Arrowsmith, James Williams (1839–1913), printer and publisher, was born on 6 November 1839, in Copenhagen Street, Worcester, the seventh of nine children of Isaac Arrowsmith (1802–1871) and his wife, Louisa (d. 1877), daughter of Matthias Williams. Isaac was a printer who moved to ...
Article
Arrowsmith, James Williams (1839–1913), printer and publisher
John R. Turner
Article
Aspland, Robert (1782–1845), Unitarian minister and journal editor
R. K. Webb
Aspland, Robert (1782–1845), Unitarian minister and journal editor, was born on 23 January 1782 at Wicken, Cambridgeshire, the only surviving child of Robert Aspland (bap. 1746, d. 1804), the village shopkeeper, and his second wife, Hannah Brook (1751–1816) of nearby ...
Article
Bagster, Samuel, the younger (1800–1835), printer and author
H. R. Tedder
revised by J.-M. Alter
Bagster, Samuel, the younger (1800–1835), printer and author, was born in the Strand, London, on 19 October 1800, the eldest surviving son of Samuel Bagster (1772–1851) and his wife, Eunice, née Birch (1777–1877). His two elder brothers died in infancy. He was educated at a school in ...
Article
Benbow, William (1787–1864), radical and publisher
Malcolm Chase
Benbow, William (1787–1864), radical and publisher, was born at Middlewich, Cheshire, where he was baptized on 21 February 1787, one of thirteen children of William Benbow (bap. 1750, d. 1817), shoemaker, and his wife, Hannah, née Chear (bap. 1752, d. 1828)...
Article
Bicheno, James Ebenezer (1785–1851), author and colonial official
A. G. L. Shaw
Bicheno, James Ebenezer (1785–1851), author and colonial official, was born on 25 January 1785 at Newbury, Berkshire, the only surviving son of James Bicheno (d. 1831), a well-to-do Baptist minister and schoolmaster at Newbury, who wrote politico-theological works, and his wife, Ann Hazell...
Article
Birnie, Alexander [pseud. Cock of the Steeple] (1826–1862), journalist
G. B. Smith
revised by Douglas Brown
Birnie, Alexander [pseud. Cock of the Steeple] (1826–1862), journalist, was born in Moray; nothing is known about his parents. At an early age he went to England, and became a Baptist minister in Preston. During a period of major labour strikes in the town he wrote several letters to local journals, commenting on events. At some point he married and had several children....
Article
Bowyer, Robert (1758–1834), miniature painter and publisher
Deborah Graham-Vernon
Bowyer, Robert (1758–1834), miniature painter and publisher, was born in Portsmouth, the son of Amos Bowyer, a shipwright, and his wife, Betty Ann. He was baptized there on 18 June 1758. He served first as a clerk to a merchant in Portsmouth and then in ...
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Bunyan, John (bap. 1628, d. 1688)
Maker: Thomas Sadler
In
John Bunyan (bap. 1628, d. 1688) by Thomas Sadler, 1684 © National Portrait Gallery, London
Article
Bunyan, John (bap. 1628, d. 1688), author
Richard L. Greaves
Bunyan, John (bap. 1628, d. 1688), author, was baptized on 30 November 1628 at Elstow, Bedfordshire, the eldest of the three children of Thomas Bunyan (bap. 1603, d. 1676), brazier, and his second wife, Margaret (bap. 1603, d. 1644), daughter of ...
Article
Caine, Sir (Thomas Henry) Hall (1853–1931), novelist
Vivien Allen
Caine, Sir (Thomas Henry) Hall (1853–1931), novelist, was born on 14 May 1853 at 130 Bridgewater Street, Runcorn, Cheshire, the eldest of the six children of John Caine (bap. 1821, d. 1904), blacksmith, and Sarah (1829–1912), daughter of Ralph Hall of Liverpool...
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Caine, Sir (Thomas Henry) Hall (1853–1931)
Maker: London Stereoscopic Co.
In
Sir (Thomas Henry) Hall Caine (1853–1931) by London Stereoscopic Co., c. 1915 © National Portrait Gallery, London
Article
Carlile, John Charles (1861–1941), Baptist minister and journalist
Peter Shepherd
Carlile, John Charles (1861–1941), Baptist minister and journalist, was (according to his birth registration) born at 3 George Street, Southwark, London, on 22 March 1861, the son of John Charles Carlisle (or Carlile) (1818–1893), a journeyman hatter, and Elizabeth Carlisle, ...
Article
Clarke, Charles Cowden (1787–1877), writer and public lecturer
Donald Hawes
Clarke, Charles Cowden (1787–1877), writer and public lecturer, was born on 15 December 1787 at Enfield, Middlesex, the son of John Clarke (1757–1820) and his wife, Ann Isabella, née Stott (d. 1853). Isabella Jane Clarke (1790-1867), writer of books for children, was his sister. ...
Article
Cleave, John (1794/5–1850), radical publisher
Malcolm Chase
Cleave, John (1794/5–1850), radical publisher, was born probably in Ireland and certainly of Irish parents. It is known that he served in the navy and visited America; otherwise his early life is obscure. By 1828 he was working as editorial assistant on the ...
Article
Clemo, Reginald John [Jack] (1916–1994), poet and novelist
Michael Spinks
Clemo, Reginald John [Jack] (1916–1994), poet and novelist, was born on 11 March 1916 at Goonamarris, St Stephen, St Austell, Cornwall, the second child of Reginald Clemo (1890–1917), clay quarry worker, and his wife, Eveline, née Polmounter (1894–1977), whose first child died at five weeks old. His parents and grandparents were Cornish land or mine workers....
Article
Cottle, Joseph (1770–1853), bookseller and author
Ralph A. Manogue
Cottle, Joseph (1770–1853), bookseller and author, was born on 9 March 1770 in Barton Alley, Bristol, second of the seven children of Robert (d. 1800) and Sarah Cottle (1739–1813) from Trowbridge; Amos Simon Cottle was his elder brother. Robert, descended from a Cornish gentry family, was a tailor and draper in ...
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Courtier, Peter Lionel (1776–1847), poet
David Hill Radcliffe
Courtier, Peter Lionel (1776–1847), poet, was born on 29 February 1776 in London, the son of Jean Louis Le Couteur (1739–1803), a merchant who had emigrated from Guernsey, and his wife, Sarah Dutton. He was educated by the Revd Morgan Jones at the dissenting academy at ...
Article
Cox, Samuel (1826–1893), religious journalist and author
Ronald Bayne
revised by H. C. G. Matthew
Cox, Samuel (1826–1893), religious journalist and author, was born in Whitechapel, London, on 19 April 1826, the eldest child in the family of seven sons and two daughters of John Cox (b. 1801), a cooper and later a Baptist minister, and his wife, ...
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Davies, Idris (1905–1953), poet and schoolteacher
Meic Stephens
Davies, Idris (1905–1953), poet and schoolteacher, was born on 6 January 1905 at 16 Field Street, Rhymni, Monmouthshire, the elder child of Evan Davies (1881–1947), a colliery winderman, and his wife, Elizabeth Ann, née Williams (1884–1971). In their home they spoke Welsh, as did some two-thirds of the town's population at that time; although most of ...
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Davies, William Henry (1871–1940)
Maker: Sir William Nicholson
William Henry Davies (1871–1940) by Sir William Nicholson, 1927–8 © Elizabeth Banks; collection National Portrait Gallery, London
