Richard Cobden was born in 1804. He spent his early adulthood as a clerk, commercial traveller and merchant in the cloth industry. He was successful in business in Manchester, read and travelled widely, and became involved in local politics. During 1838-1846 he was active and influential in the Anti-Corn Law League. He served successively as MP for Stockport (1841-1847), West Riding of Yorkshire (1847-1857) and Rochdale (1859-1865).
William Edward Hickson was born in Westminster in 1803, but was brought up largely in Northampton, where his family were active in the Baptist church. He entered the family's footwear manufacturing business as a young man but also found time to participate in the burgeoning literary and scientific life in London and take an interest in radical politics. Hickson was a founder-member of the Reform Club and owned and edited the radical Westminster Review for more than 10 years. He was most concerned with promoting education (particularly musical education), but was also prominent in discussions on child labour, the Corn Laws, professional malpractice and the condition of the unemployed.
John Lunan was the author of several books on the laws and court system of colonial Jamaica. He was probably the same John Lunan whose botanical work Hortus Jamaicensis (1814) is cited by the Oxford English Dictionary as the earliest example of the word 'grapefruit'.
No information was available at the time of compilation.
Thomas Phillipps was born in Manchester in 1792. He was brought up in Worcestershire by his father. He was educated at Rugby School and at University College, Oxford, graduating in 1815. Phillipps's father died in 1818 and thereafter he lived on a private income, although his passion for collecting books and manuscripts (which he indulged freely) meant that he was continually in debt and often on bad terms with suppliers and members of his family. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1820 and a baronet in 1921. At the time of Phillipps's death in 1872 his collection comprised many thousands of volumes and it was took more than a century for all of it it to be broken up and gradually sold; the final lot was eventually sold in 1977.
No information was available at the time of compilation.
James Orchard Halliwell was born in Chelsea and educated at Trinity College and Jesus College, Cambridge. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1839, and acted as an editor for the Camden Society (1839-1844), the Percy Society (1842-1850), and the Shakespeare Society. A renowned Shakespeare scholar, he arranged and described the Shakespeare archives at Stratford-upon-Avon, wrote extensively on the town, and initiated the movement for the purchase of the site of Shakespeare's house at New Place, [1863]. In 1842 Halliwell married Henrietta Phillipps against the wishes of her father, the book collector Sir Thomas Phillipps, who remained implacably estranged from the couple for the rest of his life; however, on his death in 1872, Mr and Mrs Halliwell adopted the surname Halliwell-Phillipps.
No information was available at the time of compilation.
Henry Roberts was born in Philadelphia to British parents. His family returned to London during his youth and he was apprenticed to the architect Charles Fowler. After working for Robert Smirke and studying at the Royal Academy Schools, Roberts set up his own architectural practice; his 1832 design for the London Fishmongers' Hall (completed in 1840) made his name and he employed George Gilbert Scott as his assistant. He was also a founder member of the Institute of British Architects (1835) and became a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London in 1836. He is best known, however, for his interest in and efforts to improve the housing of the working class population in London, particularly his work for the Society for Improving the Condition of the Labouring Classes during the 1840s and early 1850s. Roberts and his family left Britain for Italy in about 1853, after a scandal caused by an extra-marital relationship of his. He died in Florence in 1876.
Henri Cernuschi was born in Milan in 1821. He became involved in the Revolutions of 1848 when still student. In 1850 he left Italy for France, where he became a successful banker and writer on economics, known for his advocacy of bimetallism. He was expelled from France in 1870 during the last days of Napoleon III's rule, but returned a few months later when the Imperials regime collapsed. During the 1870s Cernuschi travelled in East Asia and collected many examples of Asian art. On his death, he bequeathed his collection to the City of Paris, where today it is open to the public as the Musée Cernuschi.
Gaston Paris was born in Avenay, Marne, France, and developed a love of French literature in early childhood. He became Professor of Medieval Literature at the College de France in 1872 and Director of the College in 1895. He was elected to the Academie francaise in 1896. Paris's work as a linguistic scholar, literary critic and medievalist (including contributions to the Histoire litteraire de la France) was both acclaimed and influential. He died at Cannes.
Robert Browning was born in Camberwell, London in 1812. He was educated locally and at home, where he enjoyed reading and writing poetry from an early age. He entered the new University of London in 1828 but left after a year to study privately, with no profession in mind. His first poem was published in 1833 and during subsequent years he became well known, though not always popular with the critics. He married fellow poet Elizabeth Moulton Barrett (1806-1861), in 1846 and they lived mainly in Italy; Browning returned to London permanently after her death in 1861. During the 1870s and 1880s he became one of Britain's most famous living poets, and was a critical as well as a commercial success at the time of his death. His best known works include Porphyria's Lover (1836) and The Ring and the Book (1868-1869).
No information was available at the time of compilation.
