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

​MONRO, Sir DAVID (1813–1877), colonial politician, son of Dr. Alexander Monro tertius [q. v.], was born in 1813. At a very early age he settled in New Zealand. When the first general assembly was convened, 24 May 1854, he was returned as a member of it, and was chosen to second the address to the governor. He was speaker of the House of Representatives in 1861 and 1862, and was knighted. At the general election in 1866 he was elected member for Cheviot, and was again speaker until 1870, when he retired from this post. He was then much incensed at the failure of William Fox, leader of the house, to propose any vote of thanks for his services; and in order to attack him he obtained a seat, but lost it on petition. Thereupon the House of Representatives adopted an address praying that some mark of favour might be shown him for his long services; but Fox still refused to recommend so outspoken an opponent for a seat in the Legislative Council. Monro was then elected to the house for Waikonati, and opposed Fox's government. He died at Newstead, near Nelson, in 1877. His wife was a daughter of J. Seeker of Widford, Gloucestershire.
[Times, 2 May 1877; G. W. Rusden's Hist, of New Zealand.]
J. A. H.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Monro, Donald (1727-1802)

​MONRO, DONALD, M.D. (1727–1802), medical writer, born in 1727, was second surviving son of Alexander Monro primus [q. v.], by Isabella, second daughter of Sir Donald MacDonald of the Isle of Skye. He was educated at Edinburgh under the care of his father, and graduated M.D. on 8 June 1753, the subject of his inaugural dissertation being 'De Hydrope.' Soon afterwards he was appointed physician to the army. On 12 April 1756 he was admitted a licentiate of the College of Physicians, London, and on 3 Nov. 1758 was elected physician to St. George's ​Hospital. During his absence abroad as army physician, from December 1760 until March 1763, Dr. (afterwards Sir) Richard Jebb [q. v.] was chosen to fill his place at the hospital. He was admitted a fellow of the College of Physicians, by a special grace, on 30 Sept. 1771; was censor in 1772, 1781, 1785, and 1789; and was named an elect on 10 July 1788. He delivered the Croonian lectures in 1774 and 1775, and the Harveian oration in 1775. Ill-health obliged him to resign his office at St. George's Hospital in 1786. At the same time he withdrew himself altogether from practice, and in great measure from society. He died in Argyll Street on 9 June 1802 (Gent. Mag. 1802, pt. ii. p. 687).
Monro, who is represented as a man of 'varied attainments, of considerable skill in his profession,' and in high esteem with his contemporaries, was admitted a fellow of the Royal Society on 1 May 1766. He published:
* 'Dissertatio … de hydrope,' &c., 8vo, Edinburgh, 1753; reprinted in vol. ii. of the Edinburgh 'Thesaurus Medicus,' 1785. The second edition was published in English as 'An Essay on the Dropsy and its Different Species,' 8vo, London, 1756; 3rd edit. 1765.
* 'An Account of the Diseases which were most frequent in the British Military Hospitals in Germany from January 1761 to … March 1763,' c., 8vo, London, 1764. Appended is an essay on the means of preserving the health of soldiers, and conducting military hospitals.
* 'A Treatise on Mineral Waters,' 2 vols. 8vo, London, 1770.
* 'Prælectiones Medicæ,' 8vo, London, 1776, being his Croonian lectures and Harveian oration.
* 'Observations on the Means of Preserving the Health of Soldiers, and of conducting Military Hospitals, and on the Diseases incident to Soldiers,' 2 vols. 8vo, London, 1780, a greatly enlarged edition of the 'Essay' appended to his 'Account.' John Millar, M.D. (1733-1805) [q. v.], published in 1784 a reply to Monro's arguments in 'Observations,' &c.
* 'A Treatise on Medical and Pharmaceutical Chymistry and the Materia Medica,' 3 vols. 8vo, London, 1788, with a translation of the 'Pharmacopeia.'
He likewise contributed various papers to 'Essays, Physical and Literary,' and to the 'Transactions' of various medical societies, and wrote the memoir prefixed to the quarto edition of his father's collected works, published at Edinburgh in 1781.
[Munk's Coll. of Phys. 1878, ii. 293-5; Life of Dr. A. Monro, prefixed to his Works, 1781; Watt's Bibl. Brit.; Cat. of Libr. of Med. and Chirurg. Soc.]
G. G.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Monro, Donald (fl.1550)

