The Bampton Lectures were a course of lectures established in 1751 by John Bampton, canon of Salisbury, who bequeathed certain property to the University of Oxford for the endowment of eight divinity lectures to be annually delivered. The subjects prescribed were mainly connected with the evidences of Christianity, and the lecturer must have taken the degree of M.A. at Oxford or Cambridge. The first course of lectures was delivered in 1780, and were delivered every year since, with the exceptions of 1834, 1835, and 1841. Among the more remarkable lectures were those by Dr. White in 1784, by Dr. Mant in 1812, by Reginald Heber in 1815, Whately in 1822, Milman in 1827, Dr. Hampden in 1832, Mr. Mansel in 1858, Canon Liddon in 1866, CanonGore in 1891. A similar course of lectures, the Hulsean, was annually delivered at Cambridge. Research Bampton Lectures
The Order of the Garter (originally known as the Order of St George) is a British dignitary awarded for chivalry. The origin of the order, though sometimes assigned to Richard I, is generally attributed to Edward III, the legend being that the Countess of Salisbury having dropped her garter while dancing, the king restored it, after putting it round his own leg, with the words, which became the motto of the order, 'Honi soit quimal y pense' - Shame be to him who thinks evil of it. The date of the foundation or restoration by Edward III of the order, as given by Froissart, is 1344, while other authorities, founding on the statutes of the order, assign it to 1350.
The statutes of the order have been repeatedly revised, more particularly in the reigns of Henry V, Henry VIII, Edward VI, and George III in 1805. Ladies are said to have been admitted up until the reign of Edward IV. Until the reign of Edward VI the common title of the order was the Order of St George, and it still bears this title, as well as that of the Garter. The original number of knights was twenty-six, including the sovereign, who was its permanent head; and this number is still retained, except that by a statute passed in 1786 princes of the blood are admitted as supernumerary members.
The peculiar emblem of the order, the garter, a dark-blue ribbon edged with gold, bearing the motto and with a gold buckle and pendant, is worn on the left leg below the knee. The mantle is of blue velvet, lined with white taffeta, the surcoat and hood of crimsonvelvet, the hat of black velvet, with plume of white ostrich feathers, having in the centre a tuft of black heron's feathers. The collar of gold consists of knots alternating with garters inclosing roses, with the badge of the order, called the George pendent from it. This consists of a figure of St George on horseback fighting the dragon. The lesser George is worn on a broad blue ribbon over the left shoulder. The star, formerly only a cross, is of silver, and consists of eight points, with the cross of St George in the centre, encircled by the garter. A star is worn by the knights on the left side when not in the dress of the order.
Stonehenge is the principal prehistoric monument in Great Britain. It consists of a group of large stones arranged in a circle on Salisbury Plain.
Geoffrey of Monmouth claimed that the devil bought the stones from an old woman in Ireland, wrapped them up in a wyth, and took them to Salisbury plain where after fixing them in the ground he cried out 'no man will ever find out how these stones came here'. Several hundred years later the mystery of how the stones arrived and were erected, remains a mystery.
In 2008, the results of an archaeological survey were published, suggesting that, based upon evidence of artefacts and near-by burials, that Stonehenge was used as a place of healing from prehistoric times through to the mediaeval period, including by the Romans. Whether or not Stonehenge was used for other purposes as well is not known, but it seems very likely that the stones and location were considered to have the properties of healing the body, and there is evidence that suggests people travelled from as far as Switzerland to be treated at the site. Research Stonehenge More pictures of Stonehenge
The Treaty of Berlin was signed on the 13th of July, 1878, at the close of the Berlin Congress, which was constituted by the representatives of the six Great Powers and Turkey. The Treaty of SanStefano, previously concluded between Turkey and Russia, was modified by the Berlin Treaty, which resulted In the division of Bulgaria into two parts, Bulgaria proper and Eastern Rumelia, the cession of parts of Armenia to Russia and Persia, the independence of Rumania, Serbia, and Montenegro, the transference of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Austrian administration, and the retrocession of Bessarabia to Russia. Greece was also to have an accession of territory. The British representatives were Beaconsfield, Salisbury, and LordOdo Russell. By a separate arrangement previously made between Britain and Turkey, the former got Cyprus to administer. Research Treaty of Berlin
Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, was a British politician. He was born in 1848 and died in 1930. Educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge, he represented Hertford in 1874 to 1885, and then was member for East Manchester representing the Conservative party. For a time he was private secretary to his uncle, LordSalisbury, under whom he was president of the Local Government Board, and afterwards secretary for Scotland (1886-87), with a seat in the cabinet. He showed much firmness and ability as chief secretary for Ireland during Lord Salisbury's administration in 1887-91. He succeeded Mr. W. H. Smith as leader of the House of Commons and first lord of the treasury in 1891-92, and held the position again from 1895 until 1900, and from that year until 1902. On the retirement of LordSalisbury in 1902 he became prime minister, a position which he retained until December 1905. Under him as premier were passed the new English Education Act (which owed much to his personal influence and exertions), that for London, and a new Licensing Act, and he advocated a change of fiscal policy, at least as far as having recourse to retaliation, denying that he in any way favours protection. He was given to studies bearing on philosophy and religion, and published a Defence of Philosophic Doubt (1879), Essays and Addresses (1893), and The Foundations of Belief (1895). He was president of the British Association in 1904. As foreign secretary from 1916 to 1919 he was responsible for the Balfopur declaration of 1917 which promissed Zionists a national home in Palestine. He resigned from parliament in 1922, was made an earl, and served again as Lord President from 1925 until 1929. Research Arthur Balfour
