Modern English biography
1858. _d._ Benhall vicarage 27 April 1859. _bur._ Stratford St.
3110 words | Chapter 418
Andrew. _Mrs. Houstoun’s Letters and reminiscences of the rev.
John Mitford_ (1891); _Mrs. Houstoun’s Woman’s memories_, _i_
122–5, 178–204.
NOTE.--His collection of silver Greek coins, cameos and miniatures
was sold by Sotheby and Wilkinson 30 June 1859; his engravings and
drawings 23–25 July 1859; his Greek and Latin classics 17–24 Dec. 1859
for £1030; his library of English history, plays and poetry was sold 24
April to 6 May 1860 for £2999; and his manuscripts, including 55 vols.
of his own recollections on 9 July 1860 producing £817.
MITFORD, MARY RUSSELL (only child of George Mitford or Midford.
_d._ 11 Dec. 1842). _b._ Alresford, Hampshire 16 Dec. 1787;
drew a prize in a lottery worth £20,000, 1797; ed. at Mrs. St.
Quintin’s school 22 Hans place, London 1798 to 1802; one of
114 persons who competed for the poetical address to be spoken
at opening of Drury Lane theatre 10 Oct. 1812; lived at Three
Mile Cross near Reading 1820 to 1851, and at Swallowfield near
Reading 1851 to death; granted civil list pension of £100,
1837; edited Finden’s Tableaux, an annual 1838–41; author of
4 tragedies, Julian produced at Covent Garden 15 March 1823;
Foscari at C.G. 4 Nov. 1826; Rienzi at Drury Lane 9 Oct. 1828;
Charles I. at Victoria theatre 9 July 1834; she also wrote Mary
Queen of Scots, a scena in verse 1831, and an opera libretto
Sadak and Kalasrade produced 1835, her plays were published in
2 vols. 1854; author of Miscellaneous poems 1810, 2 ed. 1811;
Blanch of Castile 1812; Our village, sketches of rural character
and scenery 5 vols. 1824–32, 5 ed. 1856, reprinted from The
Lady’s magazine 1819 &c., which made her famous, children were
named after her village urchins; Dramatic scenes, sonnets and
other poems 1827; Belford Regis or sketches of a country town 3
vols. 1835, 3 ed. 1849; Recollections of a literary life 3 vols.
1852, 4 ed. 1859; Atherton and other tales 3 vols. 1854. _d._
Swallowfield 10 Jany. 1855. _Life of M. R. Mitford_, _edited
by rev. A. G. L’Estrange_ 3 _vols._ (1870); _Friendships of M.
R. Mitford_, _edited by rev. A. G. L’Estrange_ (1882); _M. R.
Mitford’s Recollections of a literary life_ (1859), _portrait_;
_James Payn’s Literary recollections_ (1885) 74–97; _H. F.
Chorley’s The authors of England_ (1861) 63–66, _portrait_;
_Yesterdays with authors. By James T. Fields_ (_Boston_ 1873)
261–352; _A book of memories. By S. C. Hall_ (1877) 438–49; _H.
Martineau’s Biographical sketches_ (1876) 353–59; _S. T. Hall’s
Biographical sketches_ (1873) 96–108; _Maclise portrait gallery_
(1883) 355, 379, _portrait_; _I.L.N. xxiv_ 369, 370 (1854)
_portrait_, _xxvi_ 60 (1855).
MITFORD, _William Townley_ (only son of Charles Mitford,
treasurer of Sussex, _d._ 1831). _b._ 29 June 1817; ed. at Eton
and Oriel coll. Oxf., B.A. 1839; sheriff of Sussex 1848; M.P.
Midhurst, Sussex 1859–74; contested Midhurst 3 Feb. 1874. _d._ 7
Cavendish sq. London 18 April 1889.
MIVART, JAMES EDWARD. _b._ 1781; proprietor of Mivart’s hotel
42–45 Brook st. Grosvenor sq. London 1816–56, now called
Claridge’s hotel. _d._ 10 College crescent, St. John’s wood,
London 5 Jany. 1856.
