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

​CLOSTERMAN, JOHN (1656–1713), portrait-painter, born at Osnaburg, Hanover, in 1656, was the son of an artist, who taught him the rudiments of design. In 1679 he went to Paris, accompanied by his countryman Tiburen, and there worked under Jean de Troy. In 1681 he came to England, and painted draperies for John Riley, at whose death, in 1691, Closterman finished several of his portraits. This recommended him to the Duke of Somerset, but he lost his favour on account of a dispute about a picture of Guercino, specially acquired for his grace, and which was afterwards purchased by Lord Halifax. In 1696 he was invited to the court of Spain, and executed the portraits of the king and queen; he also went to Italy twice, and made several acquisitions of works of art. On returning to this country he obtained considerable employment, and married an Englishwoman, who, according to Houbraken, ruined him by her extravagant habits, and ultimately left him in a state of dejection of body and mind. He died in 1713, and was buried in Covent Garden churchyard. Among his works should be mentioned a whole-length portrait, formerly in the Guildhall, of Queen Anne in her coronation robes, wearing a crown, and carrying the orb and sceptre; this is similar to another portrait, engraved in mezzotint by John Faber, jun., and now in the National Portrait Gallery, where there is also a portrait of John Churchill, first duke of Marlborough, painted before he became a knight of the Garter, to which order he was elected in March 1702. Closterman also executed a family group of the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough, with their children, viz. John, marquis of Blandford, Lady Henrietta, Lady Ann, Lady Elizabeth, and Lady Mary Churchill. The members of the family are assembled beneath a rich hanging curtain, on a raised daïs—all the figures are of life size. This picture is now at Blenheim, and it is particularly mentioned by Horace Walpole in his ‘Anecdotes of Painting.’ It was most probably painted about the beginning of 1698. It is related that Closterman had so many disputes with the duchess on this subject, that the duke said, ‘It has given me more trouble to reconcile my wife and you than to fight a battle.’ The following portraits were engraved in mezzotint after him by W. Faithorne: John Dryden (Elsum wrote an epigram on this portrait), Sir Richard Haddock, Madam Plowden, and Lord Henry Scot. Engraved by John Smith are: William Cowper, Grinling Gibbons and his wife, Sir Richard Gipps, Thomas Maxwell, Sir William Petty, and Mr. Sansom. By R. Williams: John, duke of Argyll, Sir Richard Blackmore (this portrait was exhibited at the South ​Kensington Museum in 1867), and Sir John Houblon.
[Walpole's Anecdotes of Painting, 1862, ii. 406; Redgrave's Dictionary of Artists, 1878.]
L. F.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Cripps, John Marten

​CRIPPS, JOHN MARTEN (d. 1853), traveller and antiquary, son of John Cripps, was entered as a fellow-commoner at Jesus College, Cambridge, on 27 April 1798, and came under the care of Edward Daniel Clarke. After some stay at Cambridge, he set out on a tour with his tutor, which, though originally intended for only a few months, was continued for three years and a half. In the first part of their journey to Norway and Sweden, they were accompanied by the Rev. William Otter (afterwards bishop of Chichester) and Malthus, the well-known political economist, both members of Jesus. The result of these wanderings was embodied by Clarke in six quarto volumes—his famous ‘Travels’—in which the services of his pupil, ‘the cause and companion of my travels,’ are adequately acknowledged. Cripps brought back large collections of statues, antiques, and oriental flora, some valuable portions of which he presented from time to time to the university of Cambridge and to other public institutions. In 1803 he was created M.A. per literas regias, and subsequently became a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, his name appearing for the first time on the list for 1805. By will dated 1 Oct. 1797 he inherited the property of his maternal uncle, John Marten, which included possessions in the parish of Chiltington, with the manor of Stantons, Sussex. Having built Novington Lodge on the Stantons estate, Cripps fixed his residence there, and devoted much of his time to practical horticulture. His investigations were the means of bringing into notice several varieties of apples and other fruits. From Russia he introduced the kohl-rabi, a useful dairy vegetable. He died at Novington on 3 Jan. 1853, in his seventy-third year. By his marriage on 1 Jan. 1806, to Charlotte, third daughter of Sir William Beaumaris Rush of Wimbledon, he left issue.
[Jesus College Admission Book; Gent. Mag. lxxvi. i. 87, new ser. xxxix. 202–3; Lower's Worthies of Sussex, pp. 271–3; Athenæum, 15 Jan. 1853, p. 82; Horsfield's Sussex, i. 236; Horsfield's Lewes, ii. 246–7; Burke's Landed Gentry, 6th edit. 1882, i. 391; Otter's Life and Remains of E. D. Clarke.]
G. G.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Crisp, Samuel

