A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature

The primary aim of this book is to give as much information about English authors, including under this designation American and Colonial writers, as the prescribed limits will...

ALDRICH, THOMAS BAILEY (1836-1906).--Poet and novelist, _b._ at Portsmouth, N.H., was for some time in a bank, and then engaged in journalism. His first book was _The Bells, a C...

ASGILL, JOHN (1659-1738).--Eccentric writer, student at the Middle Temple, 1686, and called to the Bar 1692. In 1699 he _pub._ in an unlucky hour a pamphlet to prove that death...

BAKER, SIR RICHARD (1568-1645).--Historian and religious writer, studied law, was knighted in 1603, and was High Sheriff of Oxfordshire 1620. B. was the author of _The Chronicle...

BEACONSFIELD, BENJAMIN DISRAELI, 1ST EARL of (1804-1881).--Statesman and novelist, was the _s._ of Isaac D. (_q.v._). Belonging to a Jewish family settled first in Spain, whence...

Other works among novels are _My Little Girl_, _With Harp and Crown_, _This Son of Vulcan_, _The Monks of Thelema_, _By Celia's Arbour_, and _The Chaplain of the Fleet_, all wit...

BOWDLER, THOMAS (1754-1825).--Editor of _The Family Shakespeare_, _b._ near Bath, _s._ of a gentleman of independent fortune, studied medicine at St. Andrews and at Edin., where...

BROWNE, SIR THOMAS (1605-1682).--Physician and miscellaneous and metaphysical writer, _s._ of a London merchant, was _ed._ at Winchester and Oxf., after which he studied medicin...

BULL, GEORGE (1634-1710).--Theologian, _b._ at Wells, _ed._ at Tiverton and Oxf., took orders, was ordained by an ejected bishop in 1658, and received the living of Suddington n...

BURTON, SIR RICHARD FRANCIS (1821-1890).--Explorer and scholar, _s._ of an officer in the army, was _b._ at Barham House, Herts, and after a somewhat desultory education abroad...

CAREY, HENRY (_d._ 1743).--Dramatist and song-writer, was believed to be an illegitimate _s._ of George Savile, Marquis of Halifax. He wrote innumerable burlesques, farces, song...

CHAPMAN, GEORGE (1559-1634).--Dramatist and translator, was _b._ near Hitchin, and probably _ed._ at Oxf. and Camb. He wrote many plays, including _The Blind Beggar of Alexandri...

CLEVELAND, JOHN (1613-1658).--Poet, _s._ of an usher in a charity school, was _b._ at Loughborough, and _ed._ at Camb., where he became coll. tutor and lecturer on rhetoric at S...

CONGREVE, WILLIAM (1670-1729).--Dramatist, was _b._ in Yorkshire. In boyhood he was taken to Ireland, and _ed._ at Kilkenny and at Trinity Coll., Dublin. In 1688 he returned to...

CRAWFORD, FRANCIS MARION (1854-1909).--Novelist and historian, _s._ of Thomas C., an American sculptor, _b._ at Bagni di Lucca, Italy, and _ed._ in America, at Camb., and in Ger...

DAVIDSON, JOHN (1837-1909).--Poet and playwright, _b._ at Barrhead, Renfrewshire, _s._ of a Dissenting minister, entered the chemical department of a sugar refinery in Greenock...

DICKENS, CHARLES (1812-1870).--Novelist, _b._ at Landport, near Portsmouth, where his _f._ was a clerk in the Navy Pay-Office. The hardships and mortifications of his early life...

DRUMMOND, WILLIAM (1585-1649).--Poet, was descended from a very ancient family, and through Annabella D., Queen of Robert III., related to the Royal House. _Ed._ at Edin. Univ.,...

ELLIS, GEORGE (1753-1815).--Miscellaneous writer, _s._ of a West Indian planter, gained some fame by _Poetical Tales by Sir Gregory Gander_ (1778). He also had a hand in the _Ro...

FERGUSON, SIR SAMUEL (1810-1886).--Poet and antiquary, _b._ at Belfast, the _s._ of parents of Scottish extraction, he was _ed._ at Trinity Coll., Dublin, from which he received...

FORTESCUE, SIR JOHN (1394?-1476?).--Political writer, was descended from a Devonshire family. He was an eminent lawyer, and held the office of Lord Chief Justice of the King's B...

