OpenLLM-France/wikimedia huggingface dataset:
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Porter, George Hornidge

​PORTER, Sir GEORGE HORNIDGE (1822–1895), surgeon, born in Kildare Street, Dublin, on 24 Nov. 1822, was the only son of William Henry Porter (1790–1861), by his wife Jane (Hornidge) of Blessington, co. Wicklow. The father, son of William Porter of Rathfarnham, co. Dublin, was president of the Irish College of Surgeons in 1838, and professor of surgery in the College of Surgeons school of medicine in Dublin. He was a very popular teacher in the times when the old system was in vogue by which apprenticeship to a well-known surgeon was one of the portals to the profession of surgery. He was also a good anatomist, and made occasional contributions to surgical literature, some of which were of distinct merit. An operation on the femoral artery called Porter's, now, however, rarely practised, owes its name to him. A brother, Frank Thorpe Porter, stipendiary magistrate at Dublin and raconteur, wrote ‘Grand Juries in Ireland,’ Dublin, 1840, and a well-known book of anecdotes, ‘The Recollections of an Irish Police Magistrate’ (2nd edit. 1875).
George Hornidge Porter studied at Trinity College, Dublin, where he graduated M.D. at the College of Surgeons, Ireland. In 1844 he became a fellow of the latter body, and in 1849 was elected surgeon to the Meath Hospital, Dublin, to which institution his father was attached in the same capacity. He early attained the reputation of a bold and successful operator. He contributed to the medical papers, chiefly to the Dublin ‘Journal of Medical Science,’ many records of surgical cases and operations. He was a man of popular manner, and ambitious of social distinction, and was for many years one of the best known men in his native city. He was president of the College of Surgeons of Ireland ​during 1868–9, and for a long time a member of the council of that college, where he exercised great personal influence. In 1869 he was appointed surgeon-in-ordinary to the queen in Ireland. He was knighted in 1883, and received a baronetcy in 1889 in recognition of his distinguished professional position. The university of Dublin conferred upon him in 1873 the honorary degree of master of surgery, and in 1891 the post of regius professor of surgery. The university of Glasgow gave him in 1888 the honorary degree of LL.D. In his earlier years he frequently gave expert evidence in the coroner's court, and in 1882 he was one of those who were called upon to examine the bodies of Lord Frederick Cavendish and Thomas Henry Burke, who were murdered in the Phœnix Park. Sir George Porter was attached to many of the Dublin hospitals in an honorary or consulting capacity, and was an active member of numerous charitable and other boards. He acquired by purchase landed property in co. Wexford, and was proud of his position as a country gentleman, and especially of being high sheriff of the county. He died of heart-disease at his residence, Merrion Square, Dublin, on 15 June 1895.
He married Julia, daughter of Isaac Bond of Flimby, Cumberland, by whom he had one son.
C. N.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Porter, Henry