John Eliot was the son of John Eliot (1735-1813), a Quaker merchant and London underwriter. John the younger's older sister Mariabella Howard (1769-1852) was the wife of the chemist and meterologist Luke Howard (1772-1864) and the mother of John Eliot Howard (1807-1883), famous for his research into quinine.
Robert William Speaight was born in Kent and read English at Lincoln College, Oxford, before becoming a professional actor. He converted to Roman Catholicism in the 1930s and became well-known for his performance in T S Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral and for his portrayal of Jesus Christ in the radio drama The Man Born to be King (1942). Speaight was also a published novelist, theatre director and drama critic, particularly of the works of Shakespeare.
No information was available at the time of compilation.
No information was available at the time of compilation.
Ethel Edith Mannin was born and educated in London. Trained as a typist, she worked as a copywriter and editor before publishing her first novel in 1923. She subsequently wrote nearly a hundred books, both fiction and non-fiction, generally producing two each year, and her left-wing political views influenced much of her work. Mannin was married twice (to the writers John Alexander Porteus and Reginald Reynolds) but wrote under her own surname.
No information was available at the time of compilation.
Gladys Ellen Easdale spent her adult life on the margins of the London literary and musical scene. She wrote about her life in an autobiography, Middle Age , 1885-1932, published in 1935, first anonymously and then under the surname of Killin.
George Gordon Noel Byron was born in London on 22 January 1788. At the age of ten, he inherited his great uncle William's barony to become the 6th Baron of Rochdale. Byron was educated at Harrow School 1801-1805 and Trinity College Cambridge, 1805-1808; where he received a Master of Arts degree. Whilst at Cambridge, Byron had several poetry books and other works printed and published. On leaving Cambridge, he settled in Newstead Abbey, Nottinghamshire, the ancestral home of the Byrons. He took his seat in the House of Lords on the 13 March 1809 and later that year he began a tour of the Mediterranean and the Near East (1809-1811). In 1812 Byron published Childe Harold's Pilgrimage Canto I and II and made his maiden speech at the House of Lords. In April 1816 he left England for the continent and spent nearly seven years travelling and writing in Italy. While in Italy he wrote Don Juan, which was published in several parts between 1818-1822. Byron sailed for Greece in July 1823, to help that country in its war for independence. In April 1824 Byron fell ill and died in Missolonghi, Greece.
Joseph McNabb was born in Portaferry, County Down, Ireland, and educated in Belfast and Newcastle upon Tyne. He joined the Dominican order as a novice in 1885, aged 17, taking Vincent as his name in religion. He was ordained priest in 1891 and studied theology in Belgium from 1891 until 1894, thereafter spending his life as a monk and teacher. Fr Vincent was deeply concerned with economic, social and ethical issues and the views expressed in his writings and lectures (including appearances given at Speakers' Corner, Hyde Park, London) were strong and often controversial.
Jean-Baptiste Say was born in Lyon, France, in 1767. He worked in England for several years before returning to France to work for an insurance company. His first pamphlet was published in 1789 and he subsequently wrote and edited many works on a variety of economic topics. He is best known as the proponent of Say's law, commonly expressed as 'supply creates its own demand', and his work had a strong influence on 19th century economists.
No information was available at the time of compilation.
No information was available at the time of compilation.
William Henry Leatham was born into a Quaker family in Wakefield, Yorkshire in 1815. He was educated in London, before returning to Yorkshire to work for the family bank. His first volume of poetry was published in 1839. He and his wife formally joined the Church of England some time in the 1840s. Leatham was a prominent local figure and served as Liberal MP for Wakefield during 1859-1862 and 1865-1868, and for the Southern West Riding of Yorkshire during 1880-1885.
James Edwin Thorold Rogers was born in Hampshire, educated in Southampton, and at King's College London, and at Magdalen Hall, Oxford. He was ordained in the Church of England in about 1846. In the 1850s and early 1860s he established himself in Oxford as a private tutor and occasional university examiner; encouraged by his friend Richard Cobden he also undertook studies in the causes of rural poverty. Rogers held an economics professorship at King's College London, from 1859 until his death in 1890 and was twice (1862-1867, 1888-1890) Drummond Professor of Political Economy at Oxford. After giving up his Anglican orders in 1870, he was able to stand for Parliament, eventually serving as Liberal MP for Southwark (1880-1885) and Bermondsey (1885-1886).
No information was available at the time of compilation.
Peter Dollond was born in 1731. The eldest son of the optician and scientific instrument maker John Dollond (1707-1761). Peter went into partnership with his father, and later with his brother John (1746-1804). His telescopes and other instruments were popular, several were made for the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, and for the Paris Observatory. After his death in 1761, family members continued to operate the business for many years. Eventually, the business was acquired by James Aitchison; the firm of Dollond and Aitchison is still well known for selling spectacles.
James Jardine was born in Applegarth, Dumfriesshire, and educated in Dumfries and Edinburgh. By 1809 he was practising as a civil engineer in Edinburgh and subsequently became well known for his work both in that city and elsewhere. He was a member of Royal Society of Edinburgh, the Geological Society, the Institution of Civil Engineers and the Society of Civil Engineers, and served as a Director of the Edinburgh Astronomical Institution.