GARDINER, SAMUEL RAWSON (1829-1902).--Historian, _b._ at Alresford, Hants, was _ed._ at Winchester and Oxf. In 1855 he _m._ Isabella, _dau._ of Edward Irving (_q.v._), the found...

GILLESPIE, GEORGE (1613-1648).--Scottish Theologian, was _b._ at Kirkcaldy, and studied at St. Andrews. He became one of the ministers of Edin., and was a member of the Westmins...

GRAHAME, JAMES (1765-1811).--Poet, _s._ of a lawyer, was _b._ and _ed._ in Glasgow. After spending some time in a law office in Edin., he was called to the Scottish Bar. His hea...

HAKLUYT, RICHARD (1553?-1616).--Collector of voyages, belonged to a good Herefordshire family of Dutch descent, was _b._ either at Eyton in that county or in London, and _ed._ a...

HARTE, FRANCIS BRET (1839-1902).--American humorist, _b._ in Albany, N.Y., but when still a boy went to California. He had a somewhat varied career as a teacher, miner, and jour...

HENTY, GEORGE ALFRED (1832-1902).--Boys' novelist, wrote over 80 books for boys, which had great popularity. Among them are _By England's Aid_, _Dash for Khartoum_, _Facing Deat...

HOGG, JAMES (THE ETTRICK SHEPHERD) (1770-1835).--Poet, and writer of tales, belonged to a race of shepherds, and began life by herding cows until he was old enough to be trusted...

HOWE, JOHN (1630-1705).--Puritan divine, _b._ at Loughborough, of which his _f._ was curate, studied at Camb., and became, in 1652, minister of Great Torrington, Devonshire, whe...

IRVING, EDWARD (1792-1834).--Theologian and orator, _b._ at Annan, Dumfriesshire, and _ed._ at Edin. Univ., for some years thereafter was engaged in teaching at Kirkcaldy. Ordai...

JONES, ERNEST CHARLES (1819-1869).--Poet, novelist, and Chartist, _s._ of Major J., equerry to the Duke of Cumberland, afterwards King of Hanover, was _b._ at Berlin. He adopted...

KINGSLEY, CHARLES (1819-1875).--Novelist and historian, _s._ of a clergyman, was _b._ at Holne Vicarage near Dartmoor, but passed most of his childhood at Barnack in the Fen cou...

LANE, EDWARD WILLIAM (1801-1876).--Arabic scholar, _s._ of a prebendary of Hereford, where he was _b._, began life as an engraver, but going to Egypt in search of health, devote...

LEVER, CHARLES JAMES (1806-1872).--Novelist, _b._ at Dublin, and _ed._ at Trinity Coll. there. He studied medicine at Göttingen, and practised at various places in Ireland. In 1...

LODGE, THOMAS (1558?-1625).--Poet and dramatist, _s._ of Sir Thomas L., Lord Mayor of London, was _ed._ at Merchant Taylor's School and Oxf. He was a student of Lincoln's Inn, b...

M'COSH, JAMES (1811-1894).--Philosophical writer, _s._ of an Ayrshire farmer, was a minister first of the Church of Scotland, and afterwards of the Free Church. From 1851-68 he...

MAP, or MAPES, WALTER DE (_fl._ 1200).--Ecclesiastical statesman and romancist. Most of the facts about him are gleaned from his _De Nugis Curialium_ (Of the Trifles of the Cour...

MAXWELL, WILLIAM HAMILTON (1792-1850).--Novelist, a Scoto-Irishman, _b._ at Newry, and _ed._ at Trinity Coll., Dublin, entered the army, and saw service in the Peninsula, and at...

MILTON, JOHN (1608-1674).--Poet, was _b._ 9th December 1608 in Bread Street, London. His _f._, also John, was the _s._ of a yeoman of Oxfordshire, who cast him off on his becomi...

MORE, HENRY (1614-1687).--Philosopher, _b._ at Grantham, and _ed._ at Camb., took orders, but declined all preferment, including two deaneries and a bishopric; and also various...

NEWMAN, JOHN HENRY (1801-1890).--Theologian, _s._ of a London banker, and brother of the above, was _ed._ at Ealing and Trinity Coll., Oxf., where he was the intimate friend of...

PAINE, THOMAS (1737-1809).--Political and anti-Christian writer, _s._ of a stay-maker and small farmer of Quaker principles at Thetford, became with large classes perhaps the mo...

