Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Linnecar, Richard
LINNECAR, RICHARD (1722–1800), dramatist, born at Wakefield in 1722, was for some time postmaster there. In 1763 he was elected one of the coroners for the West Riding of Yorkshire. For many years he was a prominent freemason. He died while holding an inquest at Swillington on 14 March 1800, aged 78 (Gent. Mag. 1800, pt. i. p. 391).
Linnecar published by subscription in 1789 a volume of ‘Miscellaneous Works’ (8vo, Leeds), containing two comedies, ‘The Lucky Escape,’ described by Genest ‘as insipid to the last degree,’ and ‘The Plotting Wives,’ the latter of which was acted at York on 6 Feb. 1769; a tragedy, ‘The Generous Moor;’ some prose ‘Strictures on Freemasonry,’ and numerous songs and other trifles in verse.
His portrait was painted by Singleton and engraved by T. Barrow.
[Lupton's Wakefield's Worthies, pp. 254–5; Linnecar's Works; Lowndes's Bibl. Man. p. 1367; Evans's Cat. of Engraved Portraits, i. 210.]