MOBERLY, GEORGE (7 son of Edward Moberly of St. Petersburg,
Russia, merchant). _b._ St. Petersburg 20 Oct. 1803; ed. at
Winchester 1816–22 and Balliol coll. Oxf., scholar March 1822,
fellow 1826–34, tutor; B.A. 1825, M.A. 1828, D.C.L. 1836; select
preacher 1833, 1858 and 1863; Bampton lecturer 1868; head
master of Winchester Dec. 1835 to Dec. 1866, fellow Dec. 1866
to 1870; R. of Brightstone, Isle of Wight, Dec. 1866 to 1869;
canon of Chester cathedral Oct. 1868 to Sep. 1869; bishop of
Salisbury 14 Aug. 1869, consecrated 28 Oct. 1869; founded a
diocesan synod; with four other persons he revised and annotated
editions of St. John’s Gospel, and the epistles to the Romans,
Corinthians and Galations 1857–61; author of Practical sermons
1838; The sayings of the great forty days 1844, 6 ed. 1882;
Sermons preached at Winchester college 1844, Second series
with a preface on Fagging 1848; The administration of the Holy
spirit in the body of Christ. Bampton lectures 1868; Brightstone
sermons 1869, 4 ed. 1882; his name is annexed to upwards of
35 works. _d._ Salisbury 6 July 1885. _H. C. Adams’s History
of Winchester College_ (1878) 210–12, 239–48; _I.L.N. lv_ 437
(1869), _portrait_; _Saturday Review_, _lx_ 47.
MOBERLY, HENRY. Entered Madras army 1805; lieut. 10 Madras N.I.
15 Oct. 1809; lieut. 25 N.I. 1 Sep. 1818; captain 49 N.I. 1
May 1824, major 9 April 1838 to 18 April 1842; sec. of Madras
military board 1835–43; lieut.-col. 8 N.I. 18 April 1842 to
1843, of 9 N.I. 1843–5, and of 16 N.I. 1845–6; stipendiary
member of military board 17 Nov. 1843 to death; lieut.-col. of
29 N.I. 1846–7, of 8 N.I. 1847–9, and of 22 N.I. 1849 to death.
_d._ Madras 5 July 1852.
MOFFATT, GEORGE (son of William Moffatt of London). _b._ 1810;
wholesale tea dealer in London and Liverpool; chairman of Lhynvi
iron and coal co.; contested Ipswich 3 June 1842 and Dartmouth
27 Dec 1844; M.P. Dartmouth 1845–52; M.P. Ashburton 1852–9;
M.P. Honiton 1860–5; M.P. Southampton 1865–8; author of The
Bankruptcy law of England. _d._ Torquay 20 Feb. 1878; personalty
under £350,000, 27 April 1878. _Sir Henry Cole’s Life_, _i_ 36,
_ii_ 101 (1884).
MOFFAT, ROBERT (son of a custom house officer). _b._ Ormiston,
East Lothian 21 Dec. 1795; apprenticed to a gardener 1809–12;
under-gardener at Mr. Leigh’s, High Leigh, Cheshire Dec. 1813
to Dec. 1815; a missionary under the London missionary soc.
from 1816, arrived at Cape Town 13 Jany. 1817, travelled in
Namaqualand 1817–8; superintendent at Lattakoo 1820–5, at
Kuruman 1825–70; visited England 1839–43; persuaded Livingstone
to undertake the Bakwana mission 1840; was the pioneer of South
African missionary work; left Africa for England 10 June 1870;
D.D. Edinb. April 1872; presented with upwards of £5,000 by his
friends 1873; presented with freedom and livery of the Turners’
company 20 Dec. 1877; entertained at the mansion house, London
7 May 1881; (_m._ at St. George’s church, Cape Town 27 Dec. 1819
Mary only dau. of James Smith of Dukinfield near Manchester
nursery gardener, she was _b._ at New Windsor, now part of
Salford, 1795 and _d._ Brinton, London 9 Jany 1871 after being
for 50 years one of the pioneers of South African mission work);
author of Translation of the gospel of St. Luke into Sechwana
1830, Missionary labours and scenes in Southern Africa 1842
and 9 other books. _d._ Leigh near Tunbridge 10 Aug. 1883.
_bur._ Norwood cemet. 16 Aug., memorial monument at Ormiston.
_J. S. Moffatt’s The lives of Robert and Mary Moffatt_ (1886),
_portraits of Mr. & Mrs. Moffatt_; _A. Manning’s Heroes of the
desert_ (1885), _portrait_; _J. Campbell’s Farewell services of
R. Moffatt_ (1843); _I.L.N. lx_ 452 (1872), _portrait_; _Graphic
xxviii_ 192 (1883), _portrait_.
MOFFITT, ANDREW. _b._ 11 Jany. 1836; assistant surgeon in
army 25 May 1858, surgeon 1 March 1873, surgeon major 1 April
1873; principal medical officer of the Ever Victorious army in
China 1863; author of A manual of instruction for attendants
on sick and wounded in war 1870. _d._ Southampton 3 Feb. 1882.
_Graphic_, _xxix_ 244 (1884), _portrait_.
