KEITH, Alexander (son of George Skene Keith, D.D. 1752–1823). b. manse of Keith hall, Aberdeenshire 30 Nov. 1791; ed. at Marischal coll. and univ. of Aberdeen, B.A. 1809, D.D. 1833; minister of St. Cyrus parish, Forfarshire 1816, resigned 1840; one of a deputation to Palestine with rev. Robert McCheyne, rev. A. Bonnar and rev. A. Black to enquire into state of the Jews described in Narrative of Mission to the Jews 1839, revisited Palestine 1844 and was the first to take daguerrotype views of places in Syria; one of founders of Free church of Scotland 1843, declined the moderatorship repeatedly on account of his health; author of Evidence of the truth of the Christian religion derived from the fulfilment of prophecy 1828, 40 ed. 1873, translated into many foreign languages; The signs of the times as denoted by the fulfilment of historical predictions 2 vols. 1832, 8 ed. 1847; The harmony of prophecy 1851; The history and destiny of the world and of the church 1861. d. Aberdeen house 56 West st. Buxton, where he had resided for some years, 8 Feb. 1880. bur. Chinley, Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire 12 Feb. Wylie’s Disruption Worthies (1881) 331–8, portrait; H. Scott’s Fasti Ecclesiæ Scoticaniæ, iii, pt. ii, 585, 865 (1871).
KEITH, Hester Maria, viscountess Keith (eld. dau. of Henry Thrale, brewer, d. 1781). b. 1762; from 1765 Dr. Johnson called her Queenie, wrote verses for her and directed her education; by death of her only brother 1776 she became a rich heiress; greatly disapproved of her mother’s marriage to Piozzi; a considerable scholar in history, poetry, Hebrew and mathematics; refused Samuel Rogers the poet. (m. 10 Jany. 1808 at Ramsgate, George Keith Elphinstone, admiral, b. 7 Jany. 1746, cr. viscount Keith 1 June 1814, d. 10 March 1823); one of the patronesses of Almack’s 1808; a prominent leader of society in London and Edinburgh 1814–50; she was the last survivor of the persons who are mentioned in Boswell’s Johnson. d. 110 Piccadilly, London 31 March 1857. Willis’ Current Notes 1857 p. 29; G.M. ii 615–6 (1857).
KEITH, Margaret Mercer Elphinstone, Baroness Keith (eld. dau. of George Keith Elphinstone, admiral, viscount Keith 1746–1823). b. Hertford st. Mayfair, London 12 June 1788; styled hon. Margaret Elphinstone 1797–1817; was in the household of the princess Charlotte. (m. 20 June 1817 at Edinburgh, Augustus Charles Joseph, count de Flahault de la Billardrie, French ambassador to London 1860, d. 2 Sep. 1870 aged 85); baroness Keith of Stonehaven Marishal and baroness Keith of Banheath on death of her father 10 March 1823; baroness Nairne on the death of her cousin William 4 lord Nairne 7 Dec. 1837; styled baroness Nairne and Keith 1837 to death. d. at palace of the legion of honour, Paris 11 Nov. 1867.
KEITH-FALCONER, Ion Grant Neville (3 son of 9 Earl of Kintore). b. Edinburgh 5 July 1856; ed. at Harrow and Trin. coll. Camb., B.A. 1878; Tyrwhitt univ. Hebrew scholar; defeated John Keen by five yards in a two-mile bicycle race at Cambridge 11 May 1878; rode 50 miles in 2 hours and 44 minutes at Crystal palace, beating the record 9 July 1882; rode from Land’s End to John o’ Groat’s House 994 miles in 13 days, June 1882; Hebrew lecturer at Clare college, Camb.; missionary of Free church of Scotland 26 May 1886; lord almoner’s professor of Arabic at Camb. 1886 to death, gave 3 lectures on the Pilgrimage to Mecca, Nov.; arrived at Aden 8 Dec. 1886; began to build a permanent home for a mission at Shaikh Othman near Aden, attacked by Aden fever Feb. 1887. d. Shaikh Othman 11 May 1887. bur. Aden cemetery. R. Sinker’s Memorials of Ion Keith-Falconer (1888); Sporting Mirror, iv 49–52 (1882), portrait.