No information was available at the time of compilation.
No information was available at the time of compilation.
James Cosmo Melvill was born in Guernsey and brought up there and in England. He entered the East India Company's home service as young man and rose through the company's financial arm to become Chief Secretary in 1836. He was knighted in 1853 and retired in 1858, after 50 years of service.
No information was available at the time of compilation.
No information was available at the time of compilation.
No information was available at the time of compilation.
Charles Kay Ogden was born in Fleetwood, Lancashire, and educated at Magdalene College, Cambridge. He subsequently became well-known as a journal editor, translator and prolific book collector; his collection is now divided between University College London and the University of California at Los Angeles. Ogden is most often remembered as the inventor of Basic English, a limited vocabulary set devised for use as an international auxiliary language.
Hilary Jenkinson was born in London in 1882. He was educated at Dulwich College and at Pembroke College, Cambridge. He began work in the Public Record Office in 1906 and, aside from war service, spent his entire career there, rising to become deputy keeper in 1947; he retired in 1954. Alongside his civil service work, Jenkinson lectured in palaeography and archives and was instrumental in the decision of University College London's school of librarianship to provide a separate diploma in archive administration. Jenkinson was also active in the British Records Association and several learned societies, and served as one of the first vice presidents of the International Council on Archives. He was knighted in 1949.
Charles Mackay was born in Perth, Perthshire, and educated in London and in Brussels. He began working as a journalist in the 1830s and wrote for several papers, including the Morning Chronicle, the Glasgow Argus (which he also edited), the Illustrated London News and The Times. Mackay also published several volume of poetry and works on Celtic philology.
No information was available at the time of compilation.
No information was available at the time of compilation.
No information was available at the time of compilation.
No information was available at the time of compilation.
William Bence Jones was born in Beccles, Suffolk in 1812. He was educated at Harrow School and at Balliol College, Oxford. In 1838 he took over the management of the Lisselan estate, near Clonakilty, County Cork, Ireland. He was a successful farmer and manager, but unpopular with the local people. He also published several books on agriculture and on religion in Ireland. Jones retired and left Ireland in 1881, spending the last 18 months of his life in London.
Francis Ysidro Edgeworth was born in Ireland and read Classics and Trinity College Dublin and Balliol College, Oxford. He subsequently studied law and mathematics in London; he was called to the Bar in 1877 but never practised. He learnt economics from his friend and neighbour William Stanley Jevons and published an influential book, Mathematical Psychics, on the subject in 1881. He held chairs in economics at King's College London (1888-1891) and All Souls College, Oxford (1891-1922) and published widely in economics and statistics.
Adeline Virginia Stephen (always known by her middle name) was born in London in 1882, and educated at home. The deaths of her parents and two elder siblings before Virginia was 25 had a profound effect on her work. She wrote from an early age and, as young women, she and her sister Vanessa were founders of the Bloomsbury Group of young writers and artists. She married fellow writer Leonard Woolf in 1912. Woolf's novels include Mrs Dalloway (1925), To the Lighthouse (1927) and Orlando (1928), the latter partly inspired by her relationship with the writer Vita Sackville-West; she was also a prolific essayist, diarist and correspondent. She drowned herself in 1941, fearing another collapse in her often-fragile mental health. Her writing prefigured several later developments in 20th century fiction and is still acclaimed by many critics.
Esmond Samuel de Beer was born in Dunedin, New Zealand. He came to Britain in 1910 to attend Mill Hill School and subsequently studied at New College, Oxford, (interrupted by war service) and University College London. A private income from his family's clothing business enabled him to spend most of his life researching as a private scholar, living in London with his elder sisters Mary and Dora. De Beer was particularly interested in the late 17th century and produced editions of John Evelyn's correspondence and of John Locke's diaries. He was a member of several learned societies and became associated with the University of London's Institute of Historical Research and Warburg Institute. He was appointed CBE in 1969.
Henry Warburton was born in Eltham, Kent, and educated at Eton and at Trinity College, Cambridge. After graduating, he joined his family's timber business, which he directed between 1808 and 1831. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1809. Warburton served as MP for Bridport, Dorset, between 1825 and 1841, and as MP for Kendal, Cumberland, between 1843 and 1847. Whilst active in politics, he espoused several radical and reforming causes, including the repeal of the Corn Laws, the introduction of the penny post, and the abolition of timber duty.
Robert Stephenson, the only son of the engineer George Stephenson, was born in Northumerland and educated at school in Newcastle upon Tyne and at the University of Edinburgh. He followed his father into the engineering profession and became a successful railway engineer in his own right, remembered particularly for his bridge designs. Stephenson was MP for Whitby from 1847 until his death in 1859, and served as president of Institution of Civil Engineers during 1856-1857.
No information was available at the time of compilation.