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Dobson, William

(Encyclopedia)Dobson, William, 1610–46, English court painter. After the death of Van Dyck, Dobson was made court painter to Charles I and did some interesting court portraits. Some of his works are close to the ...

Hone, William

(Encyclopedia)Hone, William, 1780–1842, English writer and bookseller. He was tried and acquitted three times in 1817 for publishing parodies on the church and the government. Besides writing political satires (i...

Carleton, William

(Encyclopedia)Carleton, William, 1794–1869, Irish author. His Traits and Stories of Irish Peasantry (5 vol., 1830–33) realistically depicts his own rural youth. This was followed by Tales of Ireland (1834), Far...

Mahone, William

(Encyclopedia)Mahone, William məhōnˈ [key], 1826–95, Confederate general in the American Civil War and Virginia politician, b. Southampton co., Va. He was president, chief engineer, and superintendent of the N...

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...

Dunlap, William

(Encyclopedia)Dunlap, William dŭnˈlăp [key], 1766–1839, American dramatist and theatrical manager, b. Perth Amboy, N.J. Inspired by the success of The Contrast by Royall Tyler, he began to write plays for the ...

Wycherley, William

(Encyclopedia)Wycherley, William wĭchˈərlē [key], 1640?–1716, English dramatist, b. near Shrewsbury. His first comedy, Love in a Wood (1671), was a huge success and won him the favor of the duchess of Clevela...

Warham, William

(Encyclopedia)Warham, William wôrˈəm [key], 1450?–1532, English churchman, archbishop of Canterbury. He studied at Oxford and became widely known in England for his legal ability, went often on diplomatic miss...

Waynflete, William

(Encyclopedia)Waynflete, William wānˈflēt [key], 1395?–1486, English prelate and lord chancellor. He was master of Winchester College before 1429, and in 1443 he became provost of the newly founded Eton Colleg...

Floyd, William

(Encyclopedia)Floyd, William, 1734–1821, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, b. Brookhaven, N.Y. His career in the Continental Congress (1774–77, 1778–83) was marked by conscientious service on the a...