OpenLLM-France/wikimedia huggingface dataset:
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Macdonald, Alexander (1791?-1850)

​MACDONALD, ALEXANDER (1791?–1850), Scottish antiquary, was at an early period employed in the Register House, Edinburgh, where he assisted Thomas Thomson [q.v.] in the preparation of the ‘Acts of the Scottish Parliament’ and other works. In 1824 he was elected a member of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, and in 1837 joint curator of the society's museum. In 1836 he was appointed principal keeper of the register of deeds and probate writs. He died at Edinburgh on 23 Dec. 1850, aged about fifty-nine. Macdonald supplied a considerable amount of the material for Sir Walter Scott's notes to the ‘Waverley Novels.’ It is, however, as editor of the publications of the Maitland Club that he rendered most service to historical research. The volumes edited by him are: 1. ‘The Register of Ministers, Exhorters, and Readers of the Church of Scotland,’ 1830. 2. ‘Maitland Club Miscellany,’ vols. i. and ii. 1834. 3. Adam Blackwood's ‘History of Mary, Queen of Scots,’ 1834. 4. ‘Report on the State of certain Parishes in Scotland,’ 1835. 5. ‘Letters to King James the Sixth,’ 1835. 6. ‘Papers relative to the Royal Guard of Scottish Archers in France,’ 1835. 7. ‘Letters to the Argyll Family,’ 1839. For the Bannatyne Club he also edited ‘Registrum Honoris de Morton,’ 1853.
[Archæologia Scotica, vol. v. pt. i. (1872) p. 24; Gent. Mag. 1851, pt. i. p. 317.]
T. F. H.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Macdonald, Alexander (1736-1791)

​MACDONALD, ALEXANDER (1736–1791), Scottish catholic prelate, born in the island of Uist in 1736, was son of the laird of Bornish. He entered the Scots College at Rome 20 Jan. 1754, was ordained priest in 1764, and left the college 27 April 1765 for the mission in Scotland. He was stationed in the island of Barra, where he remained till 1760. On the death of Bishop John Macdonald (1727-1779) [q. v.] he was appointed to succeed him as vicar-apostolic of the highland district. The briefs were dated 1779, and he was consecrated by Bishop Hay at Scalan, 12 March 1780, with the title of Bishop of Polemunium. near Trebizond, in partibus. He died at Samalaman on 9 Sept. 1791, and was succeeded in the vicariate-apostolic by John Chisholm [q. v.]
[Brady's Episcopal Succession, iii. 466; London and Dublin Orthodox Journal, iv. 130; Catholic Directory, 1892, p. 61; Stothert's Catholic Mission in Scotland, p. 454.]
T. C.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Macdonald, Alexander (1755-1837)

​MACDONALD, ALEXANDER (1755–1837), Gaelic scholar, born in the west highlands in 1755, was received at the age of eleven into the Roman catholic seminary of Bourblach, in North Morar, by Bishop Hugh Macdonald [q.v.] He was afterwards sent to the Scots College in Rome, where he was ordained priest by dispensation at the age of twenty-three. In 1782 he returned to Scotland, and being a good Gaelic scholar, he was placed at Balloch, near Drummond Castle, Perthshire, to attend the highlanders resident in that mission. He was appointed missionary of the Gaelic chapel in Blackfriars' Wynd, Edinburgh, in 1792. Afterwards he returned to Balloch, and eventually he built a chapel at Crieff, where he passed the remainder of his life, except for a short interval in 1827-8, when be took charge of the congregation at Leith. He died at Crieff on 13 July 1837.
He was an admirable classical and Gaelic scholar, and was employed to give the Latin significations of the words of two letters of the alphabet in the 'Dictionarium Scoto-Celticum: a Dictionary of the Gaelic Language,' published under the direction of the Highland Society of Scotland, 2 vols. Edinburgh, 1828, 4to. He himself published 'Phingaleis, sive Hibernia Liberata, Epicum Ossianis Poema, e Celtico sermone conversum, tribus præmissis disputationibus, et subsequentibus notis,' Edinburgh, 1820, 8to, dedicated to Augustus Frederick, duke of Sussex.
[Stothert's Catholic Mission in Scotland, p. 586; Pref. to Dictionarium Scoto-Celticum.]
T. C.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Maccormick, Joseph

