OpenLLM-France/wikimedia huggingface dataset:
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Exton, Thomas

1904 Errata appended.
​EXTON, Sir THOMAS (1631–1688), son of John Exton [q. v.], was born in 1631, entered Merchant Taylors' School in 1641, admitted a member of Gray's Inn 1648, went to Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where he proceeded LL.D. 1662. He is noted as one of seven lawyers consulted regarding the granting of a lease by Queens' College to St. Catharine's Hall in 1676 (Willis and Clark, Architectural History of the University of Cambridge, Cambridge, 1886). In 1676 he became master of Trinity Hall, and held the office till his death. Previous to 1678 he was knighted and appointed one of the judges of the admiralty. He represented Cambridge University in the two parliaments of 1679, when he was described as advocate-general, in 1681, and 1685. He died in 1688, and was buried on 8 Nov. at St. Peter's, Paul's Wharf. 'The Case of the Merchants concerned in the Loss of the Ship Virgin, … as it was … presented to his Majesty by Sir R. Lloyd and Sir Thomas Exton,' was printed in 1680.
[Register of Merchant Taylors' School (1882), i. 150; Cantabrigienses Graduati (1559–1787). p. 131, ed. Luard (1800–84), p. 644; List of Members of Parliament, vol. i.]
F. W-t.
Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.119 N.B.— f.e. stands for from end and l.l. for last line
| Page | Col. | Line | |
| 98 | ii | 4 | Exton, Sir Thomas: for Previous to 1678 read On 23 Nov. 1675 |
| | | 5 | for appointed read was in July 1686 appointed |
| | | 9 | after 1685. insert He was chancellor of the diocese of London 1663-85, and dean of the Arches in 1686. |
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Eyre, Edmund John

​EYRE, EDMUND JOHN (1767–1816), dramatist, son of the Rev. Ambrose Eyre, rector of Leverington and Outwell, Cambridgeshire, was born 20 May 1767 (School Reg.) and entered Merchant Taylors' School when ten years old. In 1785 he was appointed exhibitioner—first on Parkin's and ​afterwards on Stuart's foundation—at Pembroke Hall, Cambridge, but left the university without graduating to join a theatrical company. 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. He was the author of two poems, ‘A Friend to Old England,’ 4to, 1793, and ‘The Two Bills’ (a political piece), 4to, 1796, and of some ‘Observations made at Paris during the Peace,’ 8vo, 1803, but his reputation rests upon his dramatic pieces, some of which are not without merit. Included among them are the following: 1. ‘The Dreamer Awake’ (farce), 8vo, 1791. 2. ‘Maid of Normandy’ (tragedy), 8vo, 1793. 3. ‘Consequences’ (comedy), 8vo, 1794. 4. ‘The Fatal Sisters’ (dramatic reading), 8vo, 1797. 5. ‘The Discarded Secretary’ (historical), 8vo, 1799. 6. ‘The Tears of Britain, or Funeral of Lord Nelson’ (dramatic sketch), 8vo, 1805. 7. ‘Vintagers’ (melodramatic reading), 8vo, 1809. 8. ‘High Life in the City’ (comedy), 1810. 9. ‘The Lady of the Lake’ (Sir W. Scott's poem dramatised) (melodrama), 1811. 10. ‘Look at Home,’ 1812.
C. J. R.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Eyre, Charles

