Modern English Biography (volume 1 of 4) A-H. Frederic Boase
a biography 1860; said to have written more religious works than any other author of the century. d. Philadelphia 10 July 1859.
BELCHER, Thomas. b. St. James’s churchyard Bristol 14 April 1783; went to London 1803; fought and beat Jack Ware in Tothill Fields, Westminster 26 June 1804; beaten by Wm. Ryan at Willesden Green 30 Nov. 1804, but beat him near Chertsey 4 June 1805; beat Jack O’Donnell at Shepperton 27 April 1805; fought Dutch Sam (Elias Samuels) for 100 guineas at Moulsey Hurst 8 Feb. 1806, when beaten; fought him again 20 July 1807, when fight was declared drawn; beaten by him 21 Aug. 1807; beat Dogherty 14 April 1808, Cropley 25 Oct. 1808, Farnborough 1 Feb. 1809, Silverthorne 6 June 1811; fought Dogherty again for 100 guineas on the Curragh of Kildare 23 April 1813, when he won again; landlord of the Castle Tavern Holborn 1814–28; one of the 18 pugilists selected by Jackson to act with him as pages at coronation of George IV. in Westminster Abbey 19 July 1821, one gold coronation medal was given to the boxers which they raffled for, when Belcher won it and held the trophy until his death. d. Peckham, d. of apoplexy at 19 Trafalgar sq. Peckham, Surrey 9 Dec. 1854. Pugilistica by H. D. Miles i, 153–66 (1880), portrait; The Fancy by An Operator i, 297–300 (1826), portrait; Every night book (1827) 37–44; Boxiana by P. Egan ii, 28–45 (1818).
BELDAM, Joseph (3 son of Wm. Beldam of Royston, Herts who d. 20 June 1827 aged 64). b. 26 Dec. 1795; ed. at St Peter’s coll. Cam.; barrister M.T. 12 May 1825; standing counsel for Anti slavery party; F.S.A. 1 May 1856; author of Il pastore incantato, a drama; Pompeii and other poems by a student of the Middle Temple 1823; A summary of the laws peculiarly affecting Protestant dissenters 1827; Recollections of scenes and institutions in Italy and the East 2 vols. 1851. d. Royston 6 June 1866.
BELDHAM, William. b. Wrecclesham near Farnham, Surrey 5 Feb. 1766; professional cricketer; the “crack” batsman of England many years, excelled also in bowling, fielding, wicket keeping and single wicket playing; played in the Gentlemen versus Players match 1787 to 1821; the last surviving member of the once far famed Hambledon cricket club; had 39 children, 28 by his first wife, all of whom died young leaving no issue. d. Tilford near Farnham 20 Feb. 1862. Nyren’s Cricketer’s Tutor (1833) 93–96.
BELFORD, William Rowles. b. Easton near Bristol Dec. 1824; made his début in London at Sadler’s Wells theatre 22 Dec. 1851 as Sir Charles Cropland in The poor Gentleman; played prominent parts in 32 Shakespearian revivals at same house 1852–63; acted with S. Phelps in Germany 1859; played at Strand theatre about 1863–69; created leading role in W.S. Gilbert’s comedy Randall’s Thumb at Court theatre 25 Jany. 1871; played Henry the 8th in the provinces 1876; last appeared on the stage at Imperial theatre London April 1879 in comic drama of A rough diamond; acted at nearly every west-end theatre in London; sum of £1,100 was raised for him Dec. 1879. d. 43 Grand parade, Brighton 3 June 1881. Pascoe’s Dramatic list (1880) 42.
BELFOUR, Edmund. Secretary of Royal college of surgeons 1814 to death, d. 37 Lincoln’s Inn Fields 30 Jany. 1865 in 76 year.
BELHAVEN and STENTON, Robert Montgomery Hamilton, 8 Baron (eld. child of Wm. Hamilton, 7 Baron Belhaven and Stenton 1765–1814.) b. Wishaw house, Lanarkshire 1793; succeeded 29 Oct. 1814; created Baron Hamilton of Wishaw in peerage of U.K. 10 Sep. 1831; lord high comr. to general assembly of Church of Scotland 1831–41, 1847–51, 1853–57 and 1860–66; lieut. col. commandant 1 Lanarkshire militia 21 Nov. 1833 to death; lord lieut. of Lanarkshire 10 Aug. 1863 to death. d. Wishaw house 22 Dec. 1868.
BELL, Alexander. b. Cupar Fife 1775; ed. at Univ. of Edin.; pupil of Sir Astley Cooper in London, M.R.C.S.; served in Ireland as surgeon of 1st Regiment of Dundee Volunteers (Loyal Tay Fencibles) during rebellion of 1798 until May 1802 when regiment was disbanded; practised in village of Errol 1802–1807, and at Dundee 1807–50 surgeon to Dundee infirmary 30 years; performed operation of lithotomy many times with great success. d. Dundee 28 March 1852.
BELL, Alexander. Professor of elocution in London; author of Practical elocutionist 1835; The tongue, a poem 1846; The Bride, a play 1847; Stammering and other impediments of speech 1849. d. Harrington sq. London 23 April 1865.
