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Gay, John

(Encyclopedia)Gay, John, 1685–1732, English playwright and poet, b. Barnstaple, Devon. Educated at the local grammar school, he was apprenticed to a silk mercer for a brief time before commencing his literary car...

Forbes, John

(Encyclopedia)Forbes, John, 1710–59, British general in the French and Indian Wars, b. Scotland. He entered the British army in 1735, won distinction and promotion in the War of the Austrian Succession, and in 17...

Forster, John

(Encyclopedia)Forster, John, 1812–76, English biographer and critic. He was influential as literary and dramatic critic of the London Examiner. His Lives of the Statesmen of the Commonwealth (5 vol., 1836–39) e...

Forsyth, John

(Encyclopedia)Forsyth, John fôrsīthˈ [key], 1780–1841, American cabinet member, b. Fredericksburg, Va. He began law practice in Augusta, Va., and was in the House of Representatives from 1813 until his electio...

Fries, John

(Encyclopedia)Fries, John, c.1750–1818, American rebel, b. Montgomery co., Pa. After serving in the American Revolution, Fries became a traveling auctioneer. Strongly opposed to the federal property taxes levied ...

Frith, John

(Encyclopedia)Frith or Fryth, John both: frĭth [key], 1503–33, English Protestant martyr. He aided William Tyndale in translating the New Testament. After a short time in prison because of suspected heresy, Frit...

Fryth, John

(Encyclopedia)Fryth, John: see Frith, John.

Galt, John

(Encyclopedia)Galt, John, 1779–1839, Scottish novelist. He went to Canada as secretary for the Canada Company, founding there in 1827 the town of Guelph and encouraging Canadian immigration. He wrote poems, blank...

Gardner, John

(Encyclopedia)Gardner, John (John Champlin Gardner, Jr.), 1933–82, American writer, b. Batavia, N.Y. He was a teacher, lecturer, and prolific writer of fiction, children's books, poetry, radio plays, and scholarl...

Garstang, John

(Encyclopedia)Garstang, John, 1876–1956, English archaeologist. He served as W. M. Flinders Petrie's field assistant in Egypt in 1899 and was professor of archaeology at the Univ. of Liverpool from 1907 to 1941, ...