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

ADIE, ALEXANDER JAMES. _b._ Edinburgh 1775; an optician there; much employed by all kinds of inventors to give their schemes a practical form; erected on his house in Merchant court an observatory, long before any public observatory existed in Edin.; invented the sympiesometer 1818 which contributed much to the safety of shipping; F.R.S. Edin. _d._ Canaan near Edinburgh 4 Dec. 1858. ADIE, ALEXANDER JAMES (_son of the preceding_). _b._ Edinburgh 1808; ed. at the high school and univ.; apprenticed to James Jardine, C.E.; resident engineer of Bolton Chorley and Preston railway 1836; engineer and manager of Edinburgh and Glasgow railway to about 1863; made a series of important experiments on the expansion of stone by heat; M.R.S. Edin. 1846. _d._ Rockville near Linlithgow 1879. ADOLPHUS, JOHN LEYCESTER (_only son of John Adolphus 1768–1845, barrister, F.S.A., by Martha Elizabeth only dau. of Rev. Ralph Leycester of White place, Berks_). _b._ 11 May 1795; ed. at Merchant Taylor’s school 1802–11, head monitor, elected to fellowship at St. John’s coll. Ox. 1811; Newdigate English verse prizeman 1814; B.A. 1815, M.A. 1819; visited Sir Walter Scott at Abbotsford; barrister Inner Temple 21 June 1822; went northern circuit; Bencher of his inn 1851; reported in Court of King’s Bench, first with Richard Vaughan Barnewall 1831–35, then with Thomas Flower Ellis 1835–52; solicitor general of county palatine of Durham; judge of county courts circuit 44 Marylebone, Oct. 1852 to death; sat for the first time 14 Oct. 1852; author of _Letters to Richard Heber, Esq., containing critical remarks on the series of novels, beginning with “Waverley,” and an attempt to ascertain their author_; author with Richard Vaughan Barnewall, of _Reports in court of King’s Bench 1830–34, 5 vols._ 1831–35; with Thomas Flower Ellis, of _Reports in court of King’s Bench and Queen’s Bench 1834–41, 12 vols._ 1835–42 and _Queen’s Bench reports, new series 1841–52, 18 vols._, 1842–56; _Letters from Spain_ 1858, _and of many metrical jeux d’esprit_. (_m._ 10 Sep. 1822 Clara dau. of Rowland Richardson of Streatham, Surrey). _d._ 12 Hyde park sq. London 24 Dec. 1862. _G.M. xiv_, 246 (1863). ADY, JOSEPH (_son of John Ady of London, recording clerk of the Society of Friends, who d. 17 Nov. 1812 aged 68_). _b._ London 1775 or 1776; a hatter and hosier at 6 Charlotte st. Wapping; hatter at 11 Circus, Minories 1831–33; accountant at same address 1833; was accustomed to examine lists of unclaimed dividends, estates and bequests, and to send letters always unstamped to all persons he could find who were called by any of the names mentioned in the lists, stating to each person that on his remitting a fee of 20/- he would be informed of something to his advantage. The Lord Mayor, Sir Peter Laurie, in 1833, publicly advertised people to be cautious of him, and the Court of Aldermen the same year directed measures to be taken against him. His lucrative trade was at last stifled by a new section in the Post Office Act, which made the writers of letters that were refused, liable for the postage; he then resorted to a new device, this was to post his letters really unstamped, but bearing marks on them as of stamps removed, so as to furnish ground for his asseveration that stamps had really been put on them. In the year 1835 he was indicted by the Rev. Francis Tebbutt for a misdemeanour, under statute 7 & 8, George iv, cap. 29 sec. 53, for obtaining a sovereign by various false pretences, he was tried at the Central criminal court 7 Feb. 1835, found guilty and sentenced to 7 years transportation, which was commuted to 1 year’s imprisonment in the House of Correction. He was sent to prison again in the year 1851 for a similar offence, but was released early in 1852 by order of the Home Secretary in consequence of his declining health. _d._ 89 Fenchurch st. London 17 July 1852 aged 77. _bur._ Friend’s burial ground, Whitechapel 22 July. _Central criminal court minutes of evidence, by Henry Buckler, i_, 646–52 (1835); _De Quincey’s Works, vi_, 258, 327 (1862). The epistle of which the following is an exact copy, was received by the Duke of Wellington 5 Dec. 1833, and sent by him to the Lord Mayor the next day: MY LORD, The undersigned is able to inform you of something considerably to your advantage on receipt of 20 shillings, by post office order or otherwise for his trouble. Yours respectfully, JOSEPH ADY, Accountant, 11 Circus, Minories, London. Nov. 29th, 1833. No letters received unless postpaid. To His Grace The Duke of Wellington, Strathfieldsaye, Hants. The annexed is copied from a letter of his, which was received by a gentleman in the country. “The undersigned is able to inform you of something considerably to your advantage (value £100 and upwards), on receipt of 20/- by order on Whitechapel post office as an equivalent for his trouble and costs generally. Respectfully JOSEPH ADY, Accountant, No. 5 York St Charlotte St. ¼ mile East of Whitechapel Chh. London. Personally known to each of the Aldermen of London, having been a Freeman and Housekeeper 50 years. April 5th, 1847. Should you find any difficulty in getting the money, the Rt. Hon. Sir Peter Laurie, Deputy Lord Mayor, will frank you from all Expenses except Postage, which you must pay both ways. In your reply be pleased to copy the Marks of Reference, F. 1847, Page 6.” ADY, VENERABLE WILLIAM BRICE (_son of Wm. Ady, comr. of the Gun Wharf, Devonport_). _b._ 1816; ed. at Eton; entered Ex. coll. Ox. 29 Oct. 1834, B.A. 1838, M.A. 1841; V. of Little Baddow, Essex 1842–57 and Rector 1857 to death; archdeacon of Colchester Dec. 1864 to death. (_m._ 10 April 1844 Emilia 3 and youngest dau. of Rev. Brook Henry Bridges, R. of Danbury, Essex). _d._ Little Baddow 21 April 1882. _bur._ Little Baddow churchyard 27 April. _Statute 29 & 30 Vict. cap. 111, sections 15 and 16._ AFFLECK, SIR GILBERT, 5 Baronet. _b._ 9 June 1804; succeeded 7 May