Page:Men of Kent and Kentishmen.djvu/102

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MEN OF KENT

bers of the Linnæan Society. He appeared as an author first in 1770, as a contributor to the Philosophical Transactions; but the work by which he is best known is his celebrated "General History of Birds," "undoubtedly the most useful and valuable work of its class" that had appeared up to his time. It was published in 10 vols, between 1821-24. The author died at Winchester in 1837.

[See "Gentleman's Magazine," 1837.]


Stephen Langton,

CARDINAL ARCHBISHOP,

No less than four counties claim the honour of giving birth to this renowned prelate, and Kent being among them, his name is here given. As, however, there is no proof of his being a Kentish man, and as, on the contrary, the probability is that he belonged to a northern, most likely a Yorkshire family, he must be excluded from further notice here.


Charles Peter Layard,

DIVINE AND POET,

Charles Peter Layard belonged to a noble French family settled in Kent. His father was a physician at Greenwich, where he was born in 1748. He was educated at Westminster School and St. John's College, Cambridge, where he obtained the Seatonian Prize in 1773 and 1775. On taking orders he was appointed minister of Oxenden Chapel, and librarian of Tennison's Library, Westminster. He became one of the most popular preachers of the day,