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Shenstone, William

(Encyclopedia)Shenstone, William, 1714–63, English poet and landscape gardener. The Schoolmistress (1742), his best-known poem, was written in imitation of Spenser. His home, “Leasowes,” in Shropshire, was a ...

Roscoe, William

(Encyclopedia)Roscoe, William, 1753–1831, English historian and author. He was called to the bar in 1774, and later, as a member of Parliament, fought against the slave trade (1806). The Life of Lorenzo de' Medic...

Rowley, William

(Encyclopedia)Rowley, William rouˈlē [key], 1585?–1642?, English playwright and actor. He collaborated with many noted dramatists, including Dekker, Ford, and Webster; his best work, notably The Changeling (162...

Saroyan, William

(Encyclopedia)Saroyan, William səroiˈən [key], 1908–81, American author, b. Fresno, Calif. Of Armenian background and extremely prolific, he created works that combine optimism, sentimentality, and a rhapsodic...

Baffin, William

(Encyclopedia)Baffin, William, c.1584–1622, British arctic explorer. He was pilot on two expeditions (1615–16) sent out to search for the Northwest Passage under command of Robert Bylot, who was formerly with H...

Pickering, William

(Encyclopedia)Pickering, William: see Whittingham, Charles. ...

Pinkney, William

(Encyclopedia)Pinkney, William, 1764–1822, American political leader and diplomat, b. Annapolis, Md. Admitted to the bar in 1786, he soon became prominent in state politics. In 1796 he was sent to England as a co...

Sanday, William

(Encyclopedia)Sanday, William, 1843–1920, English theologian and biblical scholar. He was professor of exegesis (1883–95) at Oxford and from 1895 to 1919 Lady Margaret professor of divinity and canon of Christ ...

Sancroft, William

(Encyclopedia)Sancroft, William săngˈkrôft [key], 1617–93, English prelate, archbishop of Canterbury. His opposition to Calvinist doctrine caused him to remain abroad during the latter part of the Commonwealth...

Barnes, William

(Encyclopedia)Barnes, William, 1801–86, English poet and philologist. After a career as a schoolmaster, he took holy orders in 1847. He is best known for his poems in Dorset dialect, which began to appear in loca...