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Westmacott, Sir Richard

(Encyclopedia)Westmacott, Sir Richard wĕstˈməkŏt [key], 1775–1856, English sculptor. He worked in the studio of his father, also a sculptor, and in Italy under Canova. His work includes statues in the neoclas...

Burney, Charles

(Encyclopedia)Burney, Charles, 1726–1814, English music historian, composer, and organist. His General History of Music (1776–89; 2d ed. 1935) was one of the first important music histories in English. He wrote...

Ponzi, Charles

(Encyclopedia)Ponzi, Charles or Carlo, 1882–1949), Italian-American swindler. He came to the United States from his native Italy in 1903, then went in 1907 to Canada, where he was convicted of check forgery. In 1...

Lubbock, Sir John

(Encyclopedia)Lubbock, Sir John lŭbˈək [key], 1834–1913, English banker, statesman, and naturalist. As a member of Parliament from 1870, he introduced many reform bills, especially in banking, including legisl...

Hawkins, Sir Richard

(Encyclopedia)Hawkins, Sir Richard, 1562?–1622, English admiral, son of Sir John Hawkins. He served under Sir Francis Drake in the 1585–86 expedition to the West Indies, commanded the Swallow in the defeat of t...

Khama, Sir Seretse

(Encyclopedia)Khama, Sir Seretse käˈmä [key], 1921–80, Botswanan political leader, president of Botswana (1966–80); grandson of Khama III. After studying in England he returned to Bechuanaland (now Botswana...

Rockingham, Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2d marquess of

(Encyclopedia)Rockingham, Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2d marquess of rŏkˈĭng-əm [key], 1730–82, British statesman. In the early years of the reign of George III he became a leading opponent of the “king's fri...

Cheke, Sir John

(Encyclopedia)Cheke, Sir John chēk [key], 1514–57, English scholar. As professor of Greek at Cambridge he taught Roger Ascham and later was tutor to Edward VI. A Protestant, he was imprisoned by Mary I. Although...

Back, Sir George

(Encyclopedia)Back, Sir George, 1796–1878, British explorer in N Canada. He accompanied Sir John Franklin on arctic expeditions in 1818, 1819–22, and 1824–27. On an expedition (1833–35) to search for the mi...

Adam, Adolphe Charles

(Encyclopedia)Adam, Adolphe Charles ädōlfˈ shärlˈ ädäNˈ [key], 1803–56, French composer of the popular song Cantique de Noël. He composed more than 50 stage works, including comic operas such as Le Posti...