​EYRE, CHARLES (1784–1864), miscellaneous writer, born in 1784, was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he proceeded B.A. in 1807. He afterwards took orders, but finally attached himself to the unitarians. He took considerable interest in the movement that led to the Reform Bill of 1812, and was for some time proprietor of three liberal newspapers printed at Colchester. Afterwards he managed a large farm, but resolved to part with it at the solicitation of some members of his family. Before he had signed the transfer he committed suicide by hanging at his residence, Upper Park, Dedham, Essex, on 28 Sept. 1804. The coroner's jury found that he was temporarily insane.
Eyre wrote: 'A Letter addressed to the Dukes of Norfolk and Grafton,' on the Reform Bill, Ipswich, 1831. 'An Illustration of the Epistles of St. Paul, including an entirely new translation,' 2 vols. 1832. 'Remarks on perusing the Rev. P. E. Bidler's Letter to the Unitarians of Ipswich,' &c. 2nd ed. 1836. 'The Fall of Adam,' 1852, from Milton's 'Paradise Lost' (an amended edition of Milton's epic, in which 'frequent variations, both in incident and language, will be detected, and in some cases correction or supposed improvement').
[References in Works; Gent. Mag. November and December 1864; Essex Standard and Eastern Counties Advertiser, 5 Oct. 1854; Brit. Mus. Cat.]
F. W-t.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Eyre, Samuel

​EYRE, Sir SAMUEL (1633–1698), judge, came of a legal family, his grandfather, Robert, having been a bencher and reader of Lincoln's Inn, and his father being a barrister, Robert Eyre of Salisbury and Chilhampton, who married Anne, daughter of Samuel Aldersey of Aldersey in Cheshire. He was born in 1633, baptised 26 Dec., and was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn in June 1661. Under the patronage of the Earl of Shaftesbury, whose adviser he was, he attained some professional eminence. He was made a serjeant 21 April 1692, and succeeded Mr. Justice Dolben in the king's bench 6 Feb. 1694, but was not sworn in until 22 Feb. When Charles Knollys's claim to the earldom of Banbury came before the House of Lords in 1698, Eyre was called on, along with Chief-justice Holt, to state to the house the grounds upon which he had given judgment in favour of Knollys, who being tried in the king's bench in 1694 for murder had pleaded his privilege as a peer. This the two judges refused to do, the matter not coming before the house on writ of error from the king's bench. They were threatened with committal to the Tower, but the matter dropped. Eyre died on circuit at Lancaster of an attack of colic 12 Sept. 1698 (or 10th according to Luttrell). A monument was erected at Lancaster to him, and his body was removed to St. Thomas's, Salisbury, the family burial-place, 2 July 1699. He married Martha, daughter of Francis, fifth son of Sir Thomas Lucy of Charlecote, Worcestershire, by whom he had four sons (the eldest, Sir Robert Eyre [q. v.], was judge of the queen's bench) and two daughters. His wife brought him considerable property.
J. A. H.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Bland, Robert (1730-1816)

​BLAND, ROBERT (1730–1816), the elder, physician, was the son of an attorney at King's Lynn, and was educated at the London hospitals. He received the degree of M.D. from the university of St. Andrews in 1778, and was admitted licentiate of the College of Physicians on 30 Sept. 1786. He obtained an extensive practice as an accoucheur in London, and in this department acquired so high a reputation that he was engaged to write all the articles on midwifery for Rees' 'Cyclopædia.' To the 'Philosophical Transactions' he contributed in 1781 a paper on 'Some Calculations of the number of Accidents or Deaths which happen from Parturation; Proportion of Male and Female Children born; of Twins, Monstrosities, &c.;' and in the same year a 'Table of the Chances of Life from Infancy to Twenty-six years of age.' He published in 1794 'Observations on Human and Comparative Parturition,' and he was also the author of 'Proverbs chiefly taken from the Adagia of Erasmus, with Explanations ; and illustrated by Examples from the Spanish, Italian, French, and English Languages,' 2 vols., 1814. He died at Leicester Square on 29 June 1816.
Gent. Mag. lxxxvi. part ii. 186; Munk's Roll. Coll. of Phys. (1878), 11. 365; Watt's Bibl. Brit. i. 120.]
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Bland, Tobias