​MONRO, DONALD (fl. 1550), known as 'High Dean of the Isles,' first appears on record as parson of Kiltearn, in the presbytery of Dingwall, Ross-shire. On 26 June 1563 he was appointed by the general assembly of the kirk commissioner 'within the bounds of Ross, to assist the Bishop of Caithness in preaching of the Gospell and planting of kirkis' (Calderwood, ii. 224), at a salary of four hundred merks for one year. On 27 Dec, following a complaint was made in the assembly that he 'was not so apt to teache as his charge required' (ib. p. 245). Six members of the assembly were appointed 'to trie his gifts,' and to report. His ignorance of Gaelic seems to have been his chief fault, for on 5 July 1570 it was objected that 'he was not prompt in the Scottish tongue.' His commission was, however, renewed in August 1573 (ib. p. 275). Tradition says that when at Kiltearn he lived in Castle Craig, and crossed the Firth to his duties. About 1574 he was translated to the neighbouring parish of Lymlair, with a stipend of 66l. 13s. 4d. Scots, and kirk-land. His title, 'High Dean of the Isles,' may have had some pre-reformation significance, but was more probably one of those titles of courtesy satirised by Sir David Lyndsay in his 'Monarchic ' (bk. iii. 1290, &c.)
He made a systematic tour through the western islands of Scotland in 1549, of which he has left an interesting account. George Buchanan made use of it for the geographical portion of his ' History of Scotland,' and acknowledged his indebtedness (Works, folio edit. 1715, pp. 13, 18). Monro also wrote a small book, entitled 'The Genealogies of the Cheiff Clans of the Isles.' Both works were printed at Edinburgh, 1773-4, with the common title, 'Description of the Western Isles of Scotland, called Hybrides. With his Genealogies of the Chief Clans of the Isles. Now first published from the Manuscript.' Another edition appeared at Edinburgh in 1805, and in 1818 the account was included in the second volume of 'Miscellanea Scotica.' Two manuscript copies of his works are preserved in the Advocates' Library.
[Calderwood's History of the Kirk (Wodrow Soc. edit.); Miscellany of the Wodrow Society; i. 335; Hew Scott's Fasti Ecclesise Scoticanse, pt. v. pp. 299, 302, 455.]
G. G. S.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Parker, Henry Perlee

​PARKER, HENRY PERLEE (1795–1873), artist, son of Robert Parker, of Plymouth Dock, teacher of marine and mechanical drawing, was born at Devonport on 15 March 1795. He was trained by his father, but felt cramped in his occupation, and in 1815 married a Miss Amy Morfey of Woodbridge, Suffolk, and set up as a portrait-painter in the Three Towns. He met with little success, migrated to the north, and in 1816 settled at Newcastle. He made his mark on Tyneside by a picture of ‘Newcastle Eccentrics,’ representing a group of well-known characters identified with the ​street life of the town. In 1817 he began exhibiting in London at the British Institution, and shortly afterwards made the acquaintance of Thomas Miles Richardson [q. v.] Out of this intimacy sprang in 1822 ‘The Northumberland Institution for the Promotion of the Fine Arts,’ of which Richardson was treasurer and Parker secretary. He did not confine himself to portraits, but painted historical and marine subjects, and excelled in smugglers, whence the sobriquet ‘Smuggler Parker.’ His pictures were remarkable for their selling powers, a fact largely due to a fortunate choice of subjects. Two large pieces, ‘The Sandhill Wine Pant—coronation of George IV,’ and ‘Fancy Dress Ball in the Mansion House—coronation of William IV,’ were purchased by the corporation of Newcastle. The opening of the new markets at Newcastle in 1835, and the brave deed of Grace Darling in 1838, also formed the subjects of popular pictures by Parker. In 1835 Parker issued ‘Critiques on Paintings by H. P. Parker … together with a few slight Etchings showing the Compositions,’ &c., Newcastle. In 1840 he presented a representation of the rescue of John Wesley from the fire at Epworth in 1709 to the Wesleyan conference, to be placed in the Centenary Hall, London. Shortly afterwards he was appointed drawing-master at Wesley College, Sheffield, and left Newcastle for that town. On the death of his first wife in 1844 he settled in London, and, having remarried, survived his second wife, and died on 11 Nov. 1873. He had issue fourteen children, of whom at present only one daughter, Mrs. H. Perlee Livingstone, survives. Between 1817 and 1863 Parker exhibited eighty-six pictures in London, of which twenty-three were in the Royal Academy.
T. S.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Parker, George (1767-1847)