MOFFITT, JOHN M. _b._ England 1837; apprenticed to a sculptor
in London 1852; went to U.S. of America at end of his
apprenticeship; executed the figures representing the four ages
of man on the eastern entrance to Greenwood cemetery, New York;
designed many of the altars in New York churches. _d._ London 15
Sep. 1887.
MOGFORD, JOHN. _b._ 1822; landscape painter principally of coast
scenes; associate of New Society of Painters in water-colours
1866 and member 1867; lived at 17 Park road, Hampstead 1867 to
death; exhibited 32 landscapes at R.A., 28 at B.I. and 20 at
Suffolk st. 1846–79. _d._ 17 Park road, Hampstead, Nov. 1885.
MOGFORD, THOMAS (son of a veterinary surgeon at Northlew,
Devonshire). _b._ Exeter 1 May 1809; printer at Exeter to about
1843 when he moved to London; a landscape painter in Guernsey,
where he founded a school of painting; exhibited 43 pictures at
R.A., 11 at B.A. and 23 at Suffolk st. 1838–61; his portraits
include E. H. Baily, R.A., Samuel Cousins the engraver, and J.
C. Adams the astronomer. _d._ Guernsey 1868. _G. Pycroft’s Art
in Devonshire_ (1883) 90–6.
MOGRIDGE, GEORGE (son of Mathias Mogridge of Ashted, Birmingham,
canal agent). _b._ Ashted 17 Feb. 1787; an apprentice to a
japanner 1801; partner with his elder brother Mathias Mogridge
in the Japan trade at Birmingham 1811, his brother retired from
the business with a fortune, and he became a bankrupt 1826;
commenced a literary life 1826; author of Twelve moral tales by
Uncle Newbury 1828; The moral budget of my Aunt Newbury 1835;
Ephraim Holding’s Homely hints to Sunday school teachers 1843;
Cheerful chapters adapted to youth, by Old Alan Gray 1854; The
Chinese, by Uncle Adam 1845; under the names of Old Humphrey
1839 etc., and Peter Parley 1836 etc., he also wrote very
numerous books; wrote under his own name The churchyard lyrist,
five hundred original inscriptions 1832; Footprints of popery,
or places where martyrs have suffered 1843; Amos Armfield or
leather covered bibles 1845; Learning to act 1846; Wanderings
in the Isle of Wight 1846; Things that have wings 1851; Sunny
seasons of boyhood 1859; Who is my neighbour 1868, and 50
other books many of them anonymous; for the Religious Tract
soc. he wrote 106 books and tracts; resided at 114 Cornwall
road, London. _d._ 4 High Wickham, Hastings 2 Nov. 1854. _C.
Williams’s George Mogridge, his life, character and writings_
(1856), _portrait_; _Memoir of Old Humphrey_ (1855), _portrait_.
MOHL, MARY ELIZABETH (dau. of Charles Clarke). _b._ Millbank
row, Westminster 1793; placed in a convent school at Toulouse
1801; lived in Paris with her mother; great friend of Madame
Récamier for 18 years; _m._ 1847 Julius Mohl the orientalist
1800–76; her receptions in the Rue du Bac, Paris were very
popular for nearly 40 years, her friends included Quinet,
De Tocqueville, Guizot, Thiers and Renan; author of Madame
Récamier, with a sketch of the history of society in France
by Madame Mxxx. 1862; Le livre des Rois, par Abou ’lkasim
Firdousi traduit et commenté par J. Mohl, Publié par Mme Mohl.
7 vols. 1876–8. _d._ Paris 15 May 1883. _bur._ Père-Lachaise
cemetery. _M. C. M. Simpson’s Letters of G. and M. Mohl_ (1887),
_portrait_; _K. O’Meara’s Madame Mohl_ (1886), _portrait_;
_Contemporary review Aug. 1878 pp._ 1–21; _F. W. Muller’s
Biographical Essays_ (1884) 272–310.
MOIR, DAVID MACBETH (son of Robert Moir d. 1817). _b._
Musselburgh near Edinburgh 5 Jany. 1798; studied medicine in
Edinburgh, M.R.C.S. 1816; partner with Dr. Brown at Musselburgh
1817 and in practice there to death; wrote jeux d’esprit in
Blackwood’s magazine, also essays and serious verse over the
signature Δ; wrote for Fraser’s magazine and other periodicals;
author of The bombardment of Algiers and other poems 1816,
anon.; The legend of Genevieve, with other tales and poems
1824; The autobiography of Mansie Wauch 1828; Outlines of the
ancient history of medicine 1831; Proofs of the contagion of
malignant cholera 1832; Domestic verses 1843; edited The works
of Mrs. Hemans 7 vols. 1839. _d._ King’s Arms inn, Dumfries 6
July 1851. _bur._ at Inveresk, statue by Ritchie erected at
Musselburgh 1854. _m._ 8 June 1829 Catherine Elizabeth youngest
dau. of Charles Bell of Leith, she was granted civil list
pension of £100, 6 Oct. 1853. _The poetical works of D. M. Moir.