​BLAND, TOBIAS (1563?–1604), divine, born in or about 1563, matriculated as a sizar of Pembroke Hall, Cambridge, in December 1576, and took his bachelor's degree in 1580-1. He migrated to Corpus Christi College in 1581, and was shortly afterwards accused of composing a libel against the master of that college, Dr. Norgate. The libel was entitled ‘A Necessary Cathecisme to be red every Sunday morninge.’ It began thus: ‘In the name of the father, the sonn, and the old wiffe.’ Certain passages of the libel were strongly suspected to refer to Sir Francis Walsingham. Bland confessed his fault before the master, fellows, and scholars, whereupon he was 'put to shame of sytting in the stocks,' and was afterwards expelled from the college. In 1584 great opposition was shown when he wished to take his master' degree. Among the Lansdowne MSS. is Latin letter against Bland addressed to Lord Burghley, and signed by fifty members of the senate; but the opposition failed. In 1589 he was chaplain to John, Lord St. John, baron of Bletsoe. In 1591 he proceeded B.D., about 1594 became sub-almoner to Queen Elizabeth, and on 29 Oct. 1602 was collated to a canonry in the church of Peterborough. He died at the end of 1604, and was buried at King's Cliffe, Northamptonshire. He published in 1589 a sermon on 1 Timothy iv. 1-2, under the title of 'A Baite for Momus, so called upon occasion of a sermon at Bedford iniuriously traduced by the factions. Now not altered but augmented. With a briefe Patrocinie of the lawfull use of Philosophie in the more serious and sacred studie of diuinitie. By Tobie Bland, Chaplaine to the right Honourable John, Lord Saint John, Baron of Bletsoe,' 4to, black letter. In a marginal note the author makes mention of his 'larger Apologie of Philosophie in a former treatise. But the 'former treatise' is not extant, and perhaps was not published. Some quaint proverbs occur in the 'Baite for Momus.'
[Lanadowne MS. 46, art. 65-7; Bridge's Northamptonshire, ii. 664; Le Neve's Fasti, ed. Hardy, ii. 643; Cooper's Athenæ Cantabrigienses, ii. 395; Baite for Momus, 1589; Ames's Typog. Antiq. (Herbert), 1176.]
A. H. B.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Bland, William

​BLAND, WILLIAM (1789–1868), Australian statesman, was born in London 5 Nov. 1789. He was son of Robert Bland the elder [q. v.], and brother of Robert Bland, classical scholar [q. v.] Bland is said to have been educated at the Merchant Taylors' School, but his name does not appear in the Rev. C. J. Robinson's register of that institution. His father was his instructor in medicine and surgery; when scarcely nineteen he was admitted, at an examination held by the Royal College of Surgeons for the naval medical services, a surgeon 5th rate 6 Jan. 1809, and soon after received an appointment in the Royal navy. The vessel to which he was assigned sailed for Bombay. During the voyage, some misunderstanding having arisen between Mr. Bland and the purser, it culminated in a quarrel when the ship neared the Persian Gulf, and a duel took place as soon as they reached the land, in which the purser was fatally wounded. An insinuation of unfairness on the part of Lieutenant William Randall led to a second duel, in which neither principal was hurt; but both were arrested, and subsequently tried at Calcutta and sentenced to seven years' transportation, Bland was exiled to Sydney, where he ​arrived in 1814, and seven or eight months later began to practise his profession, a free pardon having in the meantime been granted to him. Whilst smarting under domestic affliction, Bland libelled Governor Lachlan Macquarie, was tried, fined 60l. and imprisoned for twelve months in Paramatta gaol. On his release he devoted himself in Australia to public affairs and philanthropic projects. He appears to have been in England after this period, as he was passed by the Royal College of Surgeons as a naval assistant surgeon 2 May 1823, and as a naval surgeon 7 July 1826. Next to William Charles Wentworth, Australia is indebted to Bland for the political institutions she now enjoys. His energetic action as a member of the Patriotic Association, his letters to Charles Buller M.P., on the indefeasible rights of the colonists, and his attention to the public charities, famed for him a deserved popularity, which resulted in his return 16 June 1843 as one of the members for Sydney to the first elective legislature in New South Wales. On his retirement in 1848, consequent on his defeat by Mr. Lowe (the present Viscount Sherbrooke), he devoted himself to the practice of his profession, and to those philanthropic labours which endeared him to hundreds of his fellow-colonists. He died suddenly at his residence, 28 College Street, Sydney, 21 July 1868, and was buried in the necropolis.
[Beaton's Australian Dictionary of Dates, (1879), pp. 18-19; Illustrated News of the World, iv. 68 (1869), with portrait; Carlisle's History of the Family of Bland (1826), pp. 236-47.]
G. C. B.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Blandford, Walter