​CRISP, SAMUEL (d. 1783), dramatist, was only son of Samuel Crisp, by Florence, daughter of Charles Williams. At the solicitation of Lady Coventry he wrote a tragedy on the death of Virginia. The play was reluctantly accepted by Garrick, who contributed prologue and epilogue, and on 25 Feb. 1754 it was produced at Drury Lane, where the acting and the exertions of friends kept it running ten nights. But though there was little open censure, it was felt that an experiment had been made on the patience of the public which would not bear repetition. When a few weeks later ‘Virginia’ appeared in print, the critics—the Monthly Reviewers in particular—condemned plot, characters, and diction, with severity and, it must be admitted, with justice. Crisp, however, being under the delusion that he was a great dramatist, devoted himself with ardour to the task of revision, in the hopes of being completely successful in the following year; but Garrick showed little disposition to bring the amended tragedy on the stage, and at length was obliged to return a decided refusal. Crisp in bitter disappointment withdrew to the continent. ‘He became,’ in the words of Macaulay, ‘a cynic and a hater of mankind.’ On his return to England he sought retirement from 1764 with his friend Christopher Hamilton at the latter's country-house, Chessington Hall, not far from Kingston in Surrey, situate on a wide and nearly desolate common and encircled by ploughed fields. Here he was frequently visited by his sister, Mrs. Sophia Gast of Burford, Oxfordshire, by his old friend and protégé Dr. Burney, and by Burney's family. ‘Frances Burney he regarded as his daughter. He called her his Fannikin; and ​she in return called him her dear Daddy. In truth, he seems to have done much more than her real parents for the development of her intellect; for though he was a bad poet, he was a scholar, a thinker, and an excellent counsellor.’ When Miss Burney sent him the manuscript of her comedy, ‘The Witlings,’ Crisp, a better friend to her than he had been to himself, unhesitatingly told her that she had failed in what she playfully called ‘a hissing, groaning, catcalling epistle.’ Some of her charming letters to Crisp have been published in her ‘Diary and Letters.’ So completely had Crisp hidden himself from the world that in the edition of Baker's ‘Biographia Dramatica,’ published in 1782, the year before his death, we find him described as ‘Mr. Henry Crisp, of the custom house,’ errors repeated in the edition of 1812, and in the index to Nichols's ‘Literary Anecdotes.’ He died at Chessington on 24 April 1783, aged 76, and lies buried in the parish church, where a marble tablet erected to his memory bears pompous lines by Dr. Burney. His library was sold the following year.
G. G.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Critchett, George

​CRITCHETT, GEORGE (1817–1882), ophthalmic surgeon, was born at Highgate in 1817, studied at the London Hospital, and became M.R.C.S. in 1839 and F.R.C.S. (by examination) in 1844. He was successively demonstrator of anatomy, assistant-surgeon (1846), and surgeon (1861 to 1863) to the London Hospital. He was a skilful surgeon and operator, introducing some valuable modes of treatment of ulcers, and showing boldness and capacity in large operations. From 1846 he was attached to the Royal London Ophthalmic Hospital, Moorfields, and became one of the best operators on the eye. Numerous important operations were much improved by him. He was elected a member of the council of the College of Surgeons in 1870, was president of the Hunterian Society for two years, and of the International Congress of Ophthalmology held in London in 1872. In 1876 he was appointed ophthalmic surgeon and lecturer at the Middlesex Hospital. He died on 1 Nov. 1882.
Critchett published a valuable course of lectures on ‘Diseases of the Eye’ in the ‘Lancet’ in 1854. He was extremely kind, courteous, and generous, had a refined artistic taste, and great love for athletic sports.
G. T. B.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Cridiodunus, Fridericus

