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# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Brown, Samuel (1817-1856)

1904 Errata appended.
​BROWN, SAMUEL (1817–1856), chemist, fourth son of Samuel Brown of Haddington, founder of itinerating libraries, and grandson of Dr. John Brown, author of the ‘Self-interpreting Bible’ [q. v.], was born at Huddington on 23 Feb. 1817, and, after attending the grammar school of Huddington and the high school of Edinburgh, enter the medical classes of the university of Edinburgh in 1832. He graduated M.D. in 1839, but devoted his chief attention to chemical research. An account of his experiments on ‘Chemical Isomerism' was published in the ‘Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, 1840-1,’ and during the same winter he delivered, along with Edward Forbes, a course of lectures on the philosophy of the sciences. In 1843 he was a candidate for the chair of chemistry in the university of Edinburgh, but on account of his failure to establish the proposition of the isomerism of carbon and silicon, his other high qualifications were disregarded. From this time he retired very muc from public life, and gave himself over to the task of realising experimentally his doctrine of the atomic constitution of bodies, only desisting when failing health rendered it imperative on him to do so. He died at Edinburgh on 20 Sept. 1856. His ‘Lectures on the Atomic Theory, and Essays Scientific and Literary’ were published in 1858 in two volumes. He was also the author of a tragedy, ‘Galileo Galilei,’ 1850, and of ‘Lay sermons on the Theory of Christianity.’
[Preface by his cousin, Mr. Joan Brown, author of Itab and his Friends, to Lectures on Brown the Atomic Theory; Recollections of Professor Masson in Macmillun’s Magazine, vol. xii. ; North British Review, vol. li.]
T. F. H.
Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.39 N.B.— f.e. stands for from end and l.l. for last line
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# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Brown, Samuel (fl.1700)

​BROWN, SAMUEL (fl. 1700), was a surgeon stationed during the last few years of the seventeenth century at Madras, then called Fort St. George. From time to time he sent collections of dried plants &c. to England, where they were described by James Petiver, and published in the 'Phil. Trans.' in a series of papers in vols. xx. (1698) and xxiii. (1703). Petiver's plants passed into the hands of Sir Hans Sloane, and now form part of the herbarium of the British Museum (Nat. History) in Cromwell Road. Particulars of his life are wanting.
B. D. J.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Brown, Robert (d.1753)

​BROWN, ROBERT (d. 1753), historical and decorative painter, was a pupil of Sir James Thornhill, whom he assisted in painting the cupola of St. Paul's Cathedral. It is related on the authority of Highmore, that while engaged in this undertaking he and his master worked together on a scaffold, which was an open one. Thornhill had just completed the head of the apostle, and was retiring backwards in order to survey the effect; as he had just reached the edge, Brown, not having time to warn him, snatched up a pencil, full of colour, and dashed it upon the face. ​Thornhill enraged ran hastily forward, exclaiming, ‘Good God! what have you done?’ ‘I have only saved your life,’ was the reply. Brown was also assistant to Verrio and La Guerre, and then setting up for himself was employed to decorate several of the city churches, He painted the altar-piece in St. Andrew Undershaft, the ‘Transfiguration’ in St. Botolph, Aldgate, the figures of St. Andrew and St. John in St. Andrew's, Holborn, and those of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist in the chapel of St. John, Bedford Row. He also painted some portraits. Brown was the master of Hayman, and died 26 Dec. 1753. A few of his works have been engraved in mezzotinto: ‘The Annunciation,’ by Valentine Green; ‘Salvator Mundi’ (two plates), by James McArdell; ‘Our Saviour and St. John the Baptist,’ by Richard Earlom; and ‘Geography,’ by J. Faber.
[Redgrave's Dictionary of Artists, 878]
L. F.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Brown, Samuel (1776-1852)

​BROWN, Sir SAMUEL (1776–1852), engineer, the eldest son of William Brown of Borland, Galloway, by a daughter of the Rev. Robert Hogg of Roxburgh, was born in London in 1776. He served in the navy with some distinction during the French war from 1795 onwards. He became commander 1 Aug. 1811, and retired captain 18 May 1842. In January 1835 he was made a knight of the Hanoverian Guelphic Order, and a knight bachelor in 1838. His principal reputation was gained as an engineer. He invented an improved method of manufacturing links for chain cables, which he patented in 1816 conjointly with Philip Thomas, and the experiments which he carried out led to the introduction of chain cables into the navy. He also patented in ​ 1817 improvements in suspension bridges, the tent including a special sort of link which enabled such bridges to be constructed on a larger scale than had ever before been possible. The first large snsplension bridge was the Union Bridge across the Tweed near Berwick, a picture of which, painted by Alexander Nasmyth before the erection of the bridge in order to show what it would be like when completed, is now in the possession of the Society of Arts. His principle was also used by Telford in the suspension bridge across the Menai Straits. In 1823 he constructed the chain pier at Brighton. Besides those for his inventions connected with chains and chain cables, he took out numerous other patents (ten in all), most of them for matters connected with naval architecture or marine engineering. Brown died at Blackheath on 15 March 1852. He married Mary, daugthter of John Horne of Edinburgh, writer to the signet, 14 Aug. 1822.
[Gent. Mag. 1852, i. 519; Records of the Patent Office.]
H. T. W.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Brown, Philip