​BLANDFORD, WALTER, D.D. (1619–1675), bishop successively of Oxford and Worcester, was the son of Walter Blandford, and was born at Melbury Abbas, Dorsetshire, in 1619. He became a servitor of Christ Church, Oxford, in 1635, was admitted a scholar of Wadham College in 1638, took the degrees in arts, and was in 1644 admitted a fellow of the latter college. The fact that he was not ejected by the parliamentary visitors in 1648 shows, in Wood's opinion, 'that he did either take the covenant or submit to them.' About this time he was appointed chaplain to John, Lord Lovelace of Hurley, Berkshire. In 1659 he was elected warden of Wadham College, and iu the following year created D.D. At this period he was chaplain to Sir Edward Hyde, afterwards earl of Clarendon, who obtained for him a prebend in the church of Gloucester and a chaplainship in ordinary to the king. In 1662-3 he served the office of vice-chancellor of the university. He was consecrated bishop of Oxford in 1665, was nominated dean of the Chapel Royal soon afterwards, and in 1671 was translated to the see of Worcester, where he died 9 July 1675. It is related that when the Duchess of York (daughter of his patron, Lord Clarendon) was dying. Dr. Blandford went to see her. The duke (afterwards James II) meeting the bishop in the drawing-room told him that she had been reconciled to the Roman catholic church, when the bishop said he made no doubt but that she would do well, since she was fully convinced, and did it not out of any worldly end; and he afterwards went into the room to her, and made her a short christian exhortation, suited to the condition she was in, and then departed.(Life of James II, ed. Clarke, i. 452, 453).
[Wood's Athenæ Oxon. (Bliss), iii. 1229, 1258, iv. 514, 829, 851, 897, and Life of Wood, p. xliv; Godwin, De Præsulibus (Richardson). 474. 547; Egerton MS. 806; Lansd. MS. 986 ff. 120. 121; Chambers's Worcestershire Biography. 184; Le Neve's Fasti, i. 449, ii. 606, iii. 67, 478, 578.]
T. C.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Blaneforde, Henry

​BLANEFORDE, HENRY (fl. 1330), chronicler, was a monk of St. Albans. A fragment of his chronicle has been preserved. Beginning with the year 1323 he possibly intended to continue the work of Trokelowe, which ends at 1330. What we have of his chronicle, however, ends in 1324, though it contains a reference to an event of 1326. The only manuscript of Blaneforde now known to exist is in the British Museum (Cotton MSS. Claudius, D. vi.) In this Blaneforde's chronicle follows the 'Annals of Trokelowe' without break. From this manuscript Hearne printed the work in his 'Annales Edwardi II,' Oxford, 1729 ; it has been edited by H. T. Riley in the ' Chronica Monasterii S. Albani,' Rolls Ser. From a reference to this writer as Blankforde in Walsingham's 'History,' i. 170, Mr. ​Riley believes that he took his name from Blanquefort, near Bordeaux, called Blanckeforde in the 'Annals of Waverley,' p. 404. Blaneforde's name is mentioned in a notice of the historians of St. Albans in a fragment printed in the Rolls edition of the 'Annals of John Amundesham.' For a Blaneford, evidently in Somerset, see a charter of Edward II in Dugdale's 'Monasticon,' vi. 415.
[Chron. Monas. S. Albani, Trokelowe, Blaneforde, 131-162 (Rolls Ser.), see Preface; Walsingham's Historia Anglorum, i. 170 (Rolls Ser.); Joh. Amundesham Ann. 303 (Rolls Ser.); Annales Monastici, ii. 404 (Rolls Ser.); Descriptive Catalogue of Hist. MSS. iii. 886 (Hardy).]
W. H.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Bland, Miles

