Charles John Robinson

“ DUCK, Sir JOHN (d. 1691) , mayor of Durham, was apprenticed early in life to a butcher at Durham, though from an entry in the guild registers it appears that in 1657 some opposition was raised to his following the trade. ”

“ Her brother, Sir James Steuart, was implicated to some extent in the rebellion of 1745, and was compelled to reside abroad, and it was with a view to affording him some comfort in his exile that Mrs. Calderwood joined him at Brussels in the year 1756. From the day of her departure from home she kept a careful journal and was in constant correspondence with her Scottish friends. The substance of both letters and journals was woven by herself into a continuous narrative and widely circulated among her acquaintance ”

“ He appealed to the lord keeper, and obtained compensation from the company upon the ground that the infirmities of age rather than ‘insufficiency’ had caused the alleged misconduct. He is said to have died in 1631 at an advanced age. He had a son, John Hayne, of St. John's College, Oxford, who from 1616 to 1618 was first under-master at Merchant Taylors'; but Thomas Hayne [q. v.] , also a master of the school and a grammarian, does not seem to have been related to him. ”

“ DELAMAINE, RICHARD, the elder (fl. 1631) , mathematician, speaks of himself in his earliest published work, 'Grammelogia,' as a 'teacher and student of the mathematics,' and dedicates the book to King Charles. It was attacked in Oughtred's 'Circles of Proportion' (1631) . The date of this publication is 1631, and we may infer that it procured him royal favour and the appointment of tutor to the king in mathematics and quartermaster-general. ”

“ John`s College in Cambridge’ It is interesting, not merely as a picture of college life a century and a half ago, but as showing the nature and development of the scrupulous conscience which made both father and son nonjurors. ”

“ In 1771 he was appointed rector of St. Michael's, Cornhill, but resigned in 1784, on becoming rector of St. John the Evangelist, Westminster. In 1781 he was made prebendary of Westminster, and retaining this appointment until his death, 18 May 1803, was buried in the abbey.
He published in 1788 'Considerations upon the Use and Abuse of Oaths judicially taken,' which became a standard work among the publications of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. ”

“ CAPPER, FRANCIS (1735–1818) , divine, born 24 Aug. 1735, son of Francis Capper, a London barrister, was educated at Westminster School, and proceeded thence to Christ Church, Oxford (1753) . He graduated as M.A. in 1760, being then in holy orders and rector of Monk Soham (October 1759) and Earl Soham (December 1759) , Suffolk, benefices which he retained until his death. He had a local reputation as a faithful minister and an upright magistrate. ”

“ Cornelius Holland, born 3 March 1599, entered Merchant Taylors' School in January 1609–10. He matriculated at Pembroke Hall, Cambridge (as ‘gentleman’) , in 1614, and graduated B.A. in 1618. The register of St. Laurence Pountney records the baptism (17 Feb. 1627–8) of ‘James, son of Mr. Cornelius Holland, gent., and Sybell.’ Soon after this date Holland was in the service of Sir Henry Vane, but in 1635 was clerk-comptroller in the household of the Prince of Wales. ”

“ He was bursar of his college in 1622, and junior proctor of the university 1620–1. He afterwards studied medicine, proceeding M.D. at Oxford, and was a candidate of the London College of Physicians 25 June 1623. A letter describing Ben Jonson's reception at Oxford, written by Thomas Foxe to his father, is preserved in ‘MS. Harl.’ 416, f. 226, and has been printed by Mr. Winters. On 8 May 1634 James Hay, earl of Carlisle, applied to him for a loan of 500l. He seems to have acquired much property, and to have been friendly with men eminent in literature and society. ”

“ Henry Somerset, first duke of Beaufort, the lord president of the Principality, took Dingley with him in 1684 on an official progress through Wales. While thus engaged, Dingley was made an honorary freeman of the boroughs of Brecknock and Monmouth, and employed his pen and pencil with great industry and good effect. The manuscript of his journal is in the possession of the duke. ”

“ His grateful pupil transcribed man of his letters, which were published by John Nichols in 1785 under the title of ‘Miscellaneous Tracts,’ and to his care as executor was consigned the manuscript life of Ambrose Bonwicke the younger, which presented ‘A Pattern the Young Students in the University,’ first published by Bowyer in 1729, and carefully edited by Professor J. E. B. Mayor in 1870. ”

