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Kildare, Thomas Fitzgerald, 10th earl of

(Encyclopedia)Kildare, Thomas Fitzgerald, 10th earl of, 1513–37, Irish nobleman, called Silken Thomas. When his father, the 9th earl and lord deputy of Ireland, was summoned to London on charges of maladministrat...

Burnett, Frances Eliza Hodgson

(Encyclopedia)Burnett, Frances Eliza Hodgson bərnĕtˈ [key], 1849–1924, American author, b. Manchester, England. In 1865 she went to Knoxville, Tenn., with her family. She wrote several adult novels, but is fam...

Stuart, Alexander, earl of Buchan

(Encyclopedia)Stuart or Stewart, Alexander, earl of Buchan bŭkhˈan, bŭkˈ– [key], 1343?–1405?, Scottish nobleman; fourth son of Robert II. He held various offices under the crown and was made lord of Badenoc...

Beattie, James

(Encyclopedia)Beattie, James, 1735–1803, Scottish poet and essayist. Educated at Marischal College, Aberdeen, he later became professor of moral philosophy there. His fame in his own lifetime rested on two works,...

Bentivoglio

(Encyclopedia)Bentivoglio bānˈtēvōˈlyō [key], Italian noble family, one of several powerful clans in the struggle for control of Bologna during most of the 15th cent. Its greatest member was Giovanni II, who ...

Vansittart, Robert Gilbert Vansittart, 1st Baron

(Encyclopedia)Vansittart, Robert Gilbert Vansittart, 1st Baron, 1881–1957, British diplomat. After serving in a number of diplomatic positions, he was (1920–24) private secretary to Lord Curzon, who was then fo...

Blessington, Marguerite, countess of

(Encyclopedia)Blessington, Marguerite, countess of, 1789–1849, English author and famous beauty, b. Ireland. At the age of 14 she was forced by her father into marriage with Capt. Maurice St. Leger Farmer, a sadi...

Sendai

(Encyclopedia)Sendai sĕndīˈ [key], city (1990 pop. 928,138), capital of Miyagi prefecture, N Honshu, Japan, on Inshinomaki Bay. A major industrial city and the commercial center of N Honshu, it has industries th...

Norfolk, Thomas Howard, 3d duke of

(Encyclopedia)Norfolk, Thomas Howard, 3d duke of, 1473–1554, English nobleman, prominent in the reign of Henry VIII; son of Thomas Howard, the 2d duke. He married (1495) a daughter of Edward IV and thus became br...

patron

(Encyclopedia)patron [Lat.,=like a father], one who lends influential support to some person, cause, art or institution. Patronage existed in various ancient cultures but was primarily a Roman institution. In Roman...