​PORTER, HENRY (fl. 1599), dramatist, is frequently referred to in Henslowe's ‘Diary’ between 16 Dec. 1596 and 26 May 1599. On 30 May 1598 Henslowe paid 4l. to Thomas Dowton and Mr. Porter for the play called ‘Love Prevented.’ On 18 Aug. 1598 Henslowe bought the play called ‘Hot Anger soon Cold,’ by Porter, Chettle, and Jonson. On 22 Dec. 1598 he bought the second part of Porter's ‘Two Angry Women of Abington.’ On 28 Feb. 1599 Porter promised Henslowe all his compositions, whether written alone or in collaboration, for a loan of 40s., being earnest-money for his ‘Two Merry Women of Abington.’ On 4 March 1599 Henslowe paid for ‘The Spencers’ by Porter and Chettle. Many small money advances followed. Francis Meres, in his ‘Palladis Tamia’ (1598), mentions Porter as a leading dramatist. One of Weever's epigrams (1598), addressed ‘ad Henricum Porter,’ describes a man of mature age, but he is probably addressing another Henry Porter who graduated bachelor of music from Christ Church, Oxford, in July 1600, and was father of Walter Porter [q. v.]
Of the five plays mentioned above, the only one extant is ‘The Pleasant Historie of the two Angrie Women of Abington. With the humorous mirth of Dick Coomes and Nicholas Proverbes, two Serving men. As it was lately playde by the Right Honorable the Earle of Nottingham, Lord High Admirall, his servants. By Henry Porter, Gent.,’ London, 1599, 4to. A second edition, in quarto, was issued in the same year. The play has been edited by Alexander Dyce for the Percy Society in 1841, by William Carew Hazlitt, in vol. vii. of Dodsley's ‘Old Plays’ (4th edit. 1874), and by Mr. Havelock Ellis in ‘Nero and other Plays,’ Mermaid Series, 1888. Charles Lamb gave extracts from it among his selections from the ‘Garrick Plays’ (Bohn's edit. 1854, p. 432), and judged it ‘no whit inferior to either the “Comedy of Errors” or the “Taming of the Shrew.” … Its night scenes are peculiarly sprightly and wakeful, the versification unencumbered, and rich with compound epithets.’
[Hunter's Chorus Vatum, ii. 302 (Addit. MS. 24488); Fleay's Biographical Chron. of the English Drama, 1559–1642, ii. 162; Fleay's Hist. of the Stage, p. 107; and editions of Dyce, Hazlitt, and Ellis quoted above.]
R. B.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Hemans, Charles Isidore

​HEMANS, CHARLES ISIDORE (1817–1876), antiquary, youngest son of Felicia Dorothea Hemans [q. v.], poetess, was born in 1817. He was a handsome boy and the especial favourite of his mother. He accompanied her in a visit to Abbotsford in 1829, and was with her at the time of her death in 1835. He left England early in life, and, after residing in various places on the continent, finally settled in Rome and made Roman history and archæology his chief study. He was the originator in 1846 of the ‘Roman Advertiser,’ the first English paper published in the city. He helped to establish the English Archæological Society there in 1865, and afterwards became its honorary secretary and librarian. To English visitors in Rome and to English residents he was always a friendly guide, noted for his amiability and modesty, and his writings are invaluable to students of Italian ecclesiastical history and archæology. After a serious illness at Spezia in the summer of 1875 he removed to the Baths of Lucca, where he died on 26 Oct. 1876. He was buried in the protestant cemetery there.
Hemans was the author of:
* ‘Catholic Italy,’ pt. i. Rome and Papal States, 1860.
* ‘The Story of Monuments in Rome and her Environs,’ Florence, 1864–5, 2 parts.
* ‘A History of Ancient Christianity and Sacred Art in Italy,’ London, 1866.
* ‘A History of Mediæval Christianity and Sacred Art in Italy, A.D. 900–1450. In Rome from 1350 to 1500,’ 1869–72, 2 vols. A sequel to the previous work. 5. ‘Historic and Monumental Rome,’ a handbook, London, 1874.
[Times, 3 Nov. 1876, p. 9; Athenæum, 4 Nov. 1876, p. 600; Academy, 4 Nov. 1876, p. 451; Lawrence's Last Autumn and Recollections of Mrs. Hemans, 1836, pp. 327, 335, 353, 372, 406; Chorley's Memoirs of Mrs. Hemans, 1836, are dedicated to Henry and Charles Hemans.]
G. C. B.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Helyar, John