“ He describes himself as ‘gentleman,’ and appears to have acted as a notary public, but by taste he was an antiquary and specially devoted to heraldic pursuits. In the latter he was a close follower of Gerard Legh, and the first part of his ‘Workes of Armorie,’ entitled ‘Concordes,’ is in fact a mere abridgement of Legh's ‘Accedens.’ Like his master, he delighted in symbolism and allegory, in conceits and legendary fables ”

“ He matriculated at Lincoln College, Oxford, on 28 March 1715, and graduated B.A. 1718, M.A. 1721, B.D. (from Hart Hall) 1733, and D.D. 1738. In 1731 he was appointed rector of Lyndon, Rutland, having acquired some reputation as a scholar by the publication of an edition of Xenophon's 'Cyropædia' (1727) . The Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Herring [q. v.] , presented him to the vicarage of Horsham, Sussex, in 1748, and he held also the rectory of Cocking in the same county, and a prebendal stall in Chichester Cathedral. ”

“ That he was an accurate and painstaking genealogist there can be no doubt ; it seems equally clear that he was of a grasping and jealous nature, and much disliked by his fellow-officers in the Heralds' College. ”

“ The fruits of his extensive reading and literary taste are to be seen in his published works, which evince also considerable originality of thought, terseness of expression, and felicity of illustration. The closing years of his life were largely devoted to practical benevolence, in the exercise of which he was as humble as he was liberal. ”

“ Calderwood was a keen observer of men and things, and her remarks are shrewd and pointed, while her writings have additional value as preserving the Scottish words and idioms prevalent in her time in educated society. ”

“ HILL, NICHOLAS (1570?–1610) , philosopher, born in London about 1570, entered Merchant Taylors' School about 1578, and in 1587 was elected scholar of St. John's College, Oxford, where he matriculated 21 July 1587, when he was aged 17. ”

“ If we may credit Roger North, he held that ‘all foreign trade was loss and ruinous to the nation’ (Life of Lord Guilford, i. 293) —a statement which may have meant only that by means of foreign trade the crown was rendered too independent of parliamentary supplies. ”

“ Lord-keeper Guilford was wont to say that he never was more happy than when enjoying with Hoskins an ‘ample Feast of Discourse.’ Aubrey was another of Hoskins's friends (cf. Lives, vol. ii. passim) . He died on 12 Sept. 1705, and was buried at Harewood, Herefordshire. He married Jane, daughter of Sir Gabriel Low, and his two sons, Bennet and Hungerford (d. 1766) , were third and fourth baronets successively. According to North, Hoskins was ‘one of the most hard-favoured men of his time,’ and very careless in his dress. ”

“ The writer of his memoir in the 'Biographia Britannica' says that 'by his admirers he was said to have been the Paul, the Augustine, the Bradwardine, the Calvin of his age.' While acknowledging his industry, learning, and fairness in controversy, it is scarcely necessary to add that such eulogy is extravagant. ”

“ HUTTON, THOMAS (1566–1639) , divine, a Londoner by birth, was admitted into Merchant Taylors' School (being the son of a member of the company) on 6 April 1573 (School Reg.) , and was elected in 1585, aged 19, a probationary fellow at St. John's College, Oxford. ”

“ Evidence of this skill is to be found in the fact that in eight years she largely increased their rental by judicious outlays, and the journal of her ‘factorship,’ presented to the farmers with a view to encouraging their enterprise, has not yet lost its value. ”

“ He published a sermon on ‘The Defects and Dangers of a Pharisaical Righteousness,’ Glasgow, 1751; ‘An Address to the Rational Advocates for the Church of England,’ by Phileleutherus Tyro (1759) ; ‘The Evidence of Reason in Proof of the Immortality of the Soul. Collected from the manuscripts of Mr. Baxter (by J. D.) , to which is prefixed a letter from the editor to Dr. Priestley’ (1779) ; and a poetical ‘Essay on Happiness, in four books,’ which went through a second edition in 1772, besides tracts and other fugitive pieces. ”

“ Out of the forty or more works which he published between 1690 and his death, one at least merits special notice, namely, the 'Socinians' Creed,' intended to controvert. Locke's 'Reasonableness of Christians, as declared in the Scriptures.' Hearne (Coll. i. Oxf. Hist. Soc.) says: 'I am told that Dr. John Edwards of Cambridge, author of "The Preacher" (which some say, though I think otherwise, is a very trite, silly book) , has assumed to himself the honour of being author of "The Preservative against Socinianism," written by Dr. ”

