MITCHELL, William. b. in the West of England about 1829; an assistant in a shop; a clown under the name of Felix Revolti; ringmaster under Charles Hengler; the Prince of ringmasters his aim being to act naturally and not to anticipate the Clown’s jokes; kept a hotel in London a short time; resumed his post of ringmaster with C. Hengler in Liverpool and London to his death; sketched the stories for some of C. Hengler’s Christmas pieces; his brother F. Mitchell was also in the equestrian business. d. in a railway carriage at Caledonian railway station, Glasgow 6 March 1879. bur. Sight Hill cemetery 10 March. The Era 16 March 1879 pp. 4, 5.
MITCHELL, Sir William Henry Fancourt (son of George Berkley Mitchell, V. of St. Mary’s, Leicester 1820 to 1840). b. 1811; writer in colonial secretary’s office, Tasmania 2 April 1833, assistant colonial secretary 1 Aug. 1839; a squatter near Kyneton and Mount Macedon, Port Philip 1840; chief commissioner of the police 1 Jany. 1853, restored order in the gold districts and stamped out bush-ranging; member of legislative council, Victoria, Sep. 1856 to 1858 and 1860 to death; postmaster-general 29 April 1857 to 10 March 1858; comr. of railways 30 Dec. 1861 to 27 June 1863; chairman of committees in legislative council March 1869, president of the council 1870 to death; knighted by patent 17 July 1875; chairman of R. Goldsborough & Co. woolbrokers in Melbourne and London. d. Barfold near Kyneton, Victoria 24 Nov. 1884.
MITFORD, John (elder son of John Mitford, commander in the navy of H.E.I.Co., d. 18 May 1806). b. Richmond, Surrey 13 Aug. 1781; ed. at Tunbridge gr. sch. and Oriel coll. Oxf., B.A. 1804; C. of Kelsale, Suffolk 1809; V. of Benhall, Suffolk 17 Feb. 1810, reinstituted 5 Feb. 1824 held it to his death; domestic chaplain to lord Redesdale, Aug. 1815; R. of Weston St. Peter, Suffolk 22 Aug. 1815, R. of Stratford St. Andrew, Suffolk 1817, these livings were united 5 Feb. 1824 when he was reinstituted and held them till his death; contributed to Gent. Mag. from 1833, editor Jany. 1834 to Dec. 1850; composed numerous poems signed J. M.; edited The poems of Thomas Gray 1814, 7 ed. 1866; The works of Thomas Gray 2 vols. 1816, 2 ed. 1836; edited for Pickering’s Aldine edition of the British poets, Cowper 3 vols. 1830, Goldsmith 1831, Milton 3 vols. 1832, Dryden 5 vols. 1832–3, Parnell 1833, Swift 3 vols. 1833–4, Young 2 vols. 1834, Prior 2 vols. 1835, Butler 2 vols. 1835, Gray 4 vols. 1835–6, Falconer 1836 and Spencer 5 vols. 1839; edited Sacred specimens selected from the early English poets 1827, and The works of Milton in prose and verse 8 vols. 1851; author of Agnes the Indian captive, with other poems 1811; Miscellaneous poems 1858. d. Benhall vicarage 27 April 1859. bur. Stratford St. Andrew. Mrs. Houstoun’s Letters and reminiscences of the rev. John Mitford (1891); Mrs. Houstoun’s Woman’s memories, i 122–5, 178–204.
Note.—His collection of silver Greek coins, cameos and miniatures was sold by Sotheby and Wilkinson 30 June 1859; his engravings and drawings 23–25 July 1859; his Greek and Latin classics 17–24 Dec. 1859 for £1030; his library of English history, plays and poetry was sold 24 April to 6 May 1860 for £2999; and his manuscripts, including 55 vols. of his own recollections on 9 July 1860 producing £817.
