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William Cureton

وليم كورتون

Notable figure 1808–1864 · Source: Najib al-Aqiqi, al-Mustashriqun, 3rd ed. (Cairo: Dar al-Maʿarif, 1964), vol. 2, p. 479; Yahya Murad, Muʿjam asmaʾ al-mustashriqin, p. 907 · Second source: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek, GND authority record 116766085: Cureton, William (1808–1864)

Field: Manuscript cataloguing

Affiliation

Began the British Museum's Arabic manuscript catalogue

Biography

Born at Westbury, Shropshire, he studied at Christ Church, Oxford, and was a sub-librarian of the Bodleian. Moving to the British Museum as assistant keeper of manuscripts, his first task was a classified catalogue of its Arabic manuscripts, whose first part appeared in London in 1846; Charles Rieu completed it (1871). He then turned to the Syriac manuscripts, and died in London.