​BROWN, PHILIP (d. 1779), was a doctor of medicine, practising in Manchester. His favourite pursuit towards the close of his life being botany, he procured living plants from various parts of the world through his interest with merchants and ship captains. ​At his death a catalogue of the collections was drawn up for sale, its title being 'A Catalogue of very curious Plants collected by the late Philip Brown, M.D., lately deceased,' Manchester, 1779, 12mo, pp. 30.
[Catalogue cited]
B. D. J.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Brown, Robert (1757-1831)

​BROWN, ROBERT (1757–1831), agricultural writer, born in East Linton, Haddingtonshire, entered into business in his native Village, but soon turned to agriculture, which he carried on first at West Fortune and afterwards at Markle, where he practised several important experiments. He was an intimate friend of George Rennie of Phantassie. While Rennie applied himself to the practice of agriculture, Brown Wrote on the science. He published a ‘View of the Agriculture of the West Riding of Yorkshire,' 8vo, 1799, and a ‘Treatise on Rural Affairs,’ 2 vols. 8vo, 1811, and wrote many articles in the Edinburgh ‘Turner’s Magazine,’ of which he was editor for fifteen years. Some of these articles have been translated into French and German. He died at Drylaw, East Lothian, on 14 Feb. 1831, in his seventy-fourth year.
[Anderson's Scottish Nation, i. 395; Irving's Eminent Scotsmen, 41; Gent. Mag. 1831, vol. ci. pt. ii. p. 647.]
W. H.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Brown, Samuel (1810-1875)

​BROWN, SAMUEL (1810–1875), actuary and statist, entered the ofiice of the old Equitable Life in 1829 as a junior. He was appointed actuary of the Mutual Life Office in 1850, and of the Guardian Insurance Company in 1855. He contributed numerous papers to the ‘Assurance Magazine,‘ and also to the ‘Journal of the Statistical Society.' He took a very prominent part in the decimal coinage movement, and several times discussed the question before the International Statistical Congress. He also advocated uniform weights and measures throughout the commercial world. He took un active part in founding the Institute of Actuaries in 1848, and became its president in 1867, holding the office for three consecutive years. He was also joint editor of the ‘Journal of the Institute of Actuaries.’ In 1868 he was president of the Economic section of the British Asociation at Norwich. He instituted the ‘Brown Prize’ at the Institute of Actuaries, and the first award under the terms of the endowment-fifty guineas for the best essay on the history of life insurance-was made in 1884. He gave evidence before various parliamentary committees on insurance and kindred topics. He died in 1875, aged 65.
[Walford`s Insurance Cyclopædia.]
C. W.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Hadfield, William

​HADFIELD, WILLIAM (1806–1887), writer on Brazil, born in 1806, entered commercial life in South America at a very early age, and spent some of the most important years of his life there. He was the first secretary of the Buenos Ayres Great Southern railway, secretary to the South American General Steam Navigation Company, and both by literary and commercial effort did much to open up South America to British enterprise and capital. This was without pecuniary benefit to himself, as in 1847, in consequence of an execution levied on his goods, he was driven to bankruptcy (Some Remarks on a Pamphlet called Mr. Rowson's Statement of Facts respecting Recent Occurrences at New Brighton, Liverpool, 1847). In 1863 Hadfield founded in London 'The South American Journal and Brazil and River Plate Mail' (the first number was published 7 Nov.), of which he was chief editor till his death, 14 Aug. 1887. He was buried at St. Peter's, Walthamstow, beside his wife, who had predeceased him.
Hadfield wrote: 1. 'Brazil, the River Plate, and the Falkland Islands, with the Cape Horn Route to Australia,' 1854. 2. 'Brazil and the River Plate in 1868, their Progress since 1853,' 1869. He also edited Brazil. Stray Notes from Bahia,' by Vice-consul James Wetherell, 1860.
F. W-t.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Haggard, John

