Jonathan Rigg

Jonathan Rigg's most important work was the first ever Sunda-English dictionary, A Dictionary of the Sunda Language of Java, which he published in 1862 and which remains in print today.^[9] The publishing of this dictionary in the Dutch East Indies by an Englishman, rather than a Dutchman, is considered to be as significant in terms of British dominance in the East Indies as the influences of Sir Stamford Raffles and John Crawfurd.^[10]

Moriyama writes:

Rigg's dictionary marks an epoch in the history of Sundanese language, showing once again that British succeeded in West Java, not the Dutch. It is not difficult to imagine the frustration felt by the Dutch towards the British. Although the Dutch had long been concerned with the East Indies and had studied them, the British, (Raffles and Crawfurd and here again Rigg) made the most important contribution to the scholarship of Sundanese language.^[10]

In 1864 Jonathan funded the restoration of St Patrick's Church in Patrick Brompton, Yorkshire. His father, the Reverend Hugh Rigg, was the rector there for 55 years.^[11]

Jonathan had two children; a daughter, Emma, and son, Jonathan, who died aged 7 on 16 June 1855. Jonathan died at Jasinga, Java, on 1 February 1871, leaving the Jasinga plantation to his unwed daughter.^[2]