KEKEWICH, George Granville (1 son of George Kekewich of Dartmouth). b. 1802; ed. at Ex. coll. Oxf., B.A. 1824, M.A. 1827; barrister M.T. 23 Nov. 1827; judge of county courts circuit 60 (Cornwall), March 1847 to death. d. Exeter 7 Jany. 1857.
KEKEWICH, Samuel Trehawke (son of Samuel Kekewich, D.C.L., d. 26 Aug. 1822). b. Bowden house near Totnes, Devon 31 Oct. 1796; ed. at Eton; matric. from Ch. Ch. Oxf. 27 Oct. 1814; M.P. Exeter 1826–30; M.P. South Devon 1858 to death; sheriff of Devon 1834. d. Peamore near Exeter 1 June 1873.
KELAART, Edward Frederick. b. Ceylon 1818 or 1819; assistant surgeon in army 16 July 1841, surgeon 16 July 1852 to death; F.G.S. 1845; author of Flora Calpensis, contributions to the flora and topography of Gibraltar 1846; Prodromus faunæ Zeylanicæ, being contributions to the zoology of Ceylon 1852–54; Introductory report on the natural history of the pearl oyster of Ceylon 1857; Contributions to marine zoology, descriptions of Ceylon nudibranchiate mollusca, sea anemones and entozoa 1859. d. on board the Ripon on the evening before her arrival at Southampton 31 Aug. 1860. Proc. of Linnean soc. (1861) p. 41.
KELK, John. b. 1798; a student at Leyden 30 Sep. 1822 and M.D. 1824; M.R.C.P. Lond. 1860; author of Dissertatio de sylphide. Leyden 1824; The Scarborough spa, its analysis and medical use, to which is added On the utility of the bath 1841, 4 ed. 1860. d. 1 Brunswick ter. Scarborough 3 May 1873.
KELK, Sir John, 1 Baronet (3 son of John Kelk of London 1781–1848). b. London 16 Feb. 1816; apprentice to Thomas Cubitt, builder; partner with Mr. Newton as builders 12 Margaret st. Cavendish sq. till 1845; contractor for railway and other works, being at times associated with Brassey, Peto and Betts and others; agent for the commissioners of the Great Exhibition of 1851 in purchasing the Gore house estate; gave £15,000 towards debt on Great Exhibition of 1862, which he and Mr. Lucas erected; constructed the Albert memorial without pecuniary benefit 1864; with Messrs. Aird made the Millwall docks 1868; built the Victoria station and Pimlico railway 1858–60; constructed works on the Metropolitan and Metropolitan District railways 1860–71; built Smithfield goods depôt and meat market 1866–9; erected with Mr. Lucas the Alexandra palace, opened 22 May 1873, burnt 9 June 1873, re-erected it and lost much money in the undertaking, it was reopened 1 May 1875; M.P. Harwich 1865–8; A.I.C.E. 5 Feb. 1861; cr. baronet 1 May 1874; sheriff of co. Southampton 1884. d. 12 Sep. 1886. Min. of Proc. of I.C.E. lxxxvii 451–5 (1886); I.L.N. May 1862 pp. 479, 481, portrait; Law Reports. Chancery Division, xxvi 107–54 (1884).
KELKE, William Hastings. Ed. at Jesus coll. Camb., B.A. 1828; R. of Osgathorpe, Leics. 1836–40; R. of Drayton Beauchamp, Bucks. 1840–60; author of Notices of sepulchral monuments in English churches 1850; Britain’s ancient church and Rome’s usurpations 1851; The churchyard manual, with designs for memorials 1851; Family prayers 1854. d. Little Missenden, Bucks. 12 April 1865.