​PARKER, Sir GEORGE (1767–1847), admiral, born in 1767, son of George Parker, the elder brother of Sir Peter Parker (1721–1811) [q. v.], was borne on the books of the Barfleur, at Portsmouth, under his uncle's command, from 21 Dec. 1773 to 31 Oct. 1775. Similarly, he was borne on the books of the Bristol, on the coast of North America and at Jamaica, from December 1777 to April 1780; but whether he was on board of her at all, or for how long, must remain doubtful. He probably went out to Jamaica in the end of 1779 or beginning of 1780. On 13 April he was entered on board the Lowestoft with his first cousin, Christopher Parker, son of the admiral, and in November followed him to the Diamond. On 13 March 1782 he was promoted to be lieutenant of the Nestor, with Captain James Macnamara, and went home in her in the summer of 1783. In 1787 he was appointed to the Wasp on the home station, and in October 1788 was moved into the Phœnix, going out to the East Indies under the command of Captain George Anson Byron. He continued in her with Sir Richard John Strachan [q. v.], and after the action with the Résolue on 19 Nov. 1791 was sent home with the commodore's despatches [see Cornwallis, Sir William]. In October 1792 he joined the Crescent frigate, with Captain James Saumarez, afterwards Lord de Saumarez [q. v.], and was first lieutenant of her when she captured the French frigate Réunion on 20 Oct. 1793. On 4 Nov. Parker was promoted to command the Albacore sloop in the North Sea, and on 7 April 1795 he was posted to the Squirrel, also in the North Sea. From December 1796 to February 1802 he commanded the Santa Margarita in the Channel, West Indies, and Mediterranean. In 1804 he was captain of the Argo in the North Sea, and from April 1805 to May 1808 of the Stately, also in the North Sea, where, in company with the Nassau, on 22 March 1808 he captured the Danish 74-gun ship Prince Christian Frederick, which surrendered only after a most obstinate defence and a loss of 143 killed and wounded, the killed and wounded in the English ships amounting to fifty (James, iv. 319). A few minutes after the Danish ship struck her colours she ran aground, and, as she could not be got off, was set on fire and blown up. In May 1808 Parker was moved into the Aboukir, which he commanded in the North Sea, in the expedition to the Scheldt in 1810, and afterwards in the Mediterranean, till September 1813, when he was transferred to the Bombay, and in her returned to England in May 1814.
On 4 June 1814 Parker attained the rank of rear-admiral. He never hoisted his flag, but became in due course vice-admiral on 27 May 1825, and admiral 10 Jan. 1837; he was nominated a K.C.B. on 6 June 1837, and died of an attack of influenza on 24 Dec. 1847. Parker married a daughter of Mr. Peter Butt, but left no issue.
J. K. L.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Parker, George (d.1857)

​PARKER, Sir GEORGE (d. 1857), major in the East India Company's service, cantonment magistrate at Cawnpore, was second son of Vice-admiral Sir William George Parker, second baronet of Harburn, Warwickshire, who died in 1848, by his wife Elizabeth, daughter of James Charles Still of East Knoyle, Wiltshire. Vice-admiral Sir William Parker, first baronet (1743–1802) [q. v.], was his grandfather. He was educated at Addiscombe, and proceeded to India as an infantry cadet in 1833, but was not posted until 30 Jan. 1837. He was then appointed lieutenant in the late 74th Bengal native infantry, in which he became captain on 3 Oct. 1845. After serving as second in command of the Bundelkund military police battalion, of the Joudpore legion, he was appointed superintendent of Akbárí and joint magistrate at Meerut on 10 June 1847. In June 1852 he went home sick, and succeeded to the baronetcy on the death of his elder brother, Sir William James Parker, the third baronet, in the same year. Returning to India in December 1854, he, on 5 May 1856, was reappointed superintendent of Akbara and made magistrate at Cawnpore. During the siege, Parker, Wiggins, the judge advocate-general, and Brigadier Alexander Jack [q. v.] were the only residents who courageously remained in their houses (Malleson, Hist. Indian Mutiny, 6th edit. ii. 228). He died of sunstroke during the sortie of 6 July 1857, ten days before the massacre. He had obtained a majority a few days earlier.
Parker married, first, Miss Marshall, by whom he had a son, George Law Marshall (1838–1866) (who succeeded to the baronetcy), and two daughters. He married, secondly, in 1847, the youngest daughter of Lieutenant-colonel Elderton; she also died, leaving daughters only.
H. M. C.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Parker, Henry Watson

