Originally, an agony column was a column in newspapers in which advertisements regarding missing relatives and friends, secret correspondence etc. were inserted. The name derived from the distress betrayed in many of the adverts. Today, an agony column is more associated with a column in a newspaper or magazine in which readers ask for advice on difficult and usually controversial situations (such as having an affair with a married person). The advice is given by an 'agony aunt', a regular columnist working for the newspaper. Research Agony Column
In English law, attachment is a taking of the person, goods, or estate by virtue of a writ or precept. It is distinguished from an arrest by proceeding out of a higher court by precept or writ, whereas the latter proceeds out of an inferior court by precept only. An arrest lies only against the body of a man, whereas an attachment lies often against the goods only, and sometimes against the body and goods. It differs from a distress in that an attachment does not extend to lands, while a distress cannot touch the body. Foreign attachment answers to what in Scotland is termed arrestment, by means of which a creditor may obtain the security of the goods or other personal property of his debtor in the hands of a third person for the purpose of enforcing the appearance of the debtor to answer to an action, and afterwards, upon his continued default of obtaining the property absolutely in satisfaction of the demand. Research Attachment
The Cotton Famine was a destitution in the English cotton manufacturing districts, especially in Lancashire, and caused by the outbreak of the American Civil War. The cotton supply failed on account of the blockade of the southern ports of the United States, and the mill-owners finally had to close their mills - nearly two million people becoming unemployed and destitute. A Relief Fund was started, and a Relief Act passed by parliament, by which loans were granted to the guardians of the poor for instituting relief works. By June, 1865, the distress was at an end, greatly increased supplies of cotton having been obtained from Brazil, Egypt, India, and elsewhere. Research Cotton Famine
In law, distress is the taking of a personal chattel of a wrong-doer or a tenant, in order to obtain satisfaction for the wrong done, or for rent or service due. If the party whose goods are seized disputes the injury, service, duty, or rent, on account of which the distress is taken, he may replevy the things taken, giving bonds to return them or pay damage in case the party making the distress shows that the wrong has been done, or the service or rent is due. Another kind of distress is that of attachment, to compel a party to appear before a court when summoned. The distresses most frequently made are on account of rent and taxes and damage-feasance. Research Distress
A fraternity is an association of people who unite to promote their common interest, business or pleasure. In this wide sense it includes all secret and benevolent societies, the monastic and sacerdotal congregations, the orders of knighthood, and also guilds, trades-unions, and the like. In a limited sense it is applied to religious societies for pious practices and benevolent objects.
Fraternities were often formed during the middle ages, from a desire of imitating the holy orders. Many of these societies, which did not obtain or did not seek the acknowledgment of the church, had the appearance of separatists, which subjected them to the charge of heresy. The pious fraternities which were formed under the direction of the church, or were acknowledged by it, were either required by their rules to afford assistance to travellers, to the unfortunate, the distressed, the sick, and the deserted, on account of the inefficiency of the police, and the want of institutions for the poor, or to perform certain acts of penitence and devotion. Of this description were the Fratres Pontifices, a brotherhood that originated in Tuscany in the 12th century, where they maintained establishments on the banks of the Arno, to enable travellers to cross the river, and to succour them in case of distress. A similar society was afterwards formed in France, where they built bridges and hospitals, maintained ferries, kept the roads in repair, and provided for the security of the highways. Similar to these were the Knights and Companions of the Santa Hermandad (or Holy Brotherhood) in Spain; the Familiars and Cross-bearers in the service of the Spanish Inquisition; the Calendar Brothers in Germany; the Alexiaus in Germany, Poland, and the Netherlands, etc.
