Modern English biography

PETER, WILLIAM (eld. son of Henry Peter, _d._ 1821). _b._ Harlyn, St. Merryn, Cornwall 22 March 1788; educ. Ch. Ch. Oxf., B.A. 1807, M.A. 1809; barrister L.I. 28 May 1813; M.P. Bodmin 11 Dec. 1832 to 29 Dec. 1834; British consul in Pennsylvania and New Jersey 13 March 1841 to death; author or editor of Thoughts on the present crisis in a letter from a constituent to his representative 1815; Speeches of sir Samuel Romilly in the house of commons, 2 vols. 1820; Sacred songs being an attempted paraphrase of some portions of the psalms by W. Peter 1828, new ed. with other poems by a Layman 1834; Poems by Ralph Ferrars (i.e. Wm. Peter) new ed. 1833; William Tell from the German of Schiller, Heidelberg 1839, 2 ed. Lucerne 1867; Mary Stuart from the German of Schiller, Heidelberg 1841; Maid of Orleans, Cambridge 1843; Agamemnon of Æschylus, Philadelphia 1852; Specimens of the poets of Greece and Rome by various translators, Philadelphia 1847. _d._ Philadelphia 6 Feb. 1853. _bur._ St. Peter’s churchyard, where is monument. PETERKIN, ALEXANDER (elder son of Alexander Peterkin of Edinburgh, lawyer and author of many works 1780–1846). _b._ 1814; editor of the Berwick Advertiser; shorthand reporter and sub-editor of the Edinburgh Advertiser; on the staff of The Times, retired about 1853; author of The study of art 1870, a poem. _d._ 1889. PETERMANN, AUGUST HEINRICH. _b._ Bleichrode near Nordhausen, Saxony 18 April 1822; a pupil of Dr. Heinrich Berghaus at the Potsdam cartographic institution 1839; came to Edinburgh 1845 to assist Dr. Keith Johnstone in an English edition of Berghaus’ Atlas of physical geography 1847; came to London 1847; physical geographer royal; returned to Germany 1854; professor of geography Gotha university, and in charge of Perthes’ Geographic institution at Gotha to his death; all the German expeditions to Africa and to the Poles he planned, described and mapped; contributed to the Encyclopædia Britannica, the English Cyclopædia, and the Athenæum; author of The search for Franklin, a suggestion 1852; An account of the expedition to Central Africa by Richardson, Barth, Over and Vogel 1854; and other works published at Gotha and Vratislaviæ; _committed suicide_ at Gotha 25 Sept. 1878. _The Times 28 Sept. 1878 p._ 5; _The Athenæum 5 Oct. 1878 p._ 437. PETERS, MARY (dau. of Richard Bowly). _b._ Cirencester, Gloucs. 17 April 1813; _m._ John McWilliam Peters, rector of Quennington, Gloucs. and afterwards vicar of Langford, Oxfordshire, _d._ 1834; contributed hymns to the Plymouth Brethrens’ Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs 1842; author of Hymns intended to help the communion of saints 1847, selections from this book were printed in various hymnals 1855–72; Universal history, or the world’s history from the creation to the accession of queen Victoria, London, S. Bagster and Sons, 7 vols. 1862, anon., this work is also known as Bagster’s Universal history. _d._ Clifton 29 July 1856. _Julian’s Hymnology_ (1892) 891–2. PETERS, WILLIAM CUMMING. _b._ Woodbury, near Exmouth, Devon 10 March 1805; opened a music store in Louisville, Kentucky 1829; established branch houses in Cincinnati 1839 and in Baltimore 1849; a leader of concerts and choirs; revised and enlarged J. F. Burrowes’ Pianoforte primer 1849; wrote Mass in G for soprano and bass voices 1863, and other music published in Baltimore, New York and Cincinnati 1841–71; compiled The Catholic harmonist 1850; The eclectic piano instructor 1855; and The Catholic harp