Ed. by Thomas Aird_ 2 _vols._ _Edinb._ (1852), _memoir i pp.
xv–cxxxii_, _portrait_; _Blackwood’s Mag. Aug. 1851 pp._ 249–50;
_Fraser’s Mag. Sep. 1833 p._ 290, _portrait_; _Maclise Portrait
gallery_ (1883) 198–9, _portrait_.
MOIR, GEORGE (son of George Moir). _b._ Aberdeen 1800; admitted
advocate 2 July 1825; contributed to Blackwood’s Mag. from
1828; professor of rhetoric and belles lettres in univ. of
Edinb. 1 Aug. 1835 to Oct. 1840, professor of Scots law 13 Feb.
1864 to 1865; sheriff of Ross and Cromarty 1855–8; sheriff of
Stirlingshire 1858–68; translated Wallenstein, a dramatic poem
by J. C. F. Von Schiller 2 vols. 1827, and The historical works
of F. Schiller, Constable’s Miscellany 2 vols. 1828; author of
The appellate jurisdiction of Scotch appeals 1851; Magic and
witchcraft 1852; Principles of the law of Scotland, containing
extracts from lectures of G. Moir 1870, 4 ed. 1886. _d._
Charlotte sq. Edinb. 19 Oct. 1870. _Grant’s Story of Univ. of
Edinburgh_, _ii_ 359, 375 (1884); _Journal of jurisprudence_,
_xiv_ 618 (1870).
MOIR, JOHN MACRAE. _b._ Waterside of Thornton at the foot of the
Grampians in Kincardineshire 1827; ed. Aberdeen univ., M.A.;
went to London 1846; associated with journalism 1852; edited the
Illustrated Times, London 9 June 1855 for 3 years; secretary of
the Scottish corporation 1862 to death; the first editor of the
Illustrated news of the world, No. i Feb. 6, 1858; the first
editor of the People’s magazine 1867; London correspondent many
years of the chief provincial newspapers; one of compilers of
Men of the time; nonconformist minister at Worthing, Sussex;
barrister M.T. 6 June 1864; often acted as deputy judge in
the lord mayor’s court, and as deputy judge in the city of
London court and other metropolitan county courts; a candidate
for office of town clerk of city of London 1873, and for that
of city remembrancer 1878; edited Capital punishment by John
Macrae 1865 and Todesstraffe by Professor Mitteemaier 1862. _d._
Braefit, 116 King Henry’s road, South Hampstead 12 July 1881.
_bur._ Hampstead cemet. 16 July. _The Biograph_, _Jany. 1881
pp._ 9–11; _Law Times_, _lxxi_ 236 (1881).
MOLE, JOHN HENRY. _b._ Alnwick, Northumberland 1814; began
painting miniatures 1835; painted landscapes and figure
subjects in water-colours; associate of New Soc. of painters
in water-colours 1847, member 1848, contributed to annual
exhibitions of the society which became the Royal Institute of
painters in water-colours 1884, vice pres. 1884; exhibited 11
figure subjects at R.A., 1 at B.I. and 2 at Suffolk st. 1845–80.
_d._ 7 Guildford place, Russell sq. London 13 Dec. 1886.
MOLESWORTH, JOHN EDWARD NASSAU (only son of John Molesworth).
_b._ London 4 Feb. 1790; ed. at Greenwich and Trin. coll. Oxf.;
B.A. 1812, M.A. 1817, B.D. and D.D. 1838; C. of Millbrook,
Hampshire 1812–28; C. of Wicksworth, Derbyshire 1828 for two
months only; V. of St. Martin’s with St. Paul, Canterbury
1829–39; one of the six preachers at Canterbury 1829; V. of
Minster-in-Thanet 1839; V. of Rochdale 3 March 1840 to death;
promoted the Rochdale vicarage act 1866 by which the 13 chapels
of ease were converted into parish churches and their endowments
raised; contributed to the British magazine and Encyclopædia
Metropolitana; editor of The penny Sunday reader. Canterbury
14 vols. 1835–41, and of Common sense or everybody’s magazine
2 vols. 1842–43; author of The rick-burners, a tale 1830;
Overbury, or some advantages of an established church, a tale
1834, 2 ed. 1860; The pulpit pocket companion and liturgical
companion 1836; Resistance to church rates, a letter to the
people of England 1836, 5 ed. 1854; The domestic chaplain,
sermons on family duties 2 vols. 1838; The parish church 1842
and 30 other books. _d._ Rochdale vicarage 21 April 1877.
