Modern English biography, volume 1 (of 4), A-HBoase, Frederic
General
Modern English biography, volume 1 (of 4), A-H
Boase, Frederic
Great Britain -- Biography -- Dictionaries
ACLAND, JAMES (_son of Mr. Acland of London, Government
contractor_). _b._ city of London 21 March 1799; ed. at Alfred
house academy, Camberwell; joined Phillimore’s theatrical company
at Chew Magna; clerk in office of Hullett Brothers & Company,
South American merchants, Austin Friars; leading tragedian of
Royalty theatre, Wellclose square; taught English at Calais; a
penny a liner in London; sub editor of the _British Traveller_;
took lodgings in Queen st. Hull 1831; started a publication called
_The Portfolio, or memoirs and correspondence of an editor_, Aug.
1831; printed it himself at 23 Queen st.; erected a stall in the
market place and refused to pay usual fee for it; ran a packet
called the “Magna Charta” from Hull to Barton on Humber, charging
less than half fares; ran a light cart over all bridges in the
town and refused to pay bridge toll, great alarm being created,
the Mayor swore in 800 special constables, corporation began
action against him in court of King’s Bench, Jany. 1832; tried at
York 31 March 1832 for infringement of Barton ferry, when verdict
went against him with damages one farthing, his costs amounting to
£270, he barricaded his house for several months to prevent anyone
entering to arrest him, his _Portfolio_ being sold through a
crevice in the window; elected churchwarden of Holy Trinity, Hull,
Easter Monday 1832; taken to gaol for not paying his costs; a
candidate for office of chamberlain of Hull, Sep. 1832; a grocer
at 23 Queen st., to which house he gave name of “Anti-corporate
castle;” confined in the King’s Bench prison, Nov. 1832; sentenced
to 18 months imprisonment in gaol of Bury St. Edmunds for libel;
served the full term; contested Hull as a liberal 13 Dec. 1832,
polled only 433 votes; last number of the _Portfolio_ issued 13
July 1833, a few sheets followed, which he styled _Prison
Proverbs_. Proprietor with Richard and Anthony Dugdale of _Paris
Sun_, “the largest continental journal and the only English paper
in the world, published daily throughout the year,” was director
and editor of it at 7 Rue Vivienne, Paris 1 Jany. 1837; only
number of it in British Museum library is headed “Vol. 2, No. 54,
Thursday morning, Feb. 23, 1837, 10 sous,” the proprietors were
condemned by the president of 6th chamber of correctional police
to a fine to government of 2000 francs, and to payment of 1000
francs to proprietors of an opposition paper for libel 22 Feb.
1837; lecturer of Anti-corn law league 1838–46; convened and
addressed farm labourers of every village in Devon and Cornwall;
an election and parliamentary agent 1846 to death; a very good
speaker on nearly any subject; author of _True patriotism_, _a
poem_ 1817, _The Imperial poll book of all elections from_ 1832 to
1864, Second ed. 1869. _d._ 14 Ellerslie terrace, Clapham, London
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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