Modern English biography, volume 1 (of 4), A-H by Frederic Boase

_Biographical sketch by J. H. Balfour_ 1855; _Medical Circular iii_, 129 (1853), _portrait_. BIRD, JAMES. Ed. at King’s college Aberdeen 1810, M.A. 1814; apprenticed to his maternal uncle Dr. Scott of Elgin 1812–15; studied at Guy’s and St. Thomas’s hospitals; M.R.C.S. Sep. 1816; assistant surgeon H.E.I. Co’s. Bombay service 2 Aug. 1818; residency surgeon at Sattara 1826–32; superintending surgeon of Belgaum division of the army 1840–43 and of Presidency division 1843–44; physician general to Bombay medical board 1844 to 1 Dec. 1847 when he retired. _d._ Fern acre lodge, Gerrards Cross, Bucks. 10 July 1864 aged 67. BIRD, JAMES. Solicitor in London; coroner for West Middlesex 9 July 1862 to death. _d._ Phœnix lodge, Brook Green, Hammersmith 7 Jany. 1868. BIRD, JAMES. _b._ Cardiff Feb. 1802; ed. at St. Bartholomew’s hospital; L.S.A. 1821, M.R.C.S. 1825; surgeon at Cardiff 1825–32; surgeon in London 1832 to 1856; joint sec. with Henry Ancell to the British medical association; author of _Private devotions for girls_ 1874. _d._ 80 Seymour st. Portman sq. London 4 June 1874. _Medical Circular i_, 263 (1852). BIRD, REV. JOHN. _b._ Betchworth, Surrey 14 Sep. 1783; ed. at Stonyhurst college; ordained priest 10 Dec. 1808; professed of the 4 vows 2 Feb. 1819; rector of St. Aloysius’ college 26 June 1832 to 18 May 1839 and 15 Sep. 1841; missioner at Pontefract 1842–48; superior of St. George’s Residence, Worcester Nov. 1850 to death. _d._ 8 June 1853. BIRD, LOUIS SAUNDERS. Ensign Bengal Infantry 26 Nov. 1808; col. 23 Bengal N.I. 17 April 1856–1869; L.G. 22 Feb. 1870. _d._ Clevedon, Somerset 17 April 1874 aged 81. BIRD, ROBERT MERTTINS. _b._ 1788; Bengal civil servant; assistant to registrar of Court of Sadr Diwàni Adàlat at Calcutta 9 Nov. 1808; comr. of revenue and circuit for the Gorakhpur division 1829; member of board of revenue at Allahabad 1832; revised settlement of land revenue of North western provinces 1833–41, the most complete settlement that had yet been made in India; retired to England 1842; active member of committee of the Church Missionary Society. _d._ Torquay 22 Aug. 1853. _Dict. of nat. biog. v_, 78 (1886). BIRD, ROBERT NICHOLAS. Ensign 20 Foot 30 Aug. 1859; lieut. 2 Dec. 1862 to death; murdered by Japanese at Kamahura about 17 miles from Yokohama 21 Nov. 1864. _R. Lindau’s Erzählungen und Novellen i_, 15–54 (1871); _F. O. Adams’s History of Japan i_, 485–98 (1874), _ii_, 1–5 (1875). BIRD, WILLIAM WILBERFORCE (_eld. son of Wm. Wilberforce Bird of the Spring, Kenilworth, M.P. for Coventry_). _b._ 1784; ed. at Warwick and Geneva; writer in H.E.I. Co.’s civil service at Calcutta 11 July 1803; third ordinary member of council of India 21 March 1838; senior member of board of customs salt and opium and of the marine board 17 Sep. 1838; deputy governor of Bengal 4 times; pres. of the council 1840–44; governor general of India 15 June 1844 to 23 July 1844; very instrumental in abolition of suttee and suppression of slavery; retired to England 1844. _d._ 22 Sussex sq. Hyde Park, London 1 June 1857. BIRDWOOD, CHRISTOPHER. _b._ 1806; ensign 3 Bombay N.I. 3 May 1825; commissariat officer of Malwa field force 1839–41; colonel Bombay staff corps 9 Nov. 1868; general 1 Oct. 1877. _d._ Pucklechurch near Bristol 4 July 1882 in 76 year. _Graphic xxvi_, 221 (1882), _portrait_. BIRKETT, REV. GEORGE WILLIAM. Educ. at St. John’s coll. Cam., scholar, B.A. 1823, M.A. 1827; V. of St. Florence near Tenby 1829 to death; author of _The trial of creation and other poems_ 1848. _d._ Tenby 26 Nov. 1877 aged 78. BIRKIN, RICHARD (_eld. son of Richard Birkin of Belper, calico weaver_). _b._ Belper 6 July 1805; lace manufacturer at New Basford, Nottingham with Mr. Biddle 1826–47; juror on behalf of Nottingham for lace goods in International Exhibitions 1851 and 1862; mayor of Nottingham 1850, 55, 62 and 63; used