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Bakewell, Robert

(Encyclopedia)Bakewell, Robert, 1725–95, English livestock breeder and agriculturist. He successfully bred livestock for meat rather than appearance, developing new breeds, which included the Leicester sheep and ...

English language

(Encyclopedia)English language, member of the West Germanic group of the Germanic subfamily of the Indo-European family of languages (see Germanic languages). Spoken by about 470 million people throughout the world...

Robert the Devil

(Encyclopedia)Robert the Devil, hero of a medieval legend. He was sold to the devil by his mother before his birth but upon discovering the fact did penance and was able to purify himself of his many sins. The tale...

Gaul, Alfred Robert

(Encyclopedia)Gaul, Alfred Robert gôl [key], 1837–1913, English composer. He wrote numerous cantatas, of which The Holy City (1882) is most famous. ...

Robert of Gloucester

(Encyclopedia)Robert of Gloucester glŏsˈtər [key], fl. 1260–1300, English chronicler. Possibly a monk of Gloucester, he is known only from the vernacular metrical chronicle of English history that bears his na...

Applegarth, Robert

(Encyclopedia)Applegarth, Robert, 1834–1924, English trade union leader, a carpenter by trade. A charter member of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners, he became in 1862 its general secretary. Under...

Burton, Robert

(Encyclopedia)Burton, Robert, 1577–1640, English clergyman and scholar, b. Leicestershire, educated at Oxford. He served as librarian at Christ Church, Oxford, all his life; in addition he was vicar of St. Thomas...

English, Bill

(Encyclopedia)English, Bill (Simon William English), 1961–, New Zealand political leader. First elected to parliament in 1990, English held several ministerial positions and served as leader of the National party...

Sanderson, Robert

(Encyclopedia)Sanderson, Robert, 1587–1663, English clergyman. Gaining William Laud's favor, he was appointed a royal chaplain in 1631 and regius professor of divinity at Oxford in 1642. Imprisoned during the civ...

Smythson, Robert

(Encyclopedia)Smythson, Robert, 1536?–1614, English architect of the Elizabethan era. From 1568, Smythson was freemason to John Thynne in finishing (1567–75) the country house Longleat, Wiltshire. Striking in i...