​HELYAR, JOHN (fl. 1535), scholar, born about 1503, was a native of Hampshire, and matriculated at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, on 1 June 1522, was admitted B.A. on 27 July 1524, and commenced M.A. on 3 April 1525; he supplicated for B.D. in 1532 (Reg. Univ. Oxf. i. 134, 326). He became fellow of his college, and being well versed in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew attracted the patronage of Wolsey. He afterwards became vicar of East Meon and rector of Warblington, Hampshire. Previously to August 1535, when he was living at Paris, he went abroad, according to his own account for the purpose of study, but he had evidently fallen into disgrace; he was still abroad in December 1536. Helyar is said to have been a friend of Erasmus, but none of his alleged correspondence with him has survived. The following writings are ascribed to him: 1. ‘Commentaria in Ciceronem pro Marcello.’ 2. ‘Scholia in Sophoclem.’ 3. ‘Commentaria in Epistolas Ovidii.’ 4. ‘Carmina in obitum Erasmi’ (in Greek and Latin; printed in the book of ‘Epitaphs on Erasmus,’ Basle, 1527; Antwerp, 1537). He also translated into Latin Chrysostom's ‘De ​Providentia et Fato.’ A letter from Helyar to ‘Master Palmes’ is calendared in ‘Letters and Papers of the Reign of Henry VIII’ (ix. 128), and also one addressed to him by ‘Ric. Langgrische, priest’ (xi. 1350). Helyar is said to have been alive in 1539.
[Tanner's Bibl. Brit.-Hib. p. 390; Wood's Fasti, i. 66, 92; Wood's Athenæ Oxon. i. 107; Dodd's Church Hist. i. 211; Gillow's Bibl. Dict. English Catholics, iii. 264–5.]
C. L. K.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Heming, Edmund

​HEMING, EDMUND (fl. 1695), projector, who lived ‘near the Still-yard in Thames Street,’ obtained letters patent about 1684 conveying to him for a term of five years the exclusive right of lighting London. He undertook for a moderate consideration to place a light before every tenth door on moonless nights from Michaelmas to Lady day. He also announced his readiness to supply lights in houses, stables, yards, mines, or for coaches or horses ‘that travel late at night,’ offering at the same time to depict coats of arms or ‘any other fancy’ on the lights ‘in a very curious manner.’ His scheme met with opposition. He was especially harassed by one Vernatti, ‘who set up the glass lights in Cornhill,’ and by certain of the city companies, who feared that his project would prove destructive to their particular trades. The lord mayor and court of aldermen after many hearings issued a precept recommending the ‘new lights’ to all the wardmotes and gentlemen of the quests in London. Fearing that his servants might be corrupted by his enemies, Heming looked after his lights himself at midnight, and again at four or five o'clock in the morning, and became in consequence seriously ill. In 1686 want of funds obliged him to take partners, who, as he relates in a printed ‘Case’ (1689), brought him to the verge of bankruptcy by pirating his invention and refusing to contribute their full share of expenses. Heming laid before the House of Commons, in December 1695, printed proposals for raising eight millions of money by imposing a duty on beds at twopence per week each bed for four years and a half (Luttrell, Brief Historical Relation, iii. 563). The absurdity of the scheme was pointed out in some anonymous ‘Objections’ published in the same year.
[Macaulay's Hist. of England, chap. iii.]
G. G.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Hempel, Charles Frederick

​HEMPEL, CHARLES or CARL FREDERICK (1811–1867), musical composer, eldest son of Charles William Hempel [q. v.], was born at Truro, Cornwall, in September 1811. Having under his father's care received a sound musical education, he became a teacher of music at Truro. In 1847 he began writing and publishing songs, the first being dedicated to the Countess of Falmouth and entitled ‘Heave one sigh for me at parting.’ He also composed and printed pianoforte and dance music. About 1844 he succeeded his father as organist of St. Mary's Church, Truro. He was one of the first to introduce into Cornwall choral performances on a large scale. On 11 Feb. 1855 he matriculated from Magdalen Hall, Oxford, and on the 15th of the same month took the degree of bachelor in music. On 19 March 1862 ‘The Seventh Seal,’ his oratorio for the degree of doctor of music, was performed in the Sheldonian Theatre, and he received his degree next day. Four pieces from this oratorio were printed 1864–6, and the author was busy preparing the complete work for the press at the time of his death. He was an unwearied student of music, but devoted himself more to the theory than to the practice of his art. In 1857 he became organist and choir-master to St. John's Epi​scopal Church at Perth. He was conductor of the Perth Choral Union and of the Euterpean Society. He also continued his teaching and composed many pieces of light music. He died at Perth of congestion of the lungs, on 25 April 1867.
G. C. B.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Hemming

