_b._ born Edin. Edinburgh _c._ _circa_ _fl._ flourished Camb. Cambridge Glas. Glasgow Coll. College _m._ married _coll._ collected Oxf. Oxford _cr._ created pres. president _d._ died _pub._ published _dau._ daughter Prof. Professor _ed._ educated sec. secretary { edition _s._ son ed. { editor Univ. University { edited ABBOTT, JACOB (1803-1879).--Educationalist and miscellaneous author, _b._ at Hallowell, Maine, _ed._ at Bowdoin Coll. and Andover, entered the ministry of the Congregational Church, but was best known as an educationist and writer of religious and other books, mainly for the young. Among them are _Beechnut Tales_ and _The Rollo Books_, both of which still have a very wide circulation. ABBOTT, JOHN STEVENS CABOT (1805-1877).--Historian, etc., _b._ Brunswick, Maine, and _ed._ at Bowdoin Coll. He studied theology and became a minister of the Congregational Church at various places in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Owing to the success of a little work, _The Mother at Home_, he devoted himself, from 1844 onwards, to literature, and especially to historical writing. Among his principal works, which were very popular, are: _History of Napoleon Bonaparte_ (1852-55), _History of the Civil War in America_ (1863-66), and _History of Frederick the Great_ (1871). À BECKETT, GILBERT ABBOTT (1811-1856).--Comic writer, _b._ in London, the _s._ of a lawyer, and belonged to a family claiming descent from Thomas à Becket. Destined for the legal profession, he was called to the Bar. In addition to contributions to various periodicals and newspapers, including _Punch_, _The Illustrated London News_, _The Times_, and _Morning Herald_, he produced over fifty plays, many of which attained great popularity, and he also helped to dramatise some of Dickens' works. He is perhaps best known as the author of _Comic History of England_, _Comic History of Rome_, _Comic Blackstone_, etc. He was also distinguished in his profession, acted as a commissioner on various important matters, and was appointed a metropolitan police magistrate.