William Crooke

William Crooke (1848–1923) was an Irish-born officer of the Indian Civil Service and one of the leading folklorists and ethnographers of British India. Educated at Trinity College, Dublin, he served in the North-Western Provinces from 1871 to 1896, mainly in district administration, and used his posts to collect material on village religion, caste and custom. His Popular Religion and Folk-Lore of Northern India (1894) and The Tribes and Castes of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh (1896) remain standard sources. In retirement he edited the journal North Indian Notes and Queries, produced annotated editions of Tod's Annals of Rajasthan and other classics, and was president of the Folk-Lore Society.