Modern English biography

LEATHER, JOHN WIGNALL (eld. son of George Leather, M.I.C.E.). _b._ near Leeds 26 April 1810; entered his father’s office and was with him engaged on the Leeds water supply works 1833–51 and on the Bradford water supply 1838–57; employed on the Fen drainage 1845; engineer of Aire and Calder navigation; made Hartlepool and Stockton railway 1838–41 which included the Greatham viaduct of 92 arches; laid out Birmingham, Dudley and Wolverhampton railway 1835; retired from business 1877; M.I.C.E. 6 March 1849; author of Report to the Leeds town council on an effectual sewerage for Leeds 1845. _d._ De Grey lodge, Leeds 31 Jany. 1887. _Min. of proc. of Instit. of C.E. lxxxix_ 473–9 (1887). LEATHERLAND, JOHN A. (son of a carpenter). _b._ Kettering 11 May 1812; a shoemaker, a loom weaver, a ribbon weaver 1829–37, a velvet weaver, a maker of velvet waistcoats which he sold throughout the county till 1850; local reporter to Northampton Herald 1849 and other newspapers; living in High st. Kettering in 1869; author of Psyche, a prize essay on the immateriality of the mind and the immortality of the soul. Northampton 1853; On courtesy. Essay xiii. in J. Cassell’s Social Science 1861; Essays and poems, with a brief autobiographical memoir 1862, memoir pp. 1–39. _d._ probably before 1877. LEATHES, EDMUND JOHN, stage name of Edmund Donaldson (2 son of John William Donaldson, D.D., Greek scholar 1811–61). _b._ Bury St. Edmunds 23 March 1847; ed. Marlborough 1861–64 where he won the mile race in 4 min. 38 sec.; sheep farming in New Zealand; studied medicine in Edinb.; acted at Old Theatre royal, Dublin, April 1869 and then in Sydney, New Zealand, Honolulu, San Francisco, Nevada, New York and Boston; at Princess’s theatre, London 1 March 1873 as Gratiano in Merchant of Venice; acted James Annesley in C. Reade’s The Wandering Heir, Queen’s theatre 15 Nov. 1873; played Laertes 200 nights Lyceum 30 Oct. 1874 to 29 June 1875 and Matthew Hawker in Human Nature, Drury Lane 12 Sep. 1885; a teacher of the dramatic art and literature; wrote The actor’s wife a novel 3 vols. 1880 and An actor abroad or gossip from the recollections of an actor in Australia, New Zealand, &c. 1883; produced his blank verse play For king and country, at Gaiety 1 May 1883 and another drama The actor’s wife. _d._ Tenterfield, Bina gardens, South Kensington, London 6 June 1891. _Illust. Sport. and Dram. News 4 May 1878 p._ 149, _portrait_. LE BAS, CHARLES WEBB (son of Charles Le Bas, linen draper). _b._ 20 New Bond st. London 26 April 1779; ed. at Hyde abbey school near Winchester; entered Trin. coll. Camb. 1796, scholar, Craven scholar 1799 and member’s prizeman, fellow 1801–14; fourth wrangler, B.A. and chancellor’s medallist 1800; barrister L.I. 1806; ordained deacon 1809; R. of St. Paul’s, Shadwell 1811; preb. of Lincoln cath. 23 May 1812; professor of mathematics and dean in East India college, Haileybury 1813, principal 1837 to 31 Dec. 1843; the Le Bas prize at Cambridge for the best essay on an historical subject was founded in 1848 by his old pupils at cost of £1920; wrote nearly 80 articles for The British Critic 1827–38; author of Considerations on miracles 1828; Sermons on various occasions 3 vols. 1822–34; The life of Thomas Fanshaw Middleton, bishop of Calcutta 2 vols. 1831; Memoir of Henry Vincent Bailey, archdeacon of Stow 1846; Life of Wicliff 1832; Life of Cranmer 1833; Life of Jewel 1835 and Life of Laud 1836, being vols. 1, 4, 5, 11 and 13 of The Theological Library edited by H. J. Rose and W. R. Lyall. _d._ 74 Montpelier road, Brighton 25 Jany. 1861. LE BLANC, HENRY. _b._ 1776; ensign 71 foot 9 July 1792, major 12 June 1806; lieut.-col. 5 veteran battalion 5 Feb. 1807 to 1814 when battalion was reduced and he retired on full pay; major of Chelsea hospital 22 Sep. 1814 to death; colonel in the army 28 Nov. 1854; served at siege of Pondicherry and capture of Cape of Good Hope 1806; lost a leg at capture of Buenos Ayres