_bur._ St. Martin’s, Castleton Moor, Lancs. _Raines’s Vicars of
Rochdale_ (_Chetham Soc._ 1883), _ii_ 325–76.
MOLESWORTH, JAMES THOMAS (brother of 7 Viscount Molesworth
1786–1875). _b._ 1795; lieut. 6 Bombay N.I. 4 April 1816;
captain 11 Bombay N.I. 1 May 1824, retired 24 April 1837;
second assistant commissary general 1827–35; author with Thomas
and George Candy of Marathee-English and English-Marathee
dictionary. Bombay 2 vols. 1831–47, he worked for six years
preparing the second edition published 1857; never made use of
his designation the honourable. _d._ Clifton 13 July 1872. _J.
J. Higginbotham’s Men whom India has known_ (1874) 305–6.
MOLESWORTH, SIR ROBERT (only son of Hickman Blayney Molesworth).
_b._ Dublin 3 Nov. 1806; ed. Trin. coll. Dublin, B.A. 1826,
M.A. 1833; called to the Irish bar at King’s Inns, Dublin 1828;
emigrated to Adelaide 1852; admitted to the bar of Victoria,
Australia 1853, solicitor general 25 Nov. 1855 to 17 June
1856; a puisne judge of the colony 17 June 1856, primary judge
in equity 1857, retired 1886; chief judge in court of mines;
knighted by patent 9 July 1886. _d._ Edlington, Hawthorne,
Melbourne 17 Oct. 1890.
MOLESWORTH, SIR WILLIAM, 8 Baronet (eld. son of sir Arscott
Ourry Molesworth, 7 baronet 1789–1823). _b._ Upper Brook st.
London 23 May 1810; entered at Trin. coll. Camb., expelled for
challenging his tutor to fight a duel; finished his education
at univ. of Edinb.; M.P. East Cornwall 1832–7; projected The
London Review, April 1835, which he transferred to J. S. Mill
1837; on the first committee of the Reform club 1836; obtained
a parliamentary committee to inquire into the system of
transportation 1837 and wrote the report; M.P. Leeds 1837–41;
M.P. Southwark 1845 to death; sheriff of Cornwall 1842; P.C. 28
Dec. 1852; first comr. of the board of works 5 Jany. 1853 to
2 July 1855; colonial secretary 21 July 1855 to death; F.R.S.
26 Nov. 1835; edited The English works of Thomas Hobbes of
Malmesbury 11 vols. 1839–45, also Hobbes’s Latin works 5 vols.
1839–45, which cost him £6,000. _d._ 87 Eaton place, London 22
Oct. 1855. _bur._ Kensal Green cemet. 27 Oct. _The philosophical
radicals of 1832, comprising the life of Sir W. Molesworth, &c.
By Mrs. Grote_ (1866); _Bates’s Maclise portrait gallery_ (1883)
416–19, _portrait_; _I.L.N. xviii_ 341, 342 (1851) _portrait_,
_xxvii_ 489, 490 (1855) _portrait_.
NOTE.--He _m._ July 1844 Andalusia only dau. of James Bruce Carstairs
of county Kinross. She had _m._ (1) Temple West of Mathon lodge,
Worcester, who _d._ 13 April 1839. She made her debut as a singer at
Drury Lane as Diana Vernon in Rob Roy 5 Oct. 1827 under the stage name
of Andalusia Grant. Her last appearance was as Hymen in ‘As you like
it’ at Drury lane in 1841. She entertained literary men and others
in London and at Pencarrow in Cornwall for many years. _d._ 87 Eaton
place, London 16 May 1888.
MOLESWORTH, WILLIAM NASSAU (eld. son of John Edward Nassau
Molesworth 1790–1877). _b._ Millbrook near Southampton 8 Nov.
1816; ed. at King’s sch. Canterbury and St. John’s and Pembroke
colleges, Cambridge; B.A. 1839, M.A. 1842; LL.D. Glasgow 1883;
C. of Rochdale 1839–41; P.C. of St. Andrew’s ch. Ancoats,
Manchester 1841–4; V. of St. Clement, Spotland near Rochdale
1844–89; hon. canon of Manchester cath. 1881; author of Secular
education, an important element of religious education 1857;
Essay on the French alliance 1860; Plain lectures on astronomy
1862; The history of the reform bill of 1832. 1864; Prize essay
on the great importance of an improved system of education for
the upper and middle classes 1867; The history of England from
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