Henry Harkness was born on 7 October 1787 in Lympstone, Devon. He was a British Colonial Officer in South India. He became a Captain in 1826 when he commanded the escort of Bishop Heber until Heber’s death in 1826. He collaborated with Col. Colin MacKenzie in editing Ram Raz’s posthumous, 'Architecture of the Hindus' (L. 1834) and worked as the secretary of College of Fort St. George until his retirement on 7 July 1834. Once back in the U.K., He was Secretary of the RAS from 1834 to 1837. He died on 17 August 1838.
Beatrice Eileen de Cardi was born in London in 1914, educated at St. Paul's School and University College, London, studying archaeology under Sir Mortimer Wheeler. n 1936, after graduating, she was offered a position as Wheeler's secretary at the London Museum, where he held the position of Keeper. She later became his assistant. During World War II de Cardi worked for the Allied Supplies Executive of the War Cabinet in China, often visiting India within her role. After the war, she became Britain's Assistant Trade Commissioner in Karachi, Delhi, and Lahore and carried out archaeological excavations in these areas. She continued to be involved in excavations working also in the Middle East and in 1973 was awarded an OBE for services to archaeology.