​MACCORMICK, JOSEPH (1733–1799), Scottish divine, son of John Maccormick, a minister at St. Andrews, was born in that town 22 Jan. 1733. He graduated M.A. at St. Andrews University in 1750 and was granted a bursary in theology from the university exchequer in the same year. After serving for some years as tutor in the Hepburn family he entered in 1756 upon trials before the presbytery of Dalkeith; this body found itself unable to overlook Maccormick's attendance at a theatre, but it gave him a testimonial to the presbytery of Edinburgh, by which he was licensed 30 March 1757, and ordained minister of Kilmany 17 April 1758. He was presented by Robert Hepburn of Bands to the living of Temple in 1760, and while there had the degree of D.D. conferred upon him by his university of St. Andrews. Transferred to Prestonpans, through the favour of Janet, countess of Hyndford, in 1771, he edited there 'The State Papers and Letters addressed to [his grand-uncle] William Carstarea … to which is prefixed the Life of William Caratares,' 4to, Edinburgh, 1774, The valuable documents included in this collection had come into the bands of Charles Macky, professor of civil history in the university of Edinburgh, OS trustee to Mrs. Carstares,' by him they were entrusted to Maccormick, who also received from Macky some materials for the 'Life.' Prefixed to the 'Letters' are memoirs of the correspondents taken from the manuscript of 'The Characters of the Court of Great Britain,' in the Earl of Hyndford's library [see Macky, John]. In May 1782 Maccormick was elected moderator of the general assembly, and in the following July was presented by George III to the charge of St. Leonards in his native presbytery, in conjunction with the principality of the United College of St. Andrews, he was appointed one of the deans of the Chapel Royal on 19 July 1788, and died at Edinburgh on 17 June 1799. He married, on 7 May 1770, Mary (d. 1822), daughter of Joseph Simson, a Bristol merchant. The only son, Joseph, became an advocate, while of the three daughters, the youngest, Elizabeth, married the Rev. William Ferrie, professor at St. Andrews and author of a 'Life of Rev. Colin Carslaires.'
Maccormick's own 'Life' of his grand-uncle, which has been extensively used by Kippis and by subsequent biographers of the ​secretary to William III, is ably constructed. The writer, who was a stranger to the severity which many thought proper to his profession, left many good sayings, though Alexander Carlyle [q. v.] says of him in his autobiography that he was 'rather a merry-andrew than a wit.'
(St. Andrews University Register; Hew Scott's Fasti Ecclesiæ Scoticanæ, pt. i. pp. 308, 352, 396, pt. iv. pp. 400. 493: Scott's Journal. il. 340; Cent. Mag. 1793, ii. 622; Scots Mag. vols. l. and lxi.]
T. S.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Macdiarmid, John

​MACDIARMID, JOHN (1779–1808), journalist and author, was born in 1779 at Weem, Perthshire, where his father, James Macdiarmid (1743–1828), was parish minister. His mother was Catherine, only child of John Buik, minister of Tannadice, Forfarshire. A brother, James, was an officer in the army (Hew Scott, Fasti Eccl. Scot. pt. iv. p. 817). After receiving elementary education at home, he studied at Edinburgh and St. Andrews Universities, and for a short time was a private tutor. In 1801 he settled in London as a man of letters. There he wrote for various periodicals, and edited the 'St. James's Chronicle.' When war with France broke out in 1802 he specially studied the subject of national defence, and in 1805 published, in two volumes, 'An Enquiry into the System of National Defence in Great Britain,' deprecating the substitution of volunteers for a strong standing army. In 1806 appeared his 'Enquiry into the Principles of Civil and Military Subordination,' skillfully treated, and in 1807 a friend helped him to issue, in a handsome quarto, his useful 'Lives of British Statesmen,' reprinted 1820, 2 vols., and 1838, 1 vol.
Macdiarmid, who was always in poverty, died in London of paralysis, 7 April 1808.
[Chambers's Eminent Scotsmen; D'Israeli's Calamities of Authors.]
T. B.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Graham, Clementina Stirling