​HAGGARD, JOHN (1794–1856), civilian, third son of William Henry Haggard of Bradenham Hall, Norfolk, who died in 1837, by Frances, only daughter of the Rev. Thomas Amyand, was born at Bradfield, Hertfordshire, in 1794, and educated at Westminster School. He entered Trinity Hall, Cambridge, as a pensioner 9 June 1807, was elected a fellow 1 Dec. 1815, and held his fellowship until his marriage on 20 July 1820 to Caroline, daughter of Mark Hodgson of Bromley, who died 21 Nov. 1884, aged 88. He took his LL.B. degree in 1813, and his LL.D. in 1818, and on 3 Nov. in the latter year was admitted a fellow of the College of Doctors of Law, London. In 1836 he was appointed chancellor of Lincoln by his college friend Dr. John Kaye, the bishop, and accompanied him in the visitation of his diocese. He was nominated chancellor of Winchester in June 1845, and ​two years afterwards commissary of Surrey in the same diocese. In 1847 he received the appointment of chancellor of Manchester from James Prince Lee, the first bishop of the diocese. As an advocate he was cautious and of sound judgment, and as a man he was liberal, just, and generous. He edited the following useful works: 1. ‘Reports of Cases argued in the Consistory Court of London, containing the Judgments of Sir W. Scott,’ 1822, 2 vols. 2. ‘Reports of Cases argued in the Court of Admiralty during the time of Lord Stowell,’ 1822–40, 3 vols. 3. ‘A Report of the Judgment of Dew v. Clarke,’ 1826. 4. ‘Reports of Cases argued in the Ecclesiastical Courts at Doctors' Commons and in the High Court of Delegates,’ 1829–32, 4 vols. 5. ‘Digest of Cases argued in the Arches and Prerogative Courts of Canterbury and contained in the Reports of J. Haggard,’ 1835. Haggard died at Brighton 31 Oct. 1856.
G. C. B.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Hadfield, Matthew Ellison

​HADFIELD, MATTHEW ELLISON (1812–1885), architect, born at Lees Hall, Glossop, Derbyshire, 8 Sept. 1812, was eldest son of Joseph Hadfield and of his wife, a sister of Michael Ellison, agent to the Duke of Norfolk. Hadfield was educated at Woolton Grove academy, Liverpool, and from 1827 to 1831 worked with his uncle Ellison at Sheffield in the Norfolk estate office. In October 1831 he was articled to Messrs. Woodhead & Hurst of Doncaster, and after three years went to London as pupil of P. F. Robinson. On returning to Sheffield he entered into partnership with J. G. Weightman; they were joined by G. Goldie in 1850, and by Hadfield's son Charles in 1864. The firm of Hadfield & Son directly contributed to the revival of mediæval and Gothic architecture. They designed many important churches and public and private buildings erected in Sheffield and other midland and north-country towns. Among them may be noted St. Mary's Church at Sheffield, the Roman catholic cathedral of St. John at Salford, the Great Northern Railway Hotel at Leeds, alterations and additions to Arundel ​Castle, Newstead Abbey, Glossop Hall, &c. A devoted Roman catholic, Hadfield enjoyed the patronage of the leading catholic families, and served four dukes of Norfolk in succession. He was a prominent citizen of Sheffield, acted as a town councillor, and was connected with many charitable institutions. He took a great interest in the school of art, and was president from 1878 to 1880. He married Sarah, daughter of William Frith of Angel Street, Sheffield. He died 9 March 1885, leaving one son and three daughters. Some illustrations of his architectural work will be found in the 'Builder' for 11 April 1885.
L. C.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Hadley, John (1731-1764)

​HADLEY, JOHN, M.D. (1731–1764), professor of chemistry at Cambridge, eldest son of Henry Hadley (brother of John Hadley, mathematician [q. v.]) and Ann Hoffman (?), was born in London in 1731, and entered Queens' College, Cambridge, in May 1749. He was fifth wrangler, was elected fellow of Queens' in January 1753, and proceeded B.A. in the same year, M.A. in July 1756, and M.D. in 1763. He became professor of chemistry in 1756, and published the 'Plan of a Course of Chemical Lectures,' 1758. He also wrote 'An Introduction to Chemistry, being the Substance of a Course of Lectures read two years successively at the Laboratory in Cambridge,' 1759; the manuscript is in possession of Professor Cumming of Cambridge. In 1758 he became F.R.S., and became, in 1760, assistant physician at St. Thomas's Hospital. In 1763 he was elected physician to the Charterhouse, and also became fellow of the College of Physicians. He died of fever at the Charterhouse 5 Nov. 1764.
The fifty-fourth volume of the 'Philosophical Transactions' contains an account, which Hadley drew up, of 'a mummy inspected in London in 1763,' communicated to Dr. William Heberden. This paper was read 12 Jan. 1764, and on 2 Feb. 'he presented to the society an elegant drawing of ​the left foot of the society's mummy, the sole of the foot, with the bulbous root applied to it, being presented to the view.' He is mentioned in the 'Gentleman's Magazine' (1814, pt. i. p. 427) as an intimate friend of the poet Gray. Dr. Plumptre, president of Queens' College, in recording the vacancy of the fellowship caused by his death, adds: 'He was an ingenious, worthy, and agreeable man, and died much lamented by all that knew him.' There is a portrait of Hadley, engraved after his death in mezzotint by Fisher, from a painting by B. Wilson, dated 1759.
N. D. F. P.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Hadow, James