Benjamin Hoadly was an English prelate. He was born in 1676 and died in 1761. He was educated at Cambridge; took orders in 1700, and after being settled in London distinguished himself in controversy with Bishop Atterbury and others. A staunch low-churchman, he was appointed Bishop of Bangor in 1715. A sermon preached before the king in 1717 gave rise to the 'Bangorian Controversy' regarding the divine authority of the king and the church. He was translated to the see of Hereford in 1721, to Salisbury in 1723, and Winchester in 1734. Research Benjamin Hoadly
Daniel Webster was an American politician and lawyer. He was born in 1782 at Salisbury, New Hampshire and died in 1852. Educated at Phillips (Exeter) Academy and at Dartmouth, where he graduated in 1801, he taught school at Fryeburg, in Maine, studied law, was called to the bar in 1805, and began the practice of law in Boscawen, New Hampshire. In 1807 he removed to Portsmouth. He was soon a leader of the bar, and from 1813 to 1817 was Congressman. In views he was then a moderate Federalist. He now settled in Boston, and in 1818 rose to the front rank of lawyers by his plea before the US Supreme Court in the famous 'Dartmouth College case', which involved the obligation of contracts and the powers of the Government.
From 1823 to 1827 he was Congressman from Massachusetts, was chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and had attracted attention by his speeches on Greece and on free trade. He had become widely known as an orator. Among his great speeches were : at Plymouth, 1820, on the bi-centennial; at the laying of the corner-stone of the Bunker Hill Monument, 1825; the eulogy on Adams and Jefferson, 1826. In 1827 Daniel Webster entered the US Senate, and ranked chief among the orators, of the giants in Congress; Clay, John Calhoun, Benton, were among his contemporaries.
He favoured the protective tariff of 1828. Two years later he reached his highest point, in the debate on the Foote resolution, where his reply to Hayne won for him the title of 'Expounder of the Constitution'. Daniel Webster opposed Nullification, was often pitted against John Calhoun took an active part in the Bank controversy, and was, with Clay, highest in the Whig party. He came within reach of the nomination for President.
In 1836 he received the electoral vote of Massachusetts. President Harrisonchose him for Secretary of State in 1841, and he alone of the members of Tyler's Cabinet refused to resign in September, 1841. He negotiated the Ashburton Treaty with Great Britain in 1842, and resigned in 1843. In 1845 he re-entered the Senate. He spoke on the Oregon question, gave a lame support to Taylor in 1848, and in 1850 in the Compromise excitement he alienated many former friends by his famous 'seventh of March speech'. He was again Secretary of State in 1850 until 1852. He received a few votes in the Convention of 1852, refused to support Scott, and died soon after at his home in Marshfield, Massachusetts Research Daniel Webster
George Nathaniel Curzon (Baron Cuzon of of Kedleston) was an English statesman. He was born in 1859 and died in 1925. The son of BaronScarsdale, he was educated at Eton and Balliol College, Oxford. He became assistant private secretary to the Marquis of Salisbury in 1885, from 1886 until 1898 he was MP for the Southport division of Lancashire; was under-secretary for India and for foreign affairs; and from 1898 to 1905 was viceroy of India, a post which he occupied with high distinction, and for which he was partly prepared through his extensive travels in Asia. On being appointed viceroy he was created a member of the Irish peerage, a rank which does not exclude the holder from the House of Commons. His resignation of the viceroyship was partly brought about by hia views conflicting with those of LordKitchener, the head of the Indian army. He was LordWarden of the Cinque Ports from 1904 to 1905, during his temporary absence from India. Later he was foreign secretary from 1919 until 1924. Hewrote Russia in Central Asia and the Anglo-Russian Question; Persia and the Persian Question; Problems of the Far East: Japan - Korea - China. Research George Curzon
George Joachim Goschen was an English politician and financier. He was born in 1831 at London and died after 1905. Of German extraction, he was educated at Rugby and Oxford. He entered parliament in 1863. In 1865 he was sworn of the privy-council on becoming a member of the Russell ministry. In 1868 he became president of the poor law board, and subsequently first lord of the Admiralty. On several occasions he found himself unable to move with the Liberal party; and when in 1886 Gladstone launched his Home Rule scheme for Ireland, George Goschen became one of the leaders of the Liberal-Unionists. The same year he succeeded LordChurchill as chancellor of the exchequer under LordSalisbury, and in 1895 he again took office under the same leader as first lord of the admiralty. In 1900 he was raised to the peerage as Viscount Goschen. He was author of a well-known work on the Theory of Foreign Exchanges. Research George Goschen
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Bampton Lectures
