LEWIS, Waller Augustus. b. 1817; ed. Univ. coll. London and Caius coll. Camb., B.A. 1845, M.B. 1849; L.S.A. 1839, M.R.C.P. 1859; metropolitan comr. of sewers 1855–6; senior medical officer of General post office at £1000 a year; medical superintendent inspector General Board of Health and Sanitary commissioner Home office; author of Report on the state of the burial vaults of metropolitan churches; On the origin and spread of epidemic cholera; On the laws in France for regulation of noxious trades and occupations 1855. d. Whitby 7 Sep. 1882.
LEWIS, William. b. 1787; pupil of J. H. Sarratt the best chess player in England about 1807; the leading player many years after Sarratt’s death in 1821; a great and original chess analyst and one of the finest players in Europe; when W. de Kempelen’s automaton chessplayer was exhibited in London in 1819, Lewis officiated for some months as the hidden conductor of the Turk’s games, losing only 6 games in 300 though always giving the odds of pawn and move; played a match at Paris with Alexander L. H. L. Des Chapelles the leading chess-player in France 1821; a teacher of chess at 5 Nassau st. Soho, London, Alexander McDonnell was one of his pupils; author of A treatise on the game of chess 1814; Oriental chess, or specimens of Hindostanee excellence in that celebrated game 2 vols. 1817; Carera’s A treatise on the game of chess, to which is added the art of playing without seeing the board 1822; Fifty games at chess, most of which occurred between the author and some of the best players in England, France and Germany 1832. d. about 16 Nov. 1870. Quarterly Review, June 1849 pp. 90–5; W. G. Walker’s Selection of games at chess (1836) 273; W. G. Walker’s Thousand games at chess (18—) ix 82–4; Chess Players’ Chronicle, i 9, 33 (1841); I.L.N. 26 Nov. 1870 p. 555.
LEWIS, William David (brother of sir Charles E. Lewis). b. 1823; pupil of John Rudall, conveyancer 1838; a conveyancer at 10 Serle st. 1842, being the youngest conveyancer on record; barrister L.I. 29 Jany. 1844, bencher 1859; Q.C. June 1859; reader on law of real property and conveyancing at Gray’s Inn 26 May 1847 to June 1852, delivered every year 60 original and elaborate lectures; a comr. on registration of title to land 18 Jany. 1854, the report is dated 15 May 1857 and contains sketches of two bills by Lewis; founded the Juridical society 10 Feb. 1855; author of A practical treatise on the law of perpetuity 1843, unparalleled in the history of legal authorship as the achievement of a youth under 20 years of age. d. 1 Kensington sq. London 24 Jany. 1861 in 38 year. Solicitors’ Journal, v 242–4 (1861).
Note.—His only son Wm. Arnold Lewis, barrister Inner Temple 17 Nov. 1869, was killed by accident on the Lyskamm near Zermatt 6 Sep. 1877.
LEWIS, William Garrett (eld. son of Wm. Garrett Lewis, minister of Zion chapel, Chatham in 1824). b. Margate 5 Aug. 1821; articled to Dr. Gray of Brixton, London, schoolmaster 1837–40; clerk in the post office, London 1840–7; minister of Baptist chapel in Silver st. Kensington, Sep. 1847, new chapel built for him in Ledbury road, Westbourne Grove, opened 6 April 1853, preached there to Dec. 1880, presented by his congregation with 400 guineas 3 Jany. 1881; minister of chapel in Dagnal st. St. Albans, Jany. 1881 to death; a founder of the London Baptist association 1865, sec. 1865–9, pres. 1870; edited The Baptist Magazine 20 years; author of The religion of Rome examined, a course of lectures 1851; Westbourne Grove sermons 1872; The trades and industrial occupations of the Bible 1874. d. Victoria st. St. Albans 16 Jany. 1885. bur. Kensal Green 21 Jany. Baptist Mag. March ]885 pp. 97–102.
LEY, William (son of rev. Mr. Ley). b. Devonshire 1806; ed. at Ottery, Devon, and St. Bartholomew’s hospital; M.R.C.S. 1831, L.S.A. 1835; resident medical officer of Fever hospital 4 years; surgeon Crawford st. Portman sq. London, and surgeon to Western general dispensary, Stafford st.; studied insanity in Hanwell asylum; medical superintendent of Oxford and Berks. asylum, Littlemore 1845–66, where he treated all the patients with gentleness; the first to introduce cannabis Indica. d. while visiting the superintendent at Littlemore 7 March 1869. Medical Times, i 345–6 (1869).
LEYBOURNE, George. b. 1842; sang in the provinces many years; next to Alfred G. Vance he was the best known comic singer of his time, had an excellent voice, sang at all the London music halls; his songs Champagne Charlie 1867, Mouse-traps, and She danced like a fairy, were very popular; made his last appearance at Queen’s palace, Poplar 1884; author of The Barber’s apprentice boy, song 1868; Twelve of G. Leybourne’s comic songs 1878; reported to have died 24 Nov. 1876. d. of consumption, Englefield road, Islington 15 Sep. 1884. bur. Abney park cemetery 19 Sep. The Entr’acte 2 Dec. 1876 p. 3, 20 Sep. 1884 p. 11, portrait; Illust. Sport. News 21 April 1866 pp. 227, 236, portrait.
Note.—His dau. Florrie Leybourne is a music hall artiste. A matinée benefit was given for his widow at the Royal Holborn music hall on 27 Sep. 1884. On one occasion when Leybourne was singing for William Holland at the Canterbury music hall, under a clause in his agreement he had to drive out in a coach and four whenever required to do so, and was frequently seen in public in his carriage.
LEYLAND, John. b. 1815; founded the Boys Home and Surrey reformatory, Spanish road, Wandsworth, London 1852, also the Surrey Industrial school, High st. Wandsworth, of both of which he was hon. manager. d. Rosemount, Byfleet, Surrey 7 Oct. 1882.
LEYLAND, Joseph Bentley (2 son of Robert Leyland, naturalist). b. Halifax 31 March 1811; exhibited at Manchester the model of a greyhound and a colossal statue of Spartacus 1832; studied design under B. R. Haydon in London; his statue of Dr. Beckwith of York was placed in York minster; exhibited models of groups of hounds at Suffolk st. gallery 1834 and 1839; his group of African bloodhounds and his colossal figure The Thracian Falconer, are in the Salford museum. d. Halifax 26 Jany. 1851.