MITFORD, Mary Russell (only child of George Mitford or Midford. d. 11 Dec. 1842). b. Alresford, Hampshire 16 Dec. 1787; drew a prize in a lottery worth £20,000, 1797; ed. at Mrs. St. Quintin’s school 22 Hans place, London 1798 to 1802; one of 114 persons who competed for the poetical address to be spoken at opening of Drury Lane theatre 10 Oct. 1812; lived at Three Mile Cross near Reading 1820 to 1851, and at Swallowfield near Reading 1851 to death; granted civil list pension of £100, 1837; edited Finden’s Tableaux, an annual 1838–41; author of 4 tragedies, Julian produced at Covent Garden 15 March 1823; Foscari at C.G. 4 Nov. 1826; Rienzi at Drury Lane 9 Oct. 1828; Charles I. at Victoria theatre 9 July 1834; she also wrote Mary Queen of Scots, a scena in verse 1831, and an opera libretto Sadak and Kalasrade produced 1835, her plays were published in 2 vols. 1854; author of Miscellaneous poems 1810, 2 ed. 1811; Blanch of Castile 1812; Our village, sketches of rural character and scenery 5 vols. 1824–32, 5 ed. 1856, reprinted from The Lady’s magazine 1819 &c., which made her famous, children were named after her village urchins; Dramatic scenes, sonnets and other poems 1827; Belford Regis or sketches of a country town 3 vols. 1835, 3 ed. 1849; Recollections of a literary life 3 vols. 1852, 4 ed. 1859; Atherton and other tales 3 vols. 1854. d. Swallowfield 10 Jany. 1855. Life of M. R. Mitford, edited by rev. A. G. L’Estrange 3 vols. (1870); Friendships of M. R. Mitford, edited by rev. A. G. L’Estrange (1882); M. R. Mitford’s Recollections of a literary life (1859), portrait; James Payn’s Literary recollections (1885) 74–97; H. F. Chorley’s The authors of England (1861) 63–66, portrait; Yesterdays with authors. By James T. Fields (Boston 1873) 261–352; A book of memories. By S. C. Hall (1877) 438–49; H. Martineau’s Biographical sketches (1876) 353–59; S. T. Hall’s Biographical sketches (1873) 96–108; Maclise portrait gallery (1883) 355, 379, portrait; I.L.N. xxiv 369, 370 (1854) portrait, xxvi 60 (1855).
MITFORD, William Townley (only son of Charles Mitford, treasurer of Sussex, d. 1831). b. 29 June 1817; ed. at Eton and Oriel coll. Oxf., B.A. 1839; sheriff of Sussex 1848; M.P. Midhurst, Sussex 1859–74; contested Midhurst 3 Feb. 1874. d. 7 Cavendish sq. London 18 April 1889.
MIVART, James Edward. b. 1781; proprietor of Mivart’s hotel 42–45 Brook st. Grosvenor sq. London 1816–56, now called Claridge’s hotel. d. 10 College crescent, St. John’s wood, London 5 Jany. 1856.
MOBERLY, George (7 son of Edward Moberly of St. Petersburg, Russia, merchant). b. St. Petersburg 20 Oct. 1803; ed. at Winchester 1816–22 and Balliol coll. Oxf., scholar March 1822, fellow 1826–34, tutor; B.A. 1825, M.A. 1828, D.C.L. 1836; select preacher 1833, 1858 and 1863; Bampton lecturer 1868; head master of Winchester Dec. 1835 to Dec. 1866, fellow Dec. 1866 to 1870; R. of Brightstone, Isle of Wight, Dec. 1866 to 1869; canon of Chester cathedral Oct. 1868 to Sep. 1869; bishop of Salisbury 14 Aug. 1869, consecrated 28 Oct. 1869; founded a diocesan synod; with four other persons he revised and annotated editions of St. John’s Gospel, and the epistles to the Romans, Corinthians and Galations 1857–61; author of Practical sermons 1838; The sayings of the great forty days 1844, 6 ed. 1882; Sermons preached at Winchester college 1844, Second series with a preface on Fagging 1848; The administration of the Holy spirit in the body of Christ. Bampton lectures 1868; Brightstone sermons 1869, 4 ed. 1882; his name is annexed to upwards of 35 works. d. Salisbury 6 July 1885. H. C. Adams’s History of Winchester College (1878) 210–12, 239–48; I.L.N. lv 437 (1869), portrait; Saturday Review, lx 47.
MOBERLY, Henry. Entered Madras army 1805; lieut. 10 Madras N.I. 15 Oct. 1809; lieut. 25 N.I. 1 Sep. 1818; captain 49 N.I. 1 May 1824, major 9 April 1838 to 18 April 1842; sec. of Madras military board 1835–43; lieut.-col. 8 N.I. 18 April 1842 to 1843, of 9 N.I. 1843–5, and of 16 N.I. 1845–6; stipendiary member of military board 17 Nov. 1843 to death; lieut.-col. of 29 N.I. 1846–7, of 8 N.I. 1847–9, and of 22 N.I. 1849 to death. d. Madras 5 July 1852.
MOFFATT, George (son of William Moffatt of London). b. 1810; wholesale tea dealer in London and Liverpool; chairman of Lhynvi iron and coal co.; contested Ipswich 3 June 1842 and Dartmouth 27 Dec 1844; M.P. Dartmouth 1845–52; M.P. Ashburton 1852–9; M.P. Honiton 1860–5; M.P. Southampton 1865–8; author of The Bankruptcy law of England. d. Torquay 20 Feb. 1878; personalty under £350,000, 27 April 1878. Sir Henry Cole’s Life, i 36, ii 101 (1884).