The professed object of the Alexians, so called from Alexius, their patron saint, was to visit the sick and imprisoned; to collect alms for distribution; to console criminals, and accompany them to the place of execution; to bury the dead, and to cause masses to be said for those who had been executed, or for persons found dead. There were also Gray Penitents (an old fraternity of an order existing as early as 1264 in Rome, and introduced into France under Henry III), the black fraternities of Mercy and of Death; the Red, the Blue, the Green, and the Violet Penitents, so called from the colour of their cowl; the divisions of each were known by the colours of the girdle or mantle. The fraternity of the Holy Trinity was founded at Rome in 1548 by Philip de' Neri for the relief of pilgrims and the cured dismissed from the hospitals. The Brothers of Charity were another fraternity whose hospitals were found in all the principal cities of Catholic Christendom. Research Fraternity
The Luddite riots were a series of outbreaks in which popular discontent expressed itself in the Midlands between 1811 and 1818. General distress being caused by the progress of the industrial revolution, the anger of the rioters was directed against the new machinery, much of which was destroyed. The name Luddite derives from Ned Lud, a man (supposedly an imbecile though some say he was insane) from Leicestershire who in a fit of passion demolished two stocking-frames around 1779. Research Luddite Riots More information about Luddite Riots
Alexis Benoit Soyer was a French cook. He was born in 1809 at Meaux and died in 1858. A famous chef in Paris, he fled to England during the French Revolution in 1830. He was head cook at the Reform Club from 1837 until 1850. In 1847 he persuaded the British government to establish food-kitchens in Dublin to relieve the distress caused by the Irish famine. In 1854 he published 'The Shilling Cookery Book' and in 1855 he went to the Crimea and with Florence Nightingale reorganised the system of food supply. Research Alexis Soyer
The Flagellants were a 13th century sect who maintained that flagellation was of equal virtue with baptism and other sacraments. They walked in procession with shoulders bare, and whipped themselves until the blood ran down their bodies, to obtain the mercy of God and appease his wrath against the vices of the age. Rainer, a hermit of Perugia, is said to have been the sect's founder in 1260. He soon found followers in nearly all parts of Italy. Their number soon amounted to 10,000, who went about, led by priests bearing banners and crosses. They went in thousands from country to country, begging alms; and for centuries they formed a sort of intermittent order of fanatics, frequently reappearing here and there in times of extraordinary declension or distress. Research Flagellants
John William Donaldson was an English philologist. He was born in 1811 at London and died in 1861. He studied at London University and at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he was elected a fellow. His first work was The Theatre of the Greeks, a work showing much erudition. In 1839 he published The New Cratylus, which was amongst the earliest attempts to bring the philological literature of the Continent within the reach of the English student. In 1844 appeared the first edition of Varronianus, a work on Latin similar in scope to the Cratylus. Amongst his other writings are grammars of the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin languages.He became headmaster of Bury St Edmundsgrammar school in 1841 and resigned from the post in 1855, thereafter tutoring at Cambridge. *John Donne
John Donne was an English poet and divine. He was born in 1573 at London and died in 1631. The son of a merchant of London, he studied both at Oxford and Cambridge. In his nineteenth year he abjured the Catholic religion, and became secretary to the Lord-chancellor Ellesmere, but finally lost his office by a clandestine marriage with his patron's niece. The young couple were in consequence reduced to great distress, until his father-in-law relented so far as to give his daughter a moderate portion. By the desire of King James John Donne took orders, and, settling in London, was made preacher of Lincoln's Inn. In 1621 he was appointed Dean of St Paul's. He was chosen prolocutor to the convocation in 1623-24. As a poet, and the precursor of Cowley, John Donne may be deemed the founder of what Dr. Johnson calls the metaphysical class of poets. Abounding in thought this school generally neglected versification, and that of John Donne was peculiarly harsh and unmusical. His style is quaint and pedantic; but he displays sound learning, deep thinking, and originality of manner. Besides the works already mentioned, he wrote Letters, Sermons, Essays on Divinity, and other pieces. Research John Donaldson
Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton was an English philanthropist and abolitionist. He was born in 1786 and died in 1845. Educated at Trinity College, Dublin, in 1811 he joined the firm of the celebrated brewers, Truman Hanbury, & Company, and took an active share in the business. The Spitalfields distress in 1816 was the occasion of his turning his attention to philanthropic efforts, and along with his sister-in-law, the celebrated Elizabeth Fry, he made inquiries which directed public attention to the system of prison discipline. In 1818 he was elected member of parliament for Weymouth, and was long the able coadjutor of William Wilberforce in his efforts for the abolition of slavery. He was created a baronet in 1840. Research Thomas Buxton
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