Date of death 1867 in the ODNB. 1904 Errata appended.
​BLAND, MILES (1786–1868), mathematician, born in 1786, was educated at St. John's College, Cambridge, where he graduated B.A. in 1808, as second wrangler and Smith's prizeman. He was afterwards elected fellow (5 April 1808) and tutor of his college, and acted as moderator (1814, 1815, 1816) and public examiner (1817–1818) in mathematics. He became rector of Lilley, Hertfordshire, in 1823, and a prebendary of Wells Cathedral in 1826, when he proceeded D.D. Bland was a fellow of the Royal Society, of the Society of Antiquaries, and of the Astronomical Society. He died in 1868. His chief works are: 1. 'Geometrical Problems . . . from the first six books of Euclid . . . with the elements of Plane Trigonometry,' Cambridge, 1819, 2nd edit. 1821, 3rd edit. 1827. 2. 'Algebraical Problems,' a very popular schoolbook, first published in 1812, 9th edit. 1849. 3. 'The Elements of Hydrostatics,' 1824, 1827. 4. 'Annotations on the Historical Books of the New Testament;' vol. i. St. Matthew's Gospel (1828), vol. ii. St. Mark's Gospel (1828), Mechanical and Philosophical Problems,' 1830.
Men of the Time, 7th edit.; Brit. Mus. Cat.; Bauer's Register of St. John's College, ed. Mayor, i. 312, 314; Notes and Queries, 6th ser. ix, 218.]
Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.29 N.B.— f.e. stands for from end and l.l. for last line
| Page | Col. | Line | |
| 199 | i | 3 f.e. | Bland, Miles: for 1868 read 1867 |
| | ii | 11-12 | for in 1868 read 27 Dec. 1867 |
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Bland, Robert (1779?-1825)

​BLAND, ROBERT (1779?–1825), the younger, classical scholar, son of Robert Bland [q. v.], was born about 1779. He was educated ​at Harrow and at Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he graduated B.A. in 1802. On leaving Cambridge he entered holy orders, and became an assistant-master at Harrow. After some years he resigned his mastership, and was engaged as reader and preacher at some London chapels. Later he was appointed minister to the English church at Amsterdam but 'the circumstances of the times not permitting him to fulfill the objects of his appointment,' he came back to England, and received, in 1813, the curacy of Pittlewell, Essex, which he exchanged in 1816 for the curacy of Kenilworth. He died at Learnington 12 March 1825, leaving a widow and nine children. As a classical scholar and teacher he was much esteemed in his day. His 'Elements of Latin Hexameters and Pentameters,' which has been frequently reprinted, is still a useful manual of instruction; and his 'Translations, chiefly from the Greek Anthology, with Tales and Miscellaneous Poems,' 1806, 8vo, attracted considerable notice. Bland's other works are
* 'Edwy and Elgiva, poems,' 1808, 8vo.
* 'The Four Slaves of Cythera, a Poetical the Romance,' 1809, 8vo.
* 'A Collection of the Most Beautiful Poems of the Minor Poets of Greece,' 1813, 8vo.
* 'Collections from the Greek Anthology,' &c. 1813, 8vo.
* A translation, made in conjunction with Miss Plumptre, of the 'Memoirs of Baron de Grimm' and 'Diderot,' 2 vols. 1813, 8vo.
Byron complimented Bland in 'English Bards and Scotch Reviewers.' Some interesting letters of Bland's are printed in 'Memoirs of Francis Hodgson,' i. 232-249.
[Gent. Mag. xcv. 646; Hodgson's Memoirs; Watt.]
A. H. B.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Blandie, William