PENNANT, THOMAS (1726-1798).--Naturalist and traveller, _b._ in Flintshire, and _ed._ at Oxf., was one of the most distinguished naturalists of the 18th century, and _pub._, amo...

PRICE, RICHARD (1723-1791).--Writer on morals, politics, and economics, _s._ of a dissenting minister, was _b._ at Tynton in Wales, _ed._ at a dissenting coll. in London, and wa...

RAY, JOHN (1627-1705).--Naturalist, _s._ of a blacksmith at Black Notley, Essex, was at Camb., where he became a Fellow of Trinity, and successively lecturer on Greek and mathem...

ROSSETTI, DANTE GABRIEL (1828-1882).--Poet and painter, was _b._ in London. His _f._ was Gabriele Rossetti, an Italian scholar, who came to England in 1824, and was Prof. of Ita...

SCOTT, SIR WALTER (1771-1832).--Poet, novelist, and biographer, _s._ of Walter S., a Writer to the Signet in Edinburgh, and Margaret Rutherford, _dau._ of one of the Prof. of Me...

SHAKESPEARE, WILLIAM (1564-1616).--Dramatist and poet, _b._ at Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire, on 22nd or 23rd, and baptised on 26th April, 1564. On his father's side he belong...

SHERLOCK, WILLIAM (1641?-1707).--Divine and controversialist, _b._ at Southwark, _ed._ at Eton and Camb., took orders, and became in 1684 Master of the Temple, and in 1691 Dean...

SOTHEBY, WILLIAM (1757-1833).--Poet and translator, belonged to a good family, and was _ed._ at Harrow. In early life he was in the army. He _pub._ a few dramas and books of poe...

STEELE, SIR RICHARD (1672-1729).--Essayist and dramatist, _s._ of a Dublin attorney, who _d._ when his _s._ was 5 years old, was on the nomination of the Duke of Ormond, sent to...

STRODE, WILLIAM (1600-1645).--Poet, only _s._ of Philip S., who belonged to an old Devonshire family, he was _b._ at Plympton, Devonshire, and showing studious tendencies, was s...

TAYLOR, BAYARD (1825-1878).--Poet, _b._ in Pennsylvania of Quaker descent, began to write by the time he was 12. Apprenticed to a printer, he found the work uncongenial and, pur...

THACKERAY, WILLIAM MAKEPEACE (1811-1863).--Novelist, _s._ of Richmond T., who held various important appointments in the service of the East India Company, and who belonged to a...

TRAHERNE, THOMAS (1636?-1674).--Poet and theological writer, _s._ of a shoemaker at Hereford where, or at Ledbury, he was probably _b._ Very few facts concerning him have been p...

VAUGHAN, HENRY (1622-1695).--Poet, _b._ in the parish of Llansaintffraed, Brecknock, and as a native of the land of the ancient Silures, called himself "Silurist." He was at Jes...

WATTS, ISAAC (1674-1748).--Poet and theologian, _b._ at Southampton, where his _f._ kept a school, and _ed._ at a Nonconformist academy at Stoke Newington, became minister of an...

WHITTIER, JOHN GREENLEAF (1807-1892).--Poet, was _b._ at Haverhill, Massachusetts, of a Quaker family. In early life he worked on a farm. His later years were occupied partly in...

WOOD, or À WOOD, ANTHONY (1632-1695).--Antiquary, was _b._ at Oxf., where he was _ed._ and spent most of his life. His antiquarian enthusiasm was awakened by the collections of...

ASHTON, JOHN (1834).--Literary antiquary, etc. _History of Chap-books of Eighteenth Century_ (1882), _Humour, Wit, and Satire of Seventeenth Century_ (ed. 1883), _Adventures and...

ELLIS, ROBINSON (1834).--Scholar. _The Poems and Fragments of Catullus in the Metres of the Original_ (1871), _A Commentary on Catullus_ (1876), _The Ibis of Ovid, etc._ (1881),...

LEE, SIDNEY, D.Litt., LL.D. (1859).--Ed. of _The Dictionary of National Biography_ (with Sir L. Stephen), _Stratford on Avon from the Earliest Times to the Death of Shakespeare_...

SKEAT, REV. WALTER WILLIAM, Litt.D., LL.D. (1835).--Philologist and Early English scholar; has ed. Langland's _Piers Plowman_, _The Lay of Havelock_, Barbour's _Bruce_, and othe...