Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Cleveland, John

(Encyclopedia)Cleveland, John, 1613–58, English poet and political satirist. He served the royalist cause both as soldier and poet. His best-known work was The Rebel Scot (1644). Though his contemporary fame was ...

Harvard, John

(Encyclopedia)Harvard, John, 1607–38, English minister in America and first major benefactor of Harvard College, b. Southwark, England, M.A. Emmanuel College, Cambridge, 1635. He immigrated in 1637 to Charlestown...

Hawkesworth, John

(Encyclopedia)Hawkesworth, John, 1715?–1773, English author. He succeeded his friend Samuel Johnson in 1744 as reporter of parliamentary debates in the Gentleman's Magazine. With Johnson and Joseph Warton he wrot...

Gerard, John

(Encyclopedia)Gerard, John jĕrˈärd, jərärdˈ [key], 1545–1612, English botanist and barber-surgeon. He compiled a catalog (1596) of the plants in his garden, the first of its kind to be published in England....

Fell, John

(Encyclopedia)Fell, John, 1625–86, English clergyman. He was dean of Christ Church, Oxford, and bishop of Oxford. While at Oxford, he initiated an extensive building program and promoted the development of the Ox...

Howe, John

(Encyclopedia)Howe, John, 1630–1705, English Puritan clergyman. As domestic chaplain to Oliver Cromwell, he advocated religious toleration. After the Restoration, he preached in secret (1662–71) until, becoming...

Flaxman, John

(Encyclopedia)Flaxman, John, 1755–1826, English sculptor and draftsman. At 20 he went to work for Josiah Wedgwood, designing the cameolike decorations for Wedgwood's pottery. Later, in Rome, he devoted himself to...

Newbery, John

(Encyclopedia)Newbery, John, 1713–67, English publisher and bookseller. He established juvenile literature as an important branch of the publishing business. Included among his publications is Little Goody Two Sh...

Wallis, John

(Encyclopedia)Wallis, John wŏlˈĭs [key], 1616–1703, English mathematician. He was Savilian professor of geometry at Oxford from 1649. He systematized the use of formulas, introduced the symbol ∞ for infinity...

Varley, John

(Encyclopedia)Varley, John, 1778–1842, English painter in watercolor; one of the founders of the Old Water Colour Society. He is best known for his paintings of Welsh mountain country. He was also an influential ...