​PARKER, Sir HENRY WATSON (1808–1881), premier of New South Wales, fourth son of Thomas Watson Parker of Lewisham, Kent, and Mary, daughter of John Cannell of Sevenoaks and Carrendon, Hadlow, in the same county, was born at Lewisham in 1808. It is believed that he was educated as a solicitor. He went out to New South Wales as private secretary to Governor Sir George Gipps in 1838, and when the governor left in July 1846 he decided to make his home in the colony. On 8 Dec. 1848 he was nominated to the legislative council, and on 17 May 1849 became chairman of committees. In 1856, when the constitution was reformed, he was elected to the legislative assembly for Paramatta. The new régime opened with a good deal of political unsettlement. Three ministries were formed between June and October. Parker was a candidate for the post of speaker, but was defeated by one vote, and in October he was called on to form the third administration under responsible government, becoming premier on 3 Oct. 1856. His advent to power was received with satisfaction, and he retained office till September 1857, when he was beaten on a question of electoral reform. His administration marked the beginning of politics proper and of progressive legislation in Australia (Parkes).
Parker was knighted in 1858, and soon afterwards returned to England, where he settled at Stawell House, Richmond, Surrey. In December 1868 he contested Greenwich unsuccessfully against Mr. Gladstone. He was a man of culture and refinement, quiet and unobtrusive, and political life was not much suited to his tastes. Though he took little further interest in the affairs of the colony, he was made K.C.M.G. in 1877. He was a commissioner for the exhibitions held at Sydney in 1880 and Melbourne in 1881. He died at Richmond on 2 Feb. 1881. Parkes names him as one of the best men who have taken part in the government of New South Wales.
Parker married, in 1843, Emmeline Emily, third daughter of John Macarthur of Camden Park, New South Wales, who survived him. He left no issue.
C. A. H.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Fraser, Robert (1798-1839)

​FRASER, ROBERT (1798–1839), Scottish poet, was born at Pathhead, Fifeshire, on 4 June 1798. In early life he served as an apprentice, first to a wine merchant and then to an ironmonger. In 1819 he entered into a partnership as an ironmonger in Kirkcaldy, and in 1833 began business on his own account. In 1836 he lost his fortune, through having become financial surety to a friend. He was almost entirely self-educated, and during intervals of leisure he acquired a knowledge of several foreign languages. He contributed original pieces and verse translations from German, Spanish, and other languages to the ‘Edinburgh Literary Gazette,’ the ‘Edinburgh Literary Journal,’ and various newspapers. His poetical work, which is wholly unpretentious, is distinguished by true feeling of its kind and nicety of touch. A selection was issued by David Vedder soon after his death. In 1838 he became editor of the ‘Fife Herald.’ He died on 22 May 1839. He married, in 1820, a Miss Ann Cumming, by whom he had eight children.
[Poetical Remains of the late Robert Fraser, with Memoir by David Vedder; Irving's Eminent Scotsmen; Conolly's Eminent Men of Fife.]
W. B-e.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Fraser, Louis

​FRASER, LOUIS (fl. 1866), naturalist, was for some time curator to the Zoological Society of London, a post which he vacated to become naturalist to the Niger expedition of 1841–2. Returning home he entered the service of Lord Derby as temporary conservator of the menagerie at Knowsley. Here his time was fully occupied in making a scientific catalogue of the magnificent zoological collections. In November 1850 he received through Lord Derby the appointment of consul at Whydah, on the west coast of Africa (Proceedings of Zoological Society, pt. xviii. p. 245), from which he was recalled by Lord Palmerston. He then went to South America, where he collected many rare birds and other animals. He returned to England and became dealer in birds, opening shops successively at Knightsbridge and in Regent Street; but the speculation proved unsuccessful. He therefore left England, and obtained employment at Woodward's Gardens at San Francisco, which he is said to have quitted for some occupation in Vancouver's Island. He was certainly living in London in June 1866 (ib. pt. xxxiv. p. 367). His son, Oscar L. Fraser, F.L.S., is now (1888) second assistant to the superintendent of the zoological and general sections, Indian Museum, Calcutta. In addition to numerous papers in the publications of the Zoological Society, of which he was elected a corresponding member in 1857, Fraser was the author of ‘Zoologia Typica; or Figures of New and Rare Mammals and Birds, described in the Proceedings, or exhibited in the Collections of the Zoological Society of London,’ fol., London, 1849. The volume contains figures of twenty-eight mammals and forty-six birds, all of which were then of particular interest as representations of specimens originally described by the respective authors as the types of new genera or additional species of genera previously characterised; besides which the plates are enriched with drawings of many rare and beautiful plants. It was Fraser's intention that the work should appear at regular intervals, and be continued until it comprised figures of every new mammal and bird described in the Zoological Society's ‘Proceedings,’ of which figures had not appeared in any other publication, but circumstances compelled him to bring it to a premature close.
[Information from Mr. A. D. Bartlett; Preface to ‘Zoologia Typica;’ Thacker's Indian Directory (1888), p. 210.]
G. G.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Fraser, John (d.1605)

