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Masham, Abigail, Lady

(Encyclopedia)Masham, Abigail, Lady măshˈəm [key], d. 1734, favorite of Queen Anne of England. Her maiden name was Abigail Hill. A plain, intelligent person, she became (1704) bedchamber woman to the queen throu...

Rae, John

(Encyclopedia)Rae, John, 1813–93, Scottish arctic explorer, b. Orkney Islands. A physician in the employ of the Hudson's Bay Company in N Canada, Rae made (1846–47) a journey of exploration from Fort Churchill ...

Alexander, Harold Rupert Leofric George, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis

(Encyclopedia)Alexander, Harold Rupert Leofric George, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis lĕfˈrĭk [key], 1891–1969, British field marshal. His long military career began with service in World War I, followed by a per...

Kelsey, Henry

(Encyclopedia)Kelsey, Henry kĕlˈsē [key], c.1670–1729, English fur trader and explorer in Canada. He entered the service of the Hudson's Bay Company in 1684. He was sent (1689) inland to secure trade with abor...

Addams, Jane

(Encyclopedia)Addams, Jane, 1860–1935, American social worker, b. Cedarville, Ill., grad. Rockford College, 1881. In 1889, with Ellen Gates Starr, she founded Hull House in Chicago, one of the first social settle...

Finney, Albert

(Encyclopedia)Finney, Albert, 1936–2019, English actor, studied Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, London. He debuted in the theater in 1956, and appeared on the London and New York stage throughout his career. His ...

Bevin, Ernest

(Encyclopedia)Bevin, Ernest bĕvˈən [key], 1881–1951, British labor leader and statesman. An orphan who earned his own living from childhood, he began a long career as a trade union official when he became secr...

Saint Albans, city, England

(Encyclopedia)Saint Albans sŭnt ôlˈbənz [key], city and district (1991 pop. 76,709), Hertfordshire, E central England. The market city of Saint Albans has printing, engineering, and clothing industries. Many of...

Thompson, David

(Encyclopedia)Thompson, David, 1770–1857, Canadian geographer, fur trader, and explorer, b. London, England. In 1784 he came to Fort Churchill, Canada, as an apprentice of the Hudson's Bay Company, and until 1797...

Gielgud, Sir John

(Encyclopedia)Gielgud, Sir John (Arthur John Gielgud) gĭlˈgo͝od [key], 1904–2000, English actor, director, and producer. A grandnephew of Ellen Terry, Gielgud made his debut at the Old Vic in 1921. His intelli...