​GRAHAM, CLEMENTINA STIRLING (1782–1877), of Duntrune, authoress of 'Mystifications,' born in May 1782, was 'elder daughter of Patrick Stirling of Pittendriech, by his wife Amelia Graham of Duntrune, Forfarshire. Her mother succeeded to the emall estate of Duntrune, near Dundee, on the death of her brother Alexander in 1802, and her husband and herself then assumed the surname of Graham. Mrs. Graham was one of four daughters of Alexander Graham of Duntrune (d. 1782), whose ancestors William and James, both active Jacobites,in 1715 and 1745 respectively assumed the title of, Viscount Dundee, as the nearest representatives of their kinsman John Graham of Claverhouse [q. v.], viscount Dundee. A fine portrait and valunble papers of the great viscount were cherished heirlooms of Miss Graham. Her own opinions, probably derived from her father, were whig. An honoured member of the circle of Edinburgh whigs, of whom Jeffrey and Cockburn were leaders, her relations with them were social, and she was entirely without party spirit. She was one of the best examples of the Scotch ladies of an old school, some of whom Lord Cockburn has drawn to the life in his 'Memoirs.' Like them she had her own marked character, but unlike most of them it was of the playful and mild, not of the severe and sarcastic order. Spending her time partly in Edinburgh and partly at Duntrune, Miss Graham shared the tastes of country and town. She had little of the literary lady except a liking for the society of men of letters and of art. She practised through a long life of over ninety-five years a wise charity, not only in giving alms, but also by kind acts and words, Without sparkling wit she had much quiet humour and a keen appreciation of wit in others. Mingling freely with all classes of society, she knew how to bring them together on good terms. The peer, laird, and merchant, the doctor, lawyer, and artist met at her house, which would have been called in France a salon, but it had none of the exclusiveness of a clique, and almost the feeling of a family of friends. Genius and wit were sufficient introduction to her hospitality, but she had a Scotch partiality for her kinsfolk and her neighbours. She died 23 Aug. 1877.
In early life Miss Graham displayed remarkable powers of personation, and often successfully mystified her acquaintance by presenting herself to them disguised as somebody else. The pranks she thus played on Jeffrey and others were recorded by her in her old age at the request of her friend Dr. John Brown in the little volume of 'Mystifications,' first privately printed in 1859 together with a few poems and prose sketches. Dr. Brown edited the first published edition of 'Mystifications' in 1865. She also translated from the French and published in 1829 'The Bee Preserver,' by Jonas de Gelieu, a Swiss author, for which she received a medal from the Highland Society, and was to her last days an ardent lover of bees. She likewise wrote a few pleasing songs.
Æ. M.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Graham, George (d.1767)

​GRAHAM, GEORGE (d. 1767), dramatist, educated at Eton, entered King's College, Cambridge, in 1746, where he was elected fellow. An elder brother David obtained the same distinction. He proceeded B.A. 1750, and M.A. 1754; was subsequently ordained, and became an assistant master at his old school. He died in February 1767.
Graham was the author of a masque, 'Telemachus,' which appeared in 1763, and gained much popularity, although never acted. It was favourably reviewed in the 'Critical Review' (vol. xv. 1763), presumably by Dr. Johnson. Baker speaks of it as 'coldly correct, with little to censure, but less to applaud.' A portion of the play was set to music by P. Hayes in 1765. Baker states that Graham was the author of an unpublished tragedy which was refused by Garrick.
W. F. W. S.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Graham, George Farquhar

​GRAHAM, GEORGE FARQUHAR (1789–1867), musical amateur, eldest son of Lieutenant-colonel Humphrey Graham, was born in Edinburgh 28 Dec. 1769 (Register of St. Andrew's Parish). At an early age he showed a decided talent for music, and as his parents were rich he was enabled to devote himself to the study of the art, although he never had a master. In 1815 he was chosen one of the secretaries of the first Edinburgh musical festival, to the success of which he materially contributed. For the third evening concert of the festival he composed an overture, which was well received,and in 1816 he published a small volume entitled 'An Account of the First Edinburgh Musical Festival, to which is added some general Observations on Music.' Soon after this he visited France and Italy in pursuit of musical knowledge, and in Florence was greatly impressed by Paganini. Graham was himself a skilful violinist, and formed one of a party of Edinburgh musicians who met occasionally for the practice of quartets by the great masters. On the retirement of Sir Henry Bishop in 1843, he stood unsuccessfully for the musical professorship in Edinburgh University. He died at Gilmore Place, Edinburgh, on 12 March 1867. As a composer Graham was favourably known among his contemporaries, but his published works are not numerous, and few of them are now performed. The songs 'County Guy' (Scott), 'You never longed nor loved' (Goethe), and 'The Mariner's Song' (Allan Cunningham) were considered excellent in their day. It is as a writer on musical subjects that Graham deserves to be remembered, his work in this direction being of considerable value. To the seventh edition of the 'Encyclopædia Britannica' he contributed the article 'Music,' in which a great deal of important information is compressed into narrow compass. The article was reprinted in a separate form in 1838, with the addition of an introduction and appendix, under the title of 'An Essay on the Theory and Practice of Musical Composition.' An expert at deciphering manuscript music written in the old 'tablature' notation (a method of noting music for the lute), he was able to render much assistance to William Dauney in translating and editing the Skene MS. (published 1838), to the appendix of which he also contributed an ably written paper. For Wood's 'Songs of Scotland' (Edinb. 1848-9) he supplied a series of historical, biographical, and critical notices, showing much judgment and knowledge of national music. For the eighth edition of the 'Encyclopædia Britannica' he wrote the article 'Organ,' and besides furnishing several ​papers on musical and kindred subjects to the 'Edinburgh Review' and various other periodicals, he was for some years an occasional contributor to the 'Scotsman.'
J. C. H.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Graham, Catherine