“ After having had considerable provincial experience as a comedian, he made his first appearance at Drury Lane in 1806 in the character of Jaques in ‘As you like it.’ He is said to have been a ‘respectable rather than a great actor’ (Biog. Dram.) , but the former epithet is inapplicable to his domestic life. He died 11 April 1816, leaving a large family of doubtful legitimacy. As a writer he was industrious and versatile. ”

“ John Bonwicke, B.D., rector of East Horsley, Surrey, was born on 29 April 1652, and entered the Merchant Taylors' School, London, at the age of eleven. The head-master at that time was John Goarl, who had a high reputation for scholarship, but was suspected of being too favourably disposed towards the Romish communion, which he joined at 11 later period of life. Bonwicke passed creditably through the school, and on 11 June 1669, being then head monitor, was elected to St. ”

“ Through his marriage and by his profession he had amassed considerable wealth, and even late in life continued to paint landscapes with considerable success. His best-known pictures are the royal portraits already mentioned (now at Up Park, Sussex) , a portrait of Captain Cook at Greenwich Hospital, ‘Timon of Athens,’ a subject picture in the royal collection, and a portrait of ‘Garrick as Richard III,’ which was engraved in mezzotint by Dixon. ”

“ In 1629 he published a little treatise against the use of weapon-salve. The book is entitled ‘Hoplo-Crisma Spongus, or a Sponge to wipe away the Weapon-Salve, wherein is proved that the Cure taken up among us by applying the Salve to the Weapon is magical and unlawful,’ 4to, 1629 and 1641. ”

“ Burton's reputation as an accoucheur was deservedly high, and his 'Essay on Midwifery' has been styled 'a most learned and masterly work' (Atkinson, Med. Bibliography, 1834) . In later years he became widely known as an antiquarian, and in 1758 published the first volume of the 'Monasticon Eboracense, and Ecclesiastical History of Yorkshire,' a most important contribution to the archaeology of his native county. ”

“ The controversy was long and acrimonious, the only good result being that, through the researches of Brooke, Camden, and Vincent, the genealogies of the nobility were closely investigated, and the first attempt at a printed peerage was made. Brooke died 15 Oct. 1625, aged 73, and was buried in the church of Reculver, Kent. ”

“ Besides this he translated part of Plutarch's 'Morals' ('How a Man may receive Advantage and Profit from his Enemies,' 1691) ; but his chief work was 'A Treatise of Moral and Intellectual Virtues,' London, 8vo, 1691 ”

“ Partly through the influence of Watson, bishop of Chichester, and of Goodman, dean of Westminster, he was chosen in 1599 headmaster of Merchant Taylors' School. For twenty-five years he continued in this post, among his more distinguished pupils being Bishops Wren, Dee, and Wilde; Shirley, the dramatist ”

“ He designed and erected a good many buildings in the metropolis, but devoted most of his attention to the literature of art. He was a frequent contributor to architectural and antiquarian periodicals, and from 1816 to 1820 was editor of 'The Annals of the Fine Arts,' the first periodical work of its kind. In this Elmes was the constant champion of his friend B. R. Haydon [q. v.] , and of the Elgin marbles. Many of Haydon's papers were printed by Elmes, who through Haydon made the acquaintance of Keats ”

“ He was made chancellor of Worcester in 1764, and held the same office in the diocese of Rochester, continuing in both posts till his death, was elected M.P. for Haslemere in 1768, and became a commissioner of excise in 1774, being re-elected for Haslemere in that year. ”

“ In 1670 he was admitted a student of Gray's Inn (Adm. Book, 6 Aug.) , but does not appear to have pursued his studies very regularly, as in the following year he became one of the suite of Sir George Downing, then returning as ambassador to the States-General of the United Provinces. ”

“ After retiring from military service he settled for some years in South Wales, taking much interest in meteorology and agriculture. Removing to Norfolk, he died at Ditchingham Lodge, near Bungay, 6 Sept. 1825.
James Capper wrote: 1. ‘Observations on the Passage to India through Egypt; also to Vienna through Constantinople and Aleppo, and from thence to Bagdad, and across the Great Desert to Bassora, with occasional Remarks on the adjacent Countries, and also Sketches of the different Routes,’ London, 1784, 4to, and 1785, 8vo. 2. ”