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Taylor, Sir Robert

(Encyclopedia)Taylor, Sir Robert, 1714–88, English architect. The son of a stonemason, he began his career as a sculptor's apprentice and was later employed to carve the pediment of Mansion House in London. He th...

Lawes, Sir John Bennet

(Encyclopedia)Lawes, Sir John Bennet, 1814–1900, English agriculturist. He founded the famous experimental farm at Rothamsted, where, with the English chemist Sir J. H. Gilbert, he experimented with plants and an...

Shee, Sir Martin Archer

(Encyclopedia)Shee, Sir Martin Archer, 1769–1850, British portrait painter and writer, b. Dublin; pupil of Sir Joshua Reynolds. He attained popularity in court and theatrical circles and executed many royal commi...

Nicholson, Sir William

(Encyclopedia)Nicholson, Sir William, 1872–1949, English woodcut artist, illustrator, and painter. The striking contrasts of black and white of his woodcutting technique were used to great effect on posters, on w...

Melville, Sir James

(Encyclopedia)Melville, Sir James, 1535–1617, Scottish diplomat. He was a page to Mary Queen of Scots in France and, after her return to Scotland, was employed as Mary's representative at the court of Elizabeth I...

Barry, Sir Charles

(Encyclopedia)Barry, Sir Charles, 1795–1860, English architect. A leader in the revival of the Renaissance style of architecture in England (also called Anglo-Italian), he designed the Travellers Club and the Ref...

Gibbs, Sir Philip

(Encyclopedia)Gibbs, Sir Philip, 1877–1962, English journalist and author. As a result of his distinguished service in World War I as a front-line correspondent for the Daily Chronicle (London) he was knighted in...

Orpen, Sir William

(Encyclopedia)Orpen, Sir William, 1878–1931, British portrait and genre painter, b. Ireland. He is best known for his scenes of Irish daily life, his paintings and sketches of life at the front in World War I, an...

Hare, Sir John

(Encyclopedia)Hare, Sir John, 1844–1921, English actor-manager, whose original name was John Fairs. From 1856 to 1874 he was a prominent actor with the Bancrofts' company in the plays of Tom Robertson. He managed...

Strange, Sir Robert

(Encyclopedia)Strange, Sir Robert, 1721–92, English engraver. The outstanding historical engraver of his day, he became a member of the academies of Rome, Florence, Bologna, and France and was the only English en...