Fredericus in the ODNB.
​CRIDIODUNUS, FRIDERICUS (d. 838), is the name given by Bale to St. Frederick, bishop of Utrecht, who is said by William of Malmesbury to have been the nephew and the disciple of St. Boniface. As Boniface was believed to have been born at Crediton, Bale assumed that this would be the birthplace also of his nephew Frederick, and therefore bestowed on the latter the surname Cridiodunus (from Cridiandún or Cridian-tún, the older spelling of Crediton). The statement that Frederick was related to Boniface rests solely on the authority of Malmesbury. According to the early continental hagiologists he was born at Sexberum in Friesland, and was of a noble Frisian family. The compilers of the ‘Acta Sanctorum’ point out that Frederick cannot have been Boniface's disciple, in the literal sense of having received his personal instructions, because the former died in 838, thus surviving his alleged teacher by eighty-three years. But they find it difficult to set aside the positive assertion of an honest and careful writer like Malmesbury, and in order to reconcile the authorities they have recourse to the conjecture that Frederick was really the nephew of Boniface, and was born of English parents in Friesland. There can, however, be little doubt that Malmesbury was mistaken. He confesses that he derived the story of Frederick, not from a written source, but from oral communication. Now, in the ‘Life of St. Frederick’ by Oetbert (written in the tenth century) it is stated that when a boy he was committed by his mother to the care of Ricfrid, bishop of Utrecht. It seems almost certain that Malmesbury mistook this name for Winfrid, the original name of Boniface, and therefore identified Frederick's teacher with his own distinguished countryman. ​apparently some of the manuscripts of Malmesbury actually read Wicfridus instead of Winfridus in this passage, for the former reading appears in the extract given in the ‘Monumenta Germaniæ,’ x. 454; the English editions, however, have Winfridus, and do not mention any variation.) In any case the authority of an English writer of the twelfth century is, on such a question, of no weight when opposed to the unanimous testimony of continental writers of earlier date. There is, consequently, no reason for supposing that Frederick was either of English birth or descent, and his biography is outside the scope of this work; but it has seemed expedient briefly to indicate the real state of the case in order to prevent future inquirers from being misled. Bale's account of ‘Cridiodunus’ has been followed by Pits, by Dempster (who, after his manner, makes St. Frederick a Scotchman, and adds some imaginary details), and by Bishop Tanner.
[William of Malmesbury's De Gest. Pont. ed. Hamilton (Rolls Ser.), p. 11; Savile's Scriptores, p. 197; Pertz's Monum. Germ. x. 454; Bale's Scriptt. Brit. Cat. ed. Basle, ii. 145; Pits, De Angliæ Scriptt. appendix art. 78; Dempster's Hist. Eccl. Scot. art. 516; Tanner's Bibl. Brit. p. 209; Acta Sanctorum, July 18.]
H. B.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Cudmore, Richard

