Modern English biography, volume 1 (of 4), A-H by Frederic Boase
1869. _bur._ Abney Park cemetery.
1007 words | Chapter 9
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
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