​HEMMING (fl. 1096), chronicler, was sub-prior of Worcester during the episcopate of Bishop Wulstan (d. 1096), at whose request he compiled the chartulary of the church of Worcester, still extant in Hemming's autograph in MS. Cotton. Tiberius A. xiii., under the title ‘De ecclesiæ Vigorniensis dotatione privilegiis et possessionibus.’ Hemming inserted some pieces of his own composition in the volume, including a life of Wulstan, which was printed by Wharton in his ‘Anglia Sacra’ (i. 541), and is reprinted in Migne's ‘Patrologia’ (cl. 1489–94). This life, though written as prose, seems to be really in verse. Some other extracts are given in Dugdale's ‘Monasticon,’ vol. i. The whole chartulary, which is a valuable collection of documents, was edited by Hearne, ‘Hemingi Chartularium Ecclesiæ Wigorniensis,’ Oxford, 1723.
[Tanner's Bibl. Brit.-Hib. p. 391; Wright's Biog. Brit. Lit., Anglo-Norman Period, p. 46; Hardy's Cat. Brit. Hist. i. 811, ii. 73, 89–90 (Rolls Ser.)]
C. L. K.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Heming, William

Surname Heminges in the ODNB.
​HEMING or HEMMINGE, WILLIAM (fl. 1632), dramatist, ninth child of John Heming [q. v.] the comedian, was baptised on 3 Oct. 1602 at St. Mary's, Aldermanbury. He was educated at Westminster School, whence in 1621 he was elected a king's scholar at Christ Church, Oxford. He did not matriculate till 1624, but graduated B.A. in 1625, and M.A. in 1628. In 1630 he acted as executor to his father's will, whence it is inferred that he was the eldest surviving son. The date of his death cannot be precisely fixed. In the dedication of his ‘Fatal Contract’ (1653) to the Earl and Countess of Northampton, it is stated that the work was composed by ‘a worthy gentleman at hours of his recess from happier employments.’ He must have died before this time, but we do not know what were his ‘happier employments.’ His extant works are: 1. ‘The Fatal Contract, a French Tragedy,’ London, 1653, 4to, which according to the dedication ‘had suffered very much by private transcripts, where it passed through many hands as a curiosity of wit and language.’ In the reign of Charles II it was revived, and changed but not improved by Elkanah Settle, under the title of ‘Love and Revenge.’ In 1687 it was reprinted from the text of 1653, but with a new title, ‘The Eunuch.’ Amid much extravagance, it shows some power. 2. ‘The Jewes Tragedy, or their fatal and final overthrow by Vespasian and Titus his son, agreeable to the authentick and famous History of Josephus,’ London, 1662, 4to. Wood adds that Heming ‘left behind him greater monuments of his worth and ability’ than these plays. A comedy by Heming called ‘The Coursinge of the Hare, or the Mad Cap,’ was acted at the Fortune Theatre, 1632–1633, but is no longer extant, and is said to have been among those destroyed by Warburton's cook (Malone, Shakespeare, iii. 198).
[Baker's Biog. Dramatica; Wood's Athenæ, iii. 277; Alumni Westmon. p. 91.]
T. E. J.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Hempel, Charles William