BELL, Alexander Montgomerie (son of John Bell of Paisley, manufacturer). b. Paisley 4 Dec. 1809; ed. at Paisley gr. sch. and Univ. of Glasgow; a writer to the Signet 1835; partner of Messrs. Dundas and Wilson; professor of conveyancing in the Univ. of Edin. 1856 to death; author of Lectures on conveyancing 1867, 3 ed. 2 vols. 1882. d. East Morningside house, Edinburgh 19 Jany. 1866.
BELL, Archibald. b. 1775; member of faculty of advocates 1798; sheriff depute of Ayrshire 18 Feb. 1815; author of The Cabinet, a series of essays moral and literary [anon.] 2 vols. 1835; Count Clermont, a tragedy, Caius Toranius, a tragedy with other poems 1841; Melodies of Scotland 1849. d. Edinburgh 6 Oct. 1854.
BELL, Benjamin (son of Joseph Bell of Edinburgh, surgeon 1786–1848). b. Edinburgh 13 April 1810; ed. in Edin. and London; L.R.C.S. Edin. 1832, F.R.C.S. 1835, pres. 1864; M.R.C.S. 1833; founded with Robert Hamilton the Eye infirmary Edin. 1834; vice pres. of Medico-Chirurgical society of Edin. 1856, pres. 1859–61; author of A probationary essay on injuries of the male urethra 1835; The life of Benjamin Bell by his grandson 1868. d. Coates crescent, Edinburgh 13 June 1883. Edinburgh Medical Journal xxix, 91–95 (1884).
BELL, Catherine Douglas. Author of Arnold Lee, or rich children and poor children by cousin Kate 1852; Help in time of need 1856, 2 ed. 1866; Self mastery 1857; Home sunshine 1859, 2 ed. 1866; Hope Campbell, or know thyself 1866 and other books for children. d. Edinburgh 15 Nov. 1861. Last hours with cousin Kate [C. D. Bell] 1862, portrait.
BELL, Charles. b. London 1805; partner in firm of Thomson, Bonar & Co. of London and St. Petersburg, merchants; M.P. for City of London 16 Nov. 1868 to death. d. Terrace house, Richmond, Surrey 9 Feb. 1869. Personalty sworn under £300,000 April 1869.
BELL, Christopher. Entered navy June 1796; captain 7 Feb. 1812, retired R.A. 1 Oct. 1846; C.B. 4 July 1840. d. Aigburth Ash near Liverpool 16 Oct. 1853 aged 70.
BELL, Edward Wells. Lieutenant 7 Foot 16 May 1811; major 19 Dec. 1826 to 29 June 1830 when placed on h.p.; colonel 66 Foot 26 Dec. 1859 to death; general 12 July 1868. d. Kempsey, Worcester 9 Oct. 1870.
BELL, Edward William Derrington. b. 1824; 2 lieut. 23 Foot 15 April 1842; lieut. col. 8 Jany. 1858 to 1 Sep. 1869; served in Russian war 1854–55 and in Sepoy mutiny 1857–58; personally captured and secured the first gun taken at battle of the Alma; M.G. 6 March 1868; commanded Belfast district 28 Feb. 1875 to death; C.B. 13 March 1867; V.C. 26 June 1856. d. Fort William park, Belfast 10 Nov. 1879.
BELL, Sir George (son of George Bell of Belle Vue on Lough Erin Fermanagh). b. Belle Vue 17 March 1794; ed. at Dublin; ensign 34 Foot 11 March 1811; served in the Peninsula 1811–14; lieut. col. 1 Foot 5 Dec. 1843 to 1 May 1855; commanded 1 brigade of third division in Crimean war 1854–55; inspecting field officer at Liverpool 1 May 1855 to 4 April 1859; colonel 104 Foot 23 Oct. 1863, of 32 Foot 2 Feb. 1867 and of 1 Foot 3 Aug. 1868 to death; general 8 March 1875; C.B. 5 July 1855, K.C.B. 13 March 1867. d. 156 Westbourne terrace, London 10 July 1877. Rough notes by an old soldier Sir G. Bell 2 vols. 1867, portrait.
BELL, Henry Glassford (eld. son of James Bell, Town clerk of Greenock). b. Glasgow 8 Nov. 1805; ed. at Glasgow high school and Univ. of Edin.; admitted advocate 20 Nov. 1832; sheriff substitute of Lanarkshire 1 July 1838; sheriff principal 8 June 1867 to death; started Edinburgh Literary Journal 1828, edited it to 14 Jany. 1832 when it was merged in Edinburgh Weekly Chronicle; he is sketched under name of Tallboys in Noctes Ambrosianæ; author of Life of Mary Queen of Scots 2 vols. 1828; Summer and winter hours 1831; Romances and minor poems 1866. d. Glasgow 7 Jany. 1874. Journal of jurisprudence xviii, 92–103 (1874).
BELL, Jacob (son of John Bell of 338 Oxford st. London, chemist who d. 14 Jany. 1849 aged 74). b. 338 Oxford St. 5 March 1810; apprenticed to his father 1827–32; chemist in Oxford