​GRAHAM, Mrs. CATHERINE. [See Macaulay, Catherine, 1733–1791.]
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Graham, Dougal

​GRAHAM, DOUGAL (1724–1779), chapbook writer and bellman, was born, it is believed, at Raploch, near Stirling, in 1724. He was much deformed, and found the wandering life of a 'chapman' (or pedlar) more to his taste than any settled trade; but when the highland army of Prince Charles Edward was on its way south in September 1745, he gave up such occupation as he had, and followed the prince. It is probable he was merely a camp-follower, as he can scarcely have been a soldier, but he accompunied the forces to Derby, and back to Scotland, and was present at Culloden (16 April 1746). Five months later he published 'A full, particular, and true Account of the Rebellion in the year 1745-6.
Composed by the Poet, D. Graham,
In Stirlingshire he lives at hame.
To the tune of “The Gallant Grahams,” ' &c. This work is written throughout in a rough doggerel, but is historically useful as the undoubted testimony of an eye-witness. Its popularity was very great. No copies of the first or second (1752) editions are known to exist. Graham settled in Glasgow, and is said to have become a printer, but this is doubtful; at all events he became 'skellat,' bellman or town-crier, of Glasgow about 1770. He is described as 'a bit wee gash bodie under five feet,' as being lame in one leg, 'with a large hunch on his back, and another ​protuberance on his breast.' He died on 20 July 1779. Graham wrote, under assumed names, a large number of chapbooks, such as 'Jockey and Maggy's Courtship,' 'The History of Buckhaven,' 'Comical Transactions of Lothian Tom,' 'History of John Cheap, the Chapman,' 'Leper the Taylor,' 'The History of Haverel Wives,' 'Simple John and his Twelve Misfortunes,' &c. All his works were exceedingly popular,and early editions have become very rare. Although coarse, they are not wanting in humour, and they are valuable to the student of folklore as containing very numerous references to current superstitions. Sir Walter Scott warmly appreciated Graham's talent, and so late as 1830 entertained the idea of printing a correct copy of the original edition of the rhyming history of the rebellion as his contribution to the Maitland Club publications. The idea was not carried out. Graham's collected writings were edited with notes, together with a biographical and bibliographical introduction, and a sketch of the chap literature of Scotland, by George MacGregor, 2 vols. 1883 (250 copies only).
W. G. B-k.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Graham, Fortescue

​GRAHAM, Sir FORTESCUE (1794–1880), general, colonel royal marine artillery 1866-70, son of Colonel Richard Graham, marines (a descendant of the Grahams of Platten, co. Menth), by his wife, Catherine, daughter of Captain Philip Walsh, royal navy, was born at Tintinhull in 1794. He was educated at Martock College, Somersetshire, and on 17 Nov. 1808 was appointed second lieutenant in the royal marine artillery, in which rank he remained seventeen years, twelve of them in the artillery branch of the marine forces. He was with the battalion formed of marines of the squadron which served with the army ashore at Walcheren in 1809, and subsequently served with the 1st battalion of marines in Portugal and in the north of Spain, including the capture and defence of Castro. He proceeded with the battalion to America, and was present under Sir Sydney Beckwith at the attack on Norfolk and taking of Hampton in 1814. When the brigade was broken up, Graham accompanied the battalion to Canada, and was sent in charge of a division of gunboats to attack an American battery at the head of Lake Champlain, with which he was engaged several hours. Afterwards he returned with the battalion to the coast of America, and was present at the attack and capture of Fort Point Peter and the town of St. Mary's, Georgia. He became first lieutenant in the royal marines on 6 May 1825, and after close on thirty years' service as a subaltern obtained his company on 10 July 1837. Soon after he joined the battalion of marines doing duty in Spain during the Carlist war, and subsequently went to China, where he commanded the marine battalion in the demonstration against Nanking at the close of the first Chinese war. He became major on 11 Nov. and lieutenant-colonel on 26 Nov. 1851, and colonel on 20 Jan. 1854. He commanded a brigade of marines at the capture of the fortress of Bomarsund, on the Aland isles, during the Russian war in 1855, and was made C.B. He was commandant of the Portsmouth division of royal marines from 1855 to 1857, aide-de-camp to the queen from 1854 to 1857; was made major-general 1857, lieutenant-general and K.C.B. in 1865, general and colonel of the royal marine artillery in 1866, and retired in 1870.
Graham married first, in 1828, Caroline, daughter of G. Palliser, she died 1859; secondly, Jane Mary, daughter of Captain Lowcay, royal navy, and relict of Admiral Blight, she died 1866. Graham died at his residence, 69 Durnford Street, Stonehouse. Devonshire, on 9 Oct. 1880.
H. M. C.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Graham, George (1675-1751)