​HEMPEL, CHARLES WILLIAM (1777–1855), musical composer, was born at Chelsea, Middlesex, on 28 Aug. 1777, and showing very early indications of musical talent was placed under the tuition of his relative, Augustus F. C. Kollman, organist and composer. He made rapid progress, and at the age of eight performed during the service at the king's German chapel, St. James's. He was placed later at a boarding-school in Surrey, where all his leisure time was devoted to music and drawing. In 1793–4 he was on the continent, chiefly at Leipzig and Dresden, where he cultivated his taste for music. Not finding employment in London, he removed to Truro in Cornwall, where in May 1804 he was elected organist of St. Mary's Church. He held this post for forty years, supplementing his income by teaching music. In 1805 he composed and printed ‘Psalms from the New Version for the use of the Congregation of St. Mary's,’ and in 1812 ‘Sacred Melodies’ for the same congregation. These melodies became very popular, and some of them are still found in musical collections. ‘A Morning and Evening Service, twenty Original Melodies, and two Anthems,’ dedicated to the Hon. George Pelham, bishop of Lincoln, was published in 1820. For the use of his pupils in 1822 he printed an ‘Introduction to the Pianoforte, comprising Elementary Instruction, with a series of Practical Lessons.’ Hempel also became known as a poet in 1822 by his work entitled ‘The Commercial Tourist, or Gentleman Traveller, a satirical poem in four cantos.’ This book was embellished with coloured engravings designed and etched by J. R. Cruikshank, and in 1832 went to a third edition. In his later life he removed to Exeter, where he made an improvident second marriage. His death is involved in some obscurity. The ‘West Briton’ states that he died at his son's residence, Wolsingham Place, Kennington Road, London, on 14 March 1855; but a more trustworthy source, the registrar-general's return, says that after acting as a banker's clerk he died in the workhouse, Prince's Road, Lambeth, London, on 14 March 1855. His eldest son was Charles or Carl Frederick Hempel [q. v.]
G. C. B.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Porter, Thomas

​PORTER, THOMAS (1636–1680), dramatist, born in 1636, fourth son of Endymion Porter [q. v.], began his career by abducting, on 24 Feb. 1655, Anne Blount, daughter of Mountjoy Blount, earl of Newport [q. v.] For this he was for a short time imprisoned, and the contract of marriage between Porter and the lady was declared null and void by the quarter sessions of Middlesex on 17 July following (Middlesex Records, iii. 237; Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1655, pp. 74, 577; Mercurius Politicus, p. 5164). Nevertheless, a valid marriage subsequently took place, as Porter had a son George by her (Hist. MSS. Comm. 9th Rep. ii. 123). On 26 March of the same year Porter killed a soldier named Thomas Salkeld in Covent Garden, probably in a duel, and was consequently tried for murder. He pleaded guilty of manslaughter, was allowed benefit of clergy, and was sentenced to be burned in the hand (Mercurius Politicus, 22–9 March, 1655, p. 5228; Middlesex Records, iii. 233). On 28 July 1667 Porter had a duel with his friend, Sir Henry Bellasis, ‘worth remembering,’ says Pepys, who relates it at length, for ‘the silliness of the quarrel. Bellasis was mortally wounded, and Porter, who was also hurt, had to fly the kingdom’ (Pepys, Diary, 29 July 1667; Report on the MSS. of M. le Fleming, p. 52). Porter subsequently married Roberta Anne Colepeper, daughter of Sir Thomas Colepeper, knt., and died in 1680 (Fonblanque, Lives of the Lords Strangford, pp. 15, 83; Memoirs of Lady Fanshawe, p. 172).
He was the author of the following plays: 1. ‘The Villain,’ a tragedy, 4to, 1663, 1670, 1694. This play was acted at the Duke's Theatre in October 1662 for ten nights in succession to crowded houses (Genest, English Stage, i. 42, x. 246; Downes, Roscius Anglicanus, p. 23). Young Killigrew commended the play to Pepys ‘as if there never had been any such play come upon the stage,’ but Pepys was dissatisfied when he saw it, finding ‘though there was good singing and dancing, yet no fancy in the play’ (Diary, 20 Oct. 1662). Its success was chiefly owing to Sandford's performance of the part of Maligni (ib.; Langbaine, p. 407). The epilogue to this play was written by Sir William Davenant, and is printed in his works (ed. 1673, p. 440). 2. ‘The Carnival,’ a comedy, 4to, 1664; acted at the Theatre Royal (Genest, x. 248). 3. ‘A Witty Combat, or the Female Victor, written by T. P. Gent.,’ 4to, 1668. It is said on the title-page to have been ‘acted by persons of quality’ in the Whitsun week with great applause. Genest (i. 51) identifies it with the ‘German Princess’ which Pepys saw performed on 15 April 1664. 4. ‘The French Conjuror: a Comedy by T. P., acted at the Duke of York's Theatre,’ 4to, 1678. This was licensed on 2 Aug. 1677. The plot of the play is derived from two stories in the ‘Spanish Rogue, or the Life of Guzman de Alfarache’ (Genest, i. 210). The similarity of the initials is the only reason for attributing the last two plays to Porter.
C. H. F.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Porter, Walter