mohair as a material for lace being the first to do so either in England or France. _d._ Aspley hall, Radford, Nottingham 10 Oct. 1870. _J. B. Robinson’s Derbyshire gatherings_ (1866) 70–72, _portrait_; _W. Felkin’s History of hosiery_ (1867) 368–71. BIRKINSHAW, JOHN CASS. _b._ Bedlington iron works Durham 1811; the first articled pupil of Robert Stephenson at Newcastle; engineer of London end of London and Birmingham railway 1835; engineer of Birmingham and Derby railway 1837–42; engineer of many railways projected but not made; engineer of Danish land company 1865; M.I.C.E. 2 March 1847; took out a patent 1820 for wrought or malleable iron rails instead of cast iron as used up to that time. _d._ March 1867 in 56 year. _Min. of proc. of Instit. of C.E. xxxi_, 202–207 (1871). BIRKS, REV. THOMAS RAWSON (_younger son of Mr. Birks of Staveley, Derbyshire, farmer_). _b._ Staveley 28 Sep. 1810; ed. at Chesterfield, Mill Hill and Trin. coll. Cam., scholar, fellow 1834–44, 2 wrangler and 2 Smith’s prizemen Jany. 1834; R. of Kelshall, Herts 1844 to 1864; hon. sec. to Evangelical Alliance 1850–71; P.C. of Holy Trinity Cam. 1865–77; hon. canon of Ely cathedral 1871 to death; professor of moral theology, casuistical divinity and moral philosophy at Cambridge 30 April 1872 to death; published an edition of Paley’s _Horæ Paulinæ_ with notes and a supplementary treatise entitled _Horæ Apostolicæ_ 1850; author of _Horæ Evangelicæ_ 1852; _The Bible and modern thought_ 1861; _Commentary on the book of Isaiah_ 1871, _2 ed._ 1878; _First principles of moral science_ 1873; _Modern Utilitarianism_ 1874; _Supernatural revelation_ 1879 and many other books. _d._ 6 Salisbury villas, Cambridge 19 July 1883. _Record 27 July 1883 p._ 741. BIRLEY, HUGH. _b._ Blackburn 21 Oct. 1817; ed. at Winchester; a partner in firm of Macintosh and Co. india-rubber manufacturers; chairman of National educational union; M. P. for Manchester 1868 to death. _d._ Moorland, Withington, Manchester 9 Sep. 1883. BIRMINGHAM, JOHN. _b._ 1816; lived at Millbrook near Tuam; discovered a remarkable new star in Corona Borealis 12 May 1866; author of _Catalogue of red stars_ in _Transactions of Royal Irish Academy xxvi_, 249 (1879); Cunningham medallist of the Academy 1884; discovered 22 May 1881 a deep red star in Cygnus which proved strikingly variable and became known by his name; author of a small poetical work entitled _Anglicania or England’s mission to the Celt_ 1863. _d._ Millbrook 7 Sep. 1884. BIRMINGHAM, VERY REV. PATRICK. Dean of the lay college and professor of humanity Carlow college 1851 to July 1854 when he went to Australia; vice pres. and professor of theology at Carlow college Sep. 1864 to July 1871 when he went again to Australia. _d._ Fitzroy sq. London 9 Sep. 1883. BIRNIE, ALEXANDER. _b._ Morayshire 1826; a baptist minister at Preston; walked to Falkirk 1860; a painter at the Carron works Falkirk; wrote articles in _Falkirk Advertiser_ under signature of Cock of the Steeple; started the _Falkirk Liberal_ a penny weekly paper 1861 which soon collapsed; having been without food or drink for a fortnight, he entered the workhouse Morpeth where he _d._ March 1862. BIRRELL, DAVID. _b._ 15 Sep. 1800; entered Bengal army 1817; commanded a brigade at battle of Sobraon 10 Feb. 1846; lieut. col. 51 N.I. 1851, of 52 N.I. 1852 and of 72 N.I. 1857 to 1858; M.G. 25 April 1858; general 23 July 1876. _d._ 28 Oct. 1878. BIRT, WILLIAM RADCLIFF. _b._ 15 July 1804; employed by Sir John Herschel in the reduction and arrangement of his barometric observations; investigated subject of atmospheric waves for the British Association; reduced and discussed electrical observations made at Kew 1848; F.R.A.S. 14 Jany. 1859; the first pres. of the Selenographical society 1877 or 1878 to death; author of _Hurricane and Sailor’s guide_ 1850; _Handbook of the law of storms_ 1854, _new ed._ 1878. _d._ Leytonstone, Essex 14 Dec.