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Kent, William

(Encyclopedia)Kent, William, 1685–1748, English landscape gardener, architect, and painter. A minor painter, Kent made ceiling decorations for Kensington Palace. He greatly influenced landscape gardening by chang...

Campbell, William

(Encyclopedia)Campbell, William, 1745–81, American Revolutionary soldier, b. Augusta co., Va.; brother-in-law of Patrick Henry. He fought in Lord Dunmore's War (1774) and helped expel the royal governor from Will...

Cartwright, William

(Encyclopedia)Cartwright, William, 1611–43, English author and divine. An ardent royalist and disciple of Ben Jonson, he had a high reputation as a preacher and author. In addition to his poems, which are now alm...

Hay, John

(Encyclopedia)Hay, John: see Tweeddale, John Hay, 2d earl and 1st marquess of. ...

Trevor, William

(Encyclopedia)Trevor, William, 1928–2016, Anglo-Irish fiction writer, b. William Trevor Cox, grad. Trinity College, Dublin (1950). He resided in England from 1960. Trevor's novels are usually set in England or Ir...

Crerar, John

(Encyclopedia)Crerar, John krēˈrər [key], 1827–89, American capitalist and philanthropist, b. New York City. Crerar was a manufacturer in Chicago, and gave liberally to many causes. He is remembered chiefly fo...

La Farge, John

(Encyclopedia)La Farge, John lə färzh [key], 1835–1910, American artist and writer, b. New York City. He studied with William Morris Hunt in Newport, R.I., and with Thomas Couture in Paris. La Farge began his c...

Laurance, John

(Encyclopedia)Laurance, John lôrˈəns [key], 1750–1810, American Revolutionary officer, b. near Falmouth, Cornwall, England; son-in-law of Alexander MacDougall. A lawyer, he was (1777–82) judge advocate gener...

Spencer, George John Spencer, 2d Earl

(Encyclopedia)Spencer, George John Spencer, 2d Earl, 1758–1834, British public official. He was elected to the House of Commons in 1780 but in 1783 inherited the earldom. In 1794, William Pitt appointed him first...

Astor, John Jacob, 1864–1912, American financier

(Encyclopedia)Astor, John Jacob, 1864–1912, American financier, b. Rhinebeck, N.Y.; son of William Backhouse Astor (1829–92). He served in the Spanish-American War. Drowned in the Titanic disaster, he left two ...