​CUDMORE, RICHARD (1787–1840), musician, born at Chichester in 1787, developed a talent for music at a very early age. His first instructor was James Forgett, a local organist, under whom he learnt the violin, acquiring such proficiency that at the age of nine he played a solo at a concert in his native town. About 1797 he was placed under Reinagle, and shortly afterwards became a pupil of Salomon, with whom he studied the violin for two years. In 1799 he led the band at the Chichester theatre, and in the same year was engaged as a first violin for the Italian Opera band. He returned, however, before long to Chichester, where he remained until 1808, when he came to London, studied the pianoforte under Woelfl, and appeared as a solo pianist and violinist at the principal concerts. He also became a member of the Philharmonic orchestra. Shortly afterwards Cudmore settled in Manchester, where for many years he led the Gentlemen's Concerts. He was also often engaged at Liverpool, where on one occasion he played at a concert a violin concerto by Rode, a pianoforte concerto by Kalkbrenner, and a violoncello concerto by Cervetto. The ease with which he played at sight was considered very wonderful; he also was in some repute as a composer of concertos, &c., for his various instruments. His best work was an oratorio, ‘The Martyr of Antioch,’ on Milman's poem of the same name. Selections from this were performed at Birmingham and Manchester, and the work was published by subscription. Cudmore died at Wilton Street, Oxford Road, Manchester, 29 Dec. 1840. He left a widow and family.
[Dict. of Musicians, 1827; Musical World, 21 Jan. 1841; Manchester Guardian, 2 Jan. 1841.]
W. B. S.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Cubitt, William (1791-1863)

​CUBITT, WILLIAM (1791–1863), lord mayor of London, brother of Thomas Cubitt [q. v.], was born at Buxton, near Coltishall, Norfolk, in 1791, and served for four years in the navy. He learned the business of a builder under his elder brother, and then joined him as a partner in the establishment at 37 Gray's Inn Road. Afterwards, when Thomas Cubitt, turning his attention to house building on a large scale, gave up his connection with the Gray's Inn Road works, William Cubitt carried them on alone, and as a builder and contractor conducted a large and very profitable business until his retirement ​in 1851. He served as one of the sheriffs of London and Middlesex 1847–8, became an alderman of Langbourn ward 1851, and was lord Mayor of London 1860–1. For his ability and munificence during that mayoralty he was re-elected for 1861–2, when he extended splendid hospitality to the foreign commissioners and others connected with the International Exhibition. During his mayoralty more than a quarter of million of money was sent to the Mansion House for various charitable funds, such as the Hartley colliery explosion fund and the Mansion House Lancashire relief Committee, for which Cubitt as treasurer collected 57,000l. In originating the public subscription for the national memorial to the prince consort in 1862 he took a leading part. Cubitt sat for the borough of Andover as a liberal-conservative from July 1847 to July 1861, when he allowed himself to be put into nomination for the city of London; but not meeting with success in that constituency he returned to Andover, and was re-elected on 17 Dec. 1862. He was president of St. Bartholomew's Hospital, and prime warden of the Fishmongers' Company. He died at his residence, Penton Lodge, Andover, on 28 Oct. 1863, aged 72, and was buried on 2 Nov. The news of his death was received with much regret in the cotton districts, and in almost every town funeral sermons were preached at the request of the working classes, who did not forget that he inaugurated the fund from which more than 500,000l. were received for the relief of their distress. On the Sunday after his funeral muffled peals were rung in upwards of fifty churches, out of respect to his memory. He married, in 1814, Elizabeth, second daughter of William Scarlett of Norfolk. She died in 1854. His only son, of great promise, died in early manhood while at the university of Cambridge.
[Times, 30 Oct. 1863, p. 7; City Press, 31 Oct. 1863, p. 5, and 7 Nov., pp. 3, 4; Illustrated London News, 10 Nov. 1860, p. 435, with portrait, and 7 Nov. 1863, p. 478; Gent. Mag. January 1864, pp. 120–2; W. H. Jones's The Muffled Peal, 1863; W. Day's Reminiscences (1886), i. 204.]
G. C. B.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Cuff, James Dodsley