​BLANDIE or BLANDY, WILLIAM (fl. 1580), author, born at Newbury, Berkshire, was educated at Winchester College was elected a probationer fellow of New College, Oxford, on 8 June 1563, and was admitted B.A. 3 July 1566. Soon afterwards he was removed from his fellowship by the Bishop of Winchester on account of his strong popish leanings. He then went to London and joined the Middle Temple, where he became 'fellow.' He appears to have served in the Low Countries with the English army in 1580. He was the author of:
* 'The Five Books of the Famous, Learned, and Eloquent Man, Hieronimo Osorius [Osorio da Fonseca, bishop of Silves], contayning a discussion of Ciuill and Christian Nobilitie,' 1576, dedicated 'at Newberie, 6 day of April,' to the Earl of Leicester.
* 'The Castle or Picture of Policy, shewing forth most liuely the face, body, and partes of a commonwealth, the duety … of a perfect … souldiar, the martiall feates late done by our … nation, under the conduct of … J. Noris, Gecerall of thearmyof the states in Friesland. … Handled in manner of a Dialogue betwixt Gefferay Gate and William Blandy, souldiars,' 1581, dedicated to Sir Philip Sidney.
An undated volume on ancient chronology, by Adam and William Blandy, fellows of Pembroke College, Oxford, has been erroneously ascribed to this William Blandy. The book was certainly published early in the eighteenth century, Adam Blandy proceeded B.A. at Oxford in ​ 1704 and M.A. in 1707. William proceeded B.A. in 1708 and M.A. in 1711, and died in 1739. They were probably descendants of the earlier William Blandy, and sons of Adam Blandy of Letcombe Regis, Berkshire (Berry's Berkshire Genealogies, 144).
[Wood's Athenæ Oxon. (Bliss), i. 428; Oxford Register (Oxf. Hist. Soc.), i. 264; Brit. Mus. Cat.; free Notes and Queries, 8th ser., iii. 67, 119; Hunter's MS. Chorus Vatum.]
S. L. L.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Blandy, Mary

​BLANDY, MARY (d. 1752), murderess, was the only child of Francis Blandy, attorney, of Henley-on-Thames, who had said that he could leave her a fortune of 10,000l. An officer in the marines, named William Henry Cranstoun, son of William, fifth Lord Cranstoun, proposed to marry her. The father objected, suspecting Cranstoun to be already married. He had, in fact, married Anne Murray in 1745. Hereupon Cranstoun induced Miss Blandy to administer arsenic in small doses to her father. He died after some months on 14 Aug. 1761. Miss Blandy was tried at Oxford on 3 March 1752, convicted upon strong evidence, including that of her father's physician, Anthony Addington [q. v.], and hanged on 6 April 1752. Much attention was aroused at the time, especially by the pathetic circumstance that the father, when he knew himself to be dying by his daughter's hands, only pitied her and tried to prevent her committing herself. He appears to have thought that she mistook the poison which she perceived from Cranstoun for a potion intended to win his favour to the match. This view was suggested at the trial and solemnly asserted by Miss Blandy at her death, but is inconsistent with many facts brought out in evidence. Cranstoun escaped, but died 2 Dec. 1752. It was remarked as a strange coincidence that a banker in the Strand named Gillingham Cooper, received, as lord of the manor at Henley, the forfeiture of two fields belonging to Miss Blandy and of a malthouse belonging to Miss Jefferys, who on 28 March 1752 was hanged for the murder of her uncle at Walthumstow.
[Tryal of Mary Blandy for the Murder of her Father, &c.. 1752 reprinted in Howell's State Trials, xviii. 1118-1194; Annual Register for 1768, p. 77; Gent. Mag. for 1752, pp. 108, 152, 188; Universal Magazine for June 1752; Letter from a Clergyman to Miss Blandy, with her own Narrative, 1752; Miss Blandy's own Account, &c., London, 1752; An Answer to Miss Blandy's Narrative; A Candid Appeal to the Public concerning, &c., 1752; Horace Walpole's Letters (Cunningham), ii. 281, 286, 290. 306, 312, 346; Notes and Queries, 9th ser., iii. 67, 119; Douglas's Scotch Peerage, i. 868.]
L. S.