​PORTER, WALTER (1595?–1659), composer, was son of Henry Porter, who in 1600 graduated Bac. Mus. at Oxford, and in 1603 was musician of the sackbuts to James I. Walter, born about 1595 (Baptie), was on 5 Jan. 1616 sworn gentleman of the Chapel Royal, to await a vacancy among the tenor singers. On 1 Feb. 1617 he succeeded Peter Wright. In 1639 he was appointed master of the choristers of Westminster Abbey, Richard Portman being organist at the time. Among his patrons were John, lord Digby, first earl of Bristol, to whom he dedicated his ‘Ayres,’ and Sir Edward Spencer. Dismissed from his post during the rebellion, Porter was relieved by Edward Laurence, esq. (Wood). He was buried at St. Margaret's Church, Westminster, on 30 Nov. 1659 (Grove).
Porter's printed works are: 1. ‘Madrigales and Ayres of two, three, foure, and five voyces, with the continued bass, with Toccatos, Sinfonias, and Ritornelles to them after the manner of consort musique. To be performed with the Harpsechord, Lutes, Theorbos, Basse-violl, two Violins or two Viols,’ 4to, printed by Wm. Stansby, 1632. The book contains twenty-six pieces, and is recommended to the ‘practitioner’ in these terms: ‘Before you censure, which I know you will, and they that understand least most sharply; let me intreate you to play and sing them true according to my meaning, or heare them done so; not, instead of singing, to howle or bawle them, and scrape, instead of playing, and perform them falsely, and say they are nought.’ A copy is in the Music School, Oxford. 2. ‘Ayres and Madrigals … with a thorough-bass base for the Organ or Theorbo-lute in the Italian way,’ 1639. Psalms and Anthems for two voices to the organ, first set, 1639 (Playford advertisement). 3. Second set, or ‘Mottets of two voices for treble or tenor and bass, to be performed to an Organ, Harpsycon, Lute, or Bass-viol,’ small folio, 1657 (Sacred Harmonic Cat.) Burney found the words of some of these were taken from George Sandys's ‘Paraphrase.’ 4. ‘Divine Hymns by W. Porter,’ advertised by Playford, 1664, perhaps the same as 5. ‘Psalms of Sir George ​Sands,’ translation for two voices by Walter Porter, three books, fol., advertised 1671. The following words of anthems set by Porter are in British Museum Harleian MS. 6346: Full anthems, ‘Brethren,’ ‘Consider mine enemies,’ and a collect; single anthems, ‘O praise the Lord,’ ‘Ponder my words,’ ‘Awake thou lute,’ ‘He taketh the simple,’ ‘Praise the Lord,’ ‘O give thanks,’ ‘O Lord, thou hast searched.’
L. M. M.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Porter, Jerome

​PORTER or Nelson, JEROME (d. 1632), Benedictine monk, was professed at Paris for St. Gregory's, Douay, on 8 Dec. 1622, and died at Douay on 17 Nov. 1632, (Snow, Necrology, p. 39).
He wrote:
* ‘The Flowers of the Lives of the most renowned Saincts of the Three Kingdoms, England, Scotland, and Ireland. Written and collected out of the best Authours and Manuscripts of our Nation, and distributed according to their Feasts in the Calendar,’ vol. i. containing the calendar to the end of June, Douay, 1632, 4to. ​Dedicated to Thomas, second and last lord Windsor. The second volume, prepared for the press by Francis Hull, O.S.B., seems never to have been published.
* ‘The Life of St. Edward, King and Confessor,’ sine loco, 1710, 8vo. A new edition, ‘revised and corrected by a priest’ (i.e. C. J. Bowen), appeared at London, 1868, 12mo.
[Downside Review, iii. 252, vi. 133; Oliver's Cornwall, p. 521; Weldon's Chronological Notes, p. 168.]
T. C.