​HADOW, JAMES (1670?–1747), controversial writer, was born in the parish of Douglas, Lanarkshire, probably before 1670. If he be identical with the James Hadow who published two Latin theses at Utrecht in 1685 and 1686 respectively, he was educated abroad. He was ordained minister of the 'second' charge of Cupar-Fife in 1692, and transferred to the 'first' 30 Oct. 1694. He became professor of divinity in St. Mary's College, St. Andrews, 5 April 1699, and principal in 1707. He died 4 May 1747, and in 1748 his son, George Hadow, was admitted professor of Hebrew in the same college.
Hadow was involved in very many public controversies in the church. In 1720 he took a leading part in the Marrow controversy. This controversy bore on the views contained in 'The Marrow of Modern Divinity,' published in England by E. F. in 1645, and republished in 1718 by a Scotch minister, James Hog [q. v.] of Carnock, Dunfermline [see Boston, Thomas, the elder, and Fisher, Edward, 1627-1655]. Hadow presided over a sub-committee for preserving purity of doctrine, appointed by the assembly in 1720. Six so-called antinomian paradoxes were extracted from the work, and the assembly condemned it, 20 May 1720. Some of the 'Marrowmen' seceded, but the rest, after a time, were silently permitted to promulgate their views. Hadow acted against John Simson, divinity professor at Glasgow, who, being accused of Socinian views, was suspended from his professorship in 1729.
Hadow wrote: 1. 'Remarks upon the Case of the Episcopal Clergy and those of the Episcopal persuasion considered as to granting them a Toleration and an Indulgence,' 1703 (this was anonymous; it is attributed to Hadow in the catalogue of the Advocates' Library, but in Scott's 'Fasti' it is attributed to the Rev. James Ramsay, minister of Kelso). 2. 'A Survey of the Case of the Episcopal Clergy and of those of the Episcopal persuasion.' 3. 'The Doctrine and Practice of the Church of Scotland anent the Sacrament of Baptism vindicated from the charge of gross error exhibited in a print called "The Practice and Doctrine of the Presbyterian Preachers about the Sacrament of Baptism examined," ' 1704 (also anonymous; referred to approvingly in Cunningham's 'Zwingli and the Doctrine of the Sacraments'). 4. 'The Record of God and Duty of Faith. A Sermon on 1 John v. 11, 12. Before the Synod of Fife at St. Andrews, April 7, 1719.' 5. 'The Antinomianism of the Marrow of Modern Divinity detected. Wherein the Letter to a private Christian about believers receiving the Law as the Law of Christ is specially considered,' 1721 (the title of this book brought to Hadow the sobriquet of 'The Detector,' i.e. 'Detective'). 6. 'An Inquiry into Mr. Simson's Sentiments about the Trinity from his Papers in Process,' 1730. 7. 'A Vindication of the Learned and Honourable Author of the History of the Apostles' Creed, from the false Sentiment which Mr. Simson has injuriously imputed to him,' 1731.
W. G. B.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Hadley, George (d.1798)

