BIRD, James. b. Cardiff Feb. 1802; ed. at St. Bartholomew’s hospital; L.S.A. 1821, M.R.C.S. 1825; surgeon at Cardiff 1825–32; surgeon in London 1832 to 1856; joint sec. with Henry Ancell to the British medical association; author of Private devotions for girls 1874. d. 80 Seymour st. Portman sq. London 4 June 1874. Medical Circular i, 263 (1852).
BIRD, Rev. John. b. Betchworth, Surrey 14 Sep. 1783; ed. at Stonyhurst college; ordained priest 10 Dec. 1808; professed of the 4 vows 2 Feb. 1819; rector of St. Aloysius’ college 26 June 1832 to 18 May 1839 and 15 Sep. 1841; missioner at Pontefract 1842–48; superior of St. George’s Residence, Worcester Nov. 1850 to death. d. 8 June 1853.
BIRD, Louis Saunders. Ensign Bengal Infantry 26 Nov. 1808; col. 23 Bengal N.I. 17 April 1856–1869; L.G. 22 Feb. 1870. d. Clevedon, Somerset 17 April 1874 aged 81.
BIRD, Robert Merttins. b. 1788; Bengal civil servant; assistant to registrar of Court of Sadr Diwàni Adàlat at Calcutta 9 Nov. 1808; comr. of revenue and circuit for the Gorakhpur division 1829; member of board of revenue at Allahabad 1832; revised settlement of land revenue of North western provinces 1833–41, the most complete settlement that had yet been made in India; retired to England 1842; active member of committee of the Church Missionary Society. d. Torquay 22 Aug. 1853. Dict. of nat. biog. v, 78 (1886).
BIRD, Robert Nicholas. Ensign 20 Foot 30 Aug. 1859; lieut. 2 Dec. 1862 to death; murdered by Japanese at Kamahura about 17 miles from Yokohama 21 Nov. 1864. R. Lindau’s Erzählungen und Novellen i, 15–54 (1871); F. O. Adams’s History of Japan i, 485–98 (1874), ii, 1–5 (1875).
BIRD, William Wilberforce (eld. son of Wm. Wilberforce Bird of the Spring, Kenilworth, M.P. for Coventry). b. 1784; ed. at Warwick and Geneva; writer in H.E.I. Co.’s civil service at Calcutta 11 July 1803; third ordinary member of council of India 21 March 1838; senior member of board of customs salt and opium and of the marine board 17 Sep. 1838; deputy governor of Bengal 4 times; pres. of the council 1840–44; governor general of India 15 June 1844 to 23 July 1844; very instrumental in abolition of suttee and suppression of slavery; retired to England 1844. d. 22 Sussex sq. Hyde Park, London 1 June 1857.
BIRDWOOD, Christopher. b. 1806; ensign 3 Bombay N.I. 3 May 1825; commissariat officer of Malwa field force 1839–41; colonel Bombay staff corps 9 Nov. 1868; general 1 Oct. 1877. d. Pucklechurch near Bristol 4 July 1882 in 76 year. Graphic xxvi, 221 (1882), portrait.
BIRKETT, Rev. George William. Educ. at St. John’s coll. Cam., scholar, B.A. 1823, M.A. 1827; V. of St. Florence near Tenby 1829 to death; author of The trial of creation and other poems 1848. d. Tenby 26 Nov. 1877 aged 78.
BIRKIN, Richard (eld. son of Richard Birkin of Belper, calico weaver). b. Belper 6 July 1805; lace manufacturer at New Basford, Nottingham with Mr. Biddle 1826–47; juror on behalf of Nottingham for lace goods in International Exhibitions 1851 and 1862; mayor of Nottingham 1850, 55, 62 and 63; used mohair as a material for lace being the first to do so either in England or France. d. Aspley hall, Radford, Nottingham 10 Oct. 1870. J. B. Robinson’s Derbyshire gatherings (1866) 70–72, portrait; W. Felkin’s History of hosiery (1867) 368–71.
BIRKINSHAW, John Cass. b. Bedlington iron works Durham 1811; the first articled pupil of Robert Stephenson at Newcastle; engineer of London end of London and Birmingham railway 1835; engineer of Birmingham and Derby railway 1837–42; engineer of many railways projected but not made; engineer of Danish land company 1865; M.I.C.E. 2 March 1847; took out a patent 1820 for wrought or malleable iron rails instead of cast iron as used up to that time. d. March 1867 in 56 year. Min. of proc. of Instit. of C.E. xxxi, 202–207 (1871).