 1875, going via Syria-Lebanon; Hibbert Lecturer, 1879; he succeeded Birch as Keeper of Oriental Antiquities, British Museum, 1 May 1886-3 Dec. 1891; he was President Soc. Bibl. Arch., 1885-97; knighted 1896, he made many contributions to Egyptology and published many articles in journals espec. PSBA; his main works were, An Elementary Grammar of the Ancient Egyptian Language, pt. i only pub., 1875; Lectures on the Origin and Growth of Religion, as illustrated by the Religion of Ancient Egypt, 1880; Assyrian Antiquities. Guide to the Nimroud Central Saloon of the British Museum, 1886; The Book of the Dead. Facsimile of the Papyrus of Ani in the British Museum, 1890; his most important work, the translation of the Book of the Dead, was unfinished at his death and was completed by Naville; his writings were collected and republished by his wife under the title The Life¬work of Sir P. Le Page Renouf, 4 vols. 1902-7; his letters have been edited and published by J.Cathcart, The Letters of Peter le Page Renouf (1822-1897), 2002-4, in 4 volumes; during Renouf's period as Keeper the work of arrangement, modernisation, and enlarging the Egyptian collections was actively carried on, and many famous pieces were added; his correspondence is in the Griffith Institute, Oxford; he died in London, 14 Oct. 1897.

• Who Was Who in Egyptology (4th ed. 2012), 461 fig. (portrait).