​FRASER, JOHN (d. 1605), Scotch Recollect friar, was the fourth son of Alexander Fraser, and grandson of Sir William Fraser of Philorth, Aberdeenshire. He was educated for the church, took the degree of bachelor of divinity, and became abbot of Noyon or Compiègne in France. He died at Paris on 24 April 1605, and was buried in the Franciscan convent. He was the author of: 1. ‘Offer maid to a Gentilman of Qualitie by John Fraser to subscribe and embrace the Ministers of Scotlands religion, if they can sufficientlie prove that they have the true kirk and laufull calling,’ Paris, 1604, 8vo; another edition, ‘newlie corrected,’ printed abroad, s.l., 1605, 8vo. 2. ‘A lerned epistle of M. Iohn Fraser: Bachler of Divinitie to the ministers of Great Britanie. Wherein he sheweth that no man ought to subscribe to their confession of faith. And that their presumed authorite to excommunicate anie man, especially Catholiques, is vaine and foolish’ [Paris?], 1605, 8vo. 3. ‘In universam Aristotelis Philosophiam Commentarii.’
T. C.
# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Fraser, John (1760-1843)

​FRASER, Sir JOHN (1760–1843), general, colonel late royal York rangers, second son of William Fraser of Park, near Fraserburgh, factor to George Fraser, fourteenth lord Saltoun, by his wife, Katherine, daughter of John Gordon of Kinellar, was born in 1760. On 29 Sept. 1778 he was appointed to a lieutenancy in the 73rd highlanders, afterwards 71st highland light infantry, with a second battalion, afterwards disbanded, of which regiment he was on board Rodney's fleet in the actions with the Spanish Caraccas fleet under Don Juan de Langara and at the relief of Gibraltar. He served at the defence of Gibraltar in 1780–2, until the loss of his right leg, his second wound during the defence, compelled him to return home. He was captain of a garrison invalid company at Hull in 1785–1793, and at the outbreak of the French war raised men for an independent company. He became major 28 Aug. 1794, and lieutenant-colonel royal garrison battalion 1 Sept. 1795. He served at Gibraltar in 1796–8, part of the time as acting judge advocate and civil judge. On 1 Jan. 1800 he was appointed colonel of the royal African corps, composed of military offenders from various regiments pardoned on condition of life-service in Africa and the West Indies (see Notes and Queries, 3rd ser. viii. 134). With this corps he served on the west coast of Africa in 1801–1804, and made a very gallant but unsuccessful defence of Goree against a superior French force from Cayenne. The place was compelled to surrender on 18 Jan. 1804, but not before the enemy's loss exceeded the total strength of the defenders at the outset (Ann. Reg. 1804, p. 135, and app. to Chron. pp. 526–8). After his exchange he was appointed to command an expedition against Senegal, which never started. In 1808 he became a major-general, served in Guernsey in 1808–9, and in the latter year was appointed to the staff at Gibraltar. He commanded that garrison until the arrival of General Campbell. He was then sent to negotiate for the admission of British troops into the Spanish fortress of Ceuta on the Barbary coast, and afterwards commanded the British garrison there until his return to England on promotion to the rank of lieutenant-general in 1813. In 1809, in recognition of its distinguished conduct in the West Indies, the royal African corps was reorganised as the royal York rangers, another royal African corps being formed in its place. Fraser retained the colonelcy of the royal York rangers until the regiment was disbanded after the peace. He was made lieutenant-governor of Chester Castle in 1828, and G.C.H. in 1832, and was a member of the consolidated board of general officers. He became general in 1838.
Fraser, who is described by his kinsman, Lord Saltoun, as a brave, chivalrous, upright old soldier, married, first, 15 April 1790, Evorilda, daughter of James Hamer of Hamer Hall, Lancashire, and by her had one son and two daughters, one of whom, Evorilda, married General Francis Rawdon Chesney [q. v.] Fraser married secondly, about three years before his death, Miss A'Court. He died at Campden Hill, Kensington, 14 Nov. 1843.
H. M. C.