​CUFF, JAMES DODSLEY (1780–1853), numismatist, was born in 1780, and was the son of a Wiltshire yeoman living at Corsley, near Warminster. His mother was a daughter of Isaac Dodsley, brother of Robert and James Dodsley the publishers. For about forty-eight years he was in the service of the Bank of England, the last twenty-eight being spent in the bullion office. His leisure time he devoted to numismatics. He was one of the original members of the Numismatic Society of London, founded in 1836, and remained a member till his death. In 1839 he was elected a member of the council, and in 1840 honorary treasurer of the society. He was also a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. He made three contributions to the ‘Numismatic Chronicle’ (old series). When in 1847 John Hearne, the publisher, issued a ‘Supplement’ to Ainslie's ‘Illustrations of the Anglo-French Coinage,’ 1830, Cuff, in conjunction with Edward Hawkins, supervised the printing of the work, and contributed descriptions of coins, chiefly from his own cabinet. Cuff was engaged for more than forty years in coin collecting, and his collection, which consisted chiefly of Saxon and English coins, was a remarkable one, and contained many pieces of great rarity. Cuff's collection was, in accordance with the directions of his will, disposed of by public auction, and the sale took place in London at Sotheby's during eighteen days in June and July 1854. The sale catalogue fills 193 pages octavo. The coins sold were Greek and Roman, British, Anglo-Saxon, English (from the Conquest to Victoria), Anglo-Gallic, Irish, Scotch, &c. Cuff's numismatic books were also disposed of. The sale brought 7,054l. Compared with similar coin sales between 1854 and 1883, the Cuff sale is remarkable for its length and for the large sum which it realised. Probably the nearest approach to it is the Bergne sale, which occupied eleven days, and realised 6,102l. 13s. (Thorburn, Guide to British Coins, p. 151). Cuff's English medals came into the possession of the authorities of the Bank of England, and passed into the British Museum as part of the Bank collection.
Cuff's death took place on 28 Sept. 1853, at Prescott Lodge, his house at Clapham New Park. He was buried in Norwood cemetery. His wife—a daughter of Mr. Bartholomew Barry, a Bristol bookseller—survived him. He had no children.
[Gent. Mag. 1853, new ser. xl. 532, 533; Numismatic Journal; Numismatic Chronicle; Priced Catalogue of the Cuff Sale, 1854; Publisher's preface to Supplement to Ainslie's Illustrations.]
W. W.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Cuddon, Ambrose

​CUDDON, AMBROSE (fl. 1827), catholic publisher and journalist, appears to have been originally connected with the firm of Keating & Brown. Afterwards he established himself in business on his own account at 62 Crown Street, Finsbury Square, but he removed to 2 Carthusian Street, Charterhouse Square, in November 1822, and eventually he transferred his business to 62 Paternoster Row. In January 1822 he began the publication of ‘The Catholic Miscellany and Monthly Repository of Information,’ under his own nominal editorship, though after the second number the sole editorship devolved upon William Eusebius, Andrews [q. v.] In July 1823 Cuddon assumed the sole management of the magazine, but financially it was not successful; it passed into other hands in 1826, and was finally discontinued in May 1830. Among his other publications are: 1. ‘A New Year's Gift; or Cuddon's Universal Pocket-Book,’ published from 1824 to 1827. 2. ‘A Complete Modern British Martyrology; commencing with the Reformation,’ 3 parts, London, 1824–5, 8vo. New editions were afterwards brought out by other publishers. Cuddon established in Carthusian Street in 1823 a catholic circulating library of some fifteen thousand volumes.
[Gillow's Bibliographical Dictionary, i. 605; Gillow on Catholic Periodicals, in Tablet, 29 Jan.–19 March 1881; Notes and Queries, 3rd ser. ix. 307.]
T. C.
# Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology/Sulla 4.

​4. L. Cornelius Sulla, the son of No. 2, and the father of the dictator Sulla, lived in obscurity, and left his son only a slender fortune. (Plut. Sull. 1).
# Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology/Sulla 3.

​3. Ser. Cornelius Sulla, the brother of No. 2, was one of the ten commissioners, who was sent by the senate into Macedonia, in b. c. 167, after the conquest of Perseus, in order to arrange the affairs of that country, in conjunction with L. Aemilius Paulus. (Liv. xlv. 17.)
# Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology/Sulla 8.

​8. Serv. Cornelius Sulla, known only as the brother of the dictator, and the father of the two following persons. (Sall. Cat. 17; Dion Cass, xxxvi. 27.)