​HADLEY, GEORGE (d. 1798), orientalist, was appointed a cadet in the East India Company's service in 1763, and gained his first commission on the Bengal establishment on 19 June of that year. He became lieutenant on 5 Feb. 1764, and captain on 26 July 1760, and retired from the service on 4 Dec. 1771 (Dodwell and Miles, Indian Army List, 1760-1834, pp. 124-5). Finding it impossible to properly discharge his duty as a commander of a company of sepoys without a knowledge of their language, Hadley reduced their dialect to a grammatical system in 1765. A copy of his manuscript grammar fell into the hands of a London publisher; it was printed very incorrectly in 1770, and was circulated in Bengal. Hadley thereupon published a correct edition, entitled 'Grammatical Remarks on the practical and vulgar Dialect of the Indostan Language commonly called Moors. With a Vocabulary, English and Moors,' 8vo, London, 1772; 4th edit., enlarged, 1796. He published also 'Introductory Grammatical Remarks on the Persian Language. With a Vocabulary, English and Persian,' 4to, Bath, 1776. Hadley died on 10 Sept. 1798 in Gloucester Street, Queen Square, London (Gent. Mag. 1798, pt. ii. p. 816). In 1788 Thomas Briggs, a printer, of Kingston-upon-Hull, persuaded Hadley to put his name to a wretched compilation called 'A New and Complete History of the Town and County of the Town of Kingston-upon-Hull,' 4to.
G. G.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Hadrian IV

​HADRIAN IV, pope (d. 1159). [See Adrian IV.]
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Hadrian de Castello

​HADRIAN de Castello. [See Adrian de Castello, 1460?–1521?]
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Crichton, George

​CRICHTON, GEORGE (1555?–1611), jurist and classical scholar, was born in Scotland about 1555. He quitted his country at an early age in order to pursue his classical studies at Paris. He studied jurisprudence at Toulouse for several years, and returned to Paris in 1582. For a short time he practised at the bar, and then accepted the post of regent in the Collège Harcourt (November 1583). He also resided for a time in the Collège de Boncourt. He succeeded Daniel d'Ange as professor of Greek in the Collège Royal, and was created doctor of canon law by the university of Paris in 1609. He died on 8 April 1611, and was buried in the church of the Jacobins in the Rue Saint-Jacques.
​Niceron enumerates no fewer than twenty-nine works by him. Among them are: 1. ‘In felicem Ser. Poloniæ Regis inaugurationem Congratulatio,’ Paris, 1573, 4to. This is a poem on the election of Henri de Valois, duc d'Anjou. 2. ‘Selectiores notæ in Epigrammata è libro primo Græcæ Anthologiæ decerpta, et Latino carmine reddita,’ Paris, 1584, 4to. 3. ‘Laudatio funebris habita in exequiis Petri Ronsardi,’ Paris, 1586, 4to. 4. ‘Oratio de Apollinis Oraculis et de sacro Principis oraculo,’ Paris, 1596, 8vo. 5. ‘De Sortibus Homericis Oratio,’ Paris, 1597, 8vo. 6. ‘In Oppianum de Venatione prefatio,’ Paris, 1598, 8vo. 7. ‘Orationes duæ habitæ in auditorio regio, anno 1608,’ Paris, 1609, 8vo. One of these is on the laws of Draco and Solon, and the other on the title ‘De Judiciis’ in Harmenopulus.
T. C.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Crichton, Robert

​CRICHTON, ROBERT, sixth Lord Sanquhar (d. 1612), was the son of Edward, fifth lord. In 1605, while on a visit to Lord Norreys in Oxfordshire, he engaged in a fencing match with a fencing-master called Turner, when he accidentally lost one of his eyes, and for some time was in danger of his life. Seven years afterwards he hired two men to assassinate Turner, one of whom, Robert Carlyle, shot him with a pistol 11 May 1612, for which he and his accomplice were executed. Lord Sanquhar absconded, and a reward of 1,000l. having been offered for his apprehension, he was taken and brought to trial in the king's bench, Westminster Hall, 27 June of the same year, when, not being a peer of England, he was tried under the name of Robert Crichton, although a baron of three hundred years' standing. In an eloquent speech he confessed his crime, and being convicted on his own confession was hanged on a gibbet with a silken halter in Great Palace Yard, before the gate of Westminster Hall, on 29 June. Great interest was made to save his life, but James was inexorable, because it is said Crichton had on one occasion failed to resent an insult offered to his majesty in Paris (Letters and State Papers during the reign of King James Sext, Abbotsford Club, 1828, p. 36). Crichton died penitent professing the catholic religion. By his marriage at St. Anne's, Blackfriars, 10 April 1608, to Anne, daughter of Sir George Fermor of Easton, he had no issue. All his property was left to his natural son, Robert Crichton, but the heir male, William, seventh lord Sanquhar, disputed the succession, and on the matter being referred to James VI Robert Crichton was served heir of entail to him in the estate of Sanquhar 15 July 1619 (Hailes, Memorials of James VI, p. 51).
T. F. H.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Crichton, Robert (d.1586?)

​CRICHTON, ROBERT (d. 1586?), of Eliock, lord advocate of Scotland. [See under Crichton, James, 1560–1585?]