​GRAHAM, GEORGE (1675–1751), mechanician, was born at Horsgill in the parish of Kirklinton, Cumberland, in 1675. In 1688 he was apprenticed to a watchmaker in London, and attracted the notice of the well-known Tompion. He was treated with the utmost kindness by Tompion, to whose business he eventually succeeded. Graham endeavoured to construct a pendulum which should not be affected by the weather. After many experiments upon the properties of metals when heated, he invented the exceedingly ingenious mercurial pendulum. It was so constructed that the expansion of a steel pendulum was exactly compensated by the expansion of the mercury in a jar connected with it, and the vibrating length of the whole thus preserved constant. To obviate the inconveniences caused by the fluidity of mercury, he suggested the compensating action of bars of two kinds of metal, but did not work out the problem. He also invented the 'dead-beat escapement,' an improvement upon Clement's 'anchor escapement,' which has ​ever since held its ground. Graham was the first general mechanician of his day. He was widely acquainted with practical astronomy, invented many valuable astronomical instruments, and improved others. His manual dexterity was remarkable, and his precision of construction and thoroughness of work unrivalled. Graham made for Halley the great mural quadrant at Greenwich observatory, and also the fine transit instrument and the zenith sector used by Bradley in his discoveries. He supplied the French Academy with the apparatus used for the measurement of a degree of the meridian, and constructed the most complete planetarium known at that time, in which the motions of the celestial bodies were demonstrated with great accuracy. This was made in cabinet form, at the desire of the Earl of Orrery. Graham was a member of the Society of Friends. Though his business was most remunerative, he was above mere money-making. He was singularly frank in communicating his discoveries. He kept his cash in a strong box, having a conscientious objection to interest, and at his death he had bank notes which had been in his possession for thirty years. Though never wasteful he lent considerable sums to friends, accepting no interest. He was many years a fellow of the Royal Society, and in the 'Philosophical Transactions' (vols. xxxi-xlii.) are numerous communications from him upon his discoveries. Graham died on 20 Nov. 1751, at his house in Fleet Street, and was buried in Westminster Abbey, in the same grave as Tompion.
J. B-y.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Grafton, Dukes of

​GRAFTON, Dukes of. [See Fitzroy, Augustus Henry, third Duke; Fitzroy, George Henry, fourth Duke; Fitzroy, Henry, first Duke.]
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Moinenno

Móenu in the ODNB.
​MOINENNO, Saint (d. 570), suffragan bishop of Clonfert, was a disciple of St. Brendan of Clonfert [q. v.] His name also appears as Monnennio, Moinnend, Maoinenn, or Moenu, and in Latin as Moinennus. He must be distinguished from Mo-nennius [q. v.], bishop of Whithorn; but whether Moenna or Moena, a bishop and disciple of St. Brendan, has a separate identity is not so clear. The bishop of Clonfert's feast is celebrated on 1 March, Moenna's on 26 Feb. Colgan distinguishes the two by making Moenna identical with Moenus, Mainus, who lived near Dol in Brittany, but the Breton saint's feast is 15 June (Todd, Book of Hymns, fasc. i. 104). St. Moinenno died in 570. The feasts of St. Monan [q. v.] and Moinenno both fall on 1 March, and Skene suggests that the two were confused in the accounts which represent St. Monan as the companion of St. Adrian, afterwards bishop of St. Andrews in his missionary efforts among the Picts of the ninth century. According to Skene, the monastery with which Moinenno was associated at Clonfert was broken up between 841 and 845, when St. Adrian's expedition was leaving Ireland for Fife, and St. Adrian possibly carried with him the relics of the dead St. Moinenno, and not the living St. Monan.
[Colgan's Acta SS. Hibern. 1 March; Skene's Celtic Scotland, ii. 314.]
M. B.