GREINER, John, journalist, b. in Phiiadelphia, Pa., 14 Sept., 1810; d. in Toledo, Ohio, 13 May, 1871. He removed to Ohio when a boy, and became distinguished as a temperance orator. He was an enthusiastic Whig, and in the Harrison campaign (1840) attained celebrity by his election songs, "Old Zip Coon," "The Wagoner Boy," and others. He was state librarian of Ohio from 1845 till 1851, when he was appointed Indian agent for New Mexico, and in 1852 became governor of that territory. He was afterward successively local editor of the "Ohio State Journal," and editor and proprietor of the Columbus "Gazette" and the Zanesville "Times." He was receiver in the U. S. land-office in Santa Fe, N. M., in 186l-'2, and sub-treasurer there in 1862-'6.
GRELLET, Stephen, missionary, b. in Limoges,
France, 2 Nov., 1773 ; d. in Burlington, N. J., 16
Nov., 1855. He was known in France as Etienne
de Grellet de Mabillier. His parents were wealthy
and belonged to the nobility. His father, Gabriel
Marc Antoine de Grellet, was comptroller of the
mint, the friend and counsellor of Louis XVL, and
the proprietor of iron-works and of extensive por-
celain manufactories. The son was originally a
Roman Ciatholic, and was educated at the military
college of Lyons. At the age of seventeen he en-
tered the body-guard of Louis XVI. During the
Revolution his family estates were confiscated, and
he and his brothers became prisoners of war and
were sentenced to be shot. After the execution of
the king he made his escape to Demerara. In 1795
he came to New York, where he shortly afterward
joined the Society of Friends. He removed to
Philadelphia, and during the prevalence of the yel-
low fever in 1798 ministered to the sick and afflict-
ed. In 1799 he returned to New York, where he
engaged in mercantile pursuits. He afterward
made a missionary tour in the southern states as
far as Georgia, and in 1801 travelled to New Eng-
land and Canada. In 1804 he married Rebecca,
the daughter of Isaac Collins, the publisher. He
visited the south of France in 1807, travelled in
England and Germany in 1812, preached in Hayti
in 1816, and during the two following years trav-
elled through Norway, Sweden, Russia, Greece, and
Italy, and preached before Pope Pius VII., who lis-
tened to his exhortations with respect and cour-
tesy. He returned to New York in 1820. and made
another missionary tour to Europe from 1831 till
1834, when he retired to Burlington. See '" Me-
moirs of Stephen Grellet," edited by Benjamin See-
bohm (Philadelphia, 1868).
GRENNELL, George, jurist, b. in Greenfield,
Mass., 25 Dec, 1786 ; d. there, 20 Nov., 1877. He
was graduated at Dartmouth with the highest hon-
ors in 1808, studied law, and was admitted to the
bar, beginning his practice in Greenfield. He was
prosecuting attorney of Franklin countv from 1820
till 1828, and state senator from 1824 till 1827. In
1828 he was elected to congress as a Whig, where
he served until 1839. He was a trustee of Amherst
from 1838 till 1859. In 1849 he was made probate
judge, which office he held until 1853. Subse-
quently he was clerk of the Franklin county courts
until 1865. He was one of the original corporators
of the Troy and Greenfield railroad, and was its
first president. During his term in Congress he
proposed the recognition of the independence of
Hayti. The degree of LL. D. was conferred upon
him bv Amherst in 1854.
GRENVILLE, George, English statesman, b.
in England, 14 Oct., 1712 ; d. there, 13 Nov., 1770.
He was educated at Eton and at Christ Church
college, Oxford, where he was distinguished as a
mathematician. He was admitted to the bar in
1737, and entered parliament in 1741 as a member
for Buckingham, which borough he represented
until his death. He was a lord of the admiralty in
1744; lord of the treasury in 1747; treasurer of the
navy and privy-councillor in 1754; leader of the
house of commons in 1761 ; secretary of state and
first lord of the admiralty in 1762 ; and first
lord of the treasury and chancellor of the exchequer
in 1763-'5. He introduced plans for taxing the
colonies, and was the author of the famous " Stamp-
Act," which was one of the causes of the American
Revolution. He published " Considerations on
Commerce and Finances " (1767) and " The Pres-
ent State of the Nation " (1769). — His son, Thomas,
b. in 1755 ; d. in 1846, was one of the agents em-
ployed in negotiating the treaty of peace with the
United States in 1782-3.
GRENVILLE, Sir Richard, English navigator,
b. in Cornwall, England, in 1540 ; d.at sea in 1591.
At the age of sixteen he served in tlie German im-
perial army as a volunteer against the Turks. On
his return he was appointed to a command in Ire-
land, and was made a sheriff of Cork. He repre-
sented Cornwall in parliament in 1571, and after-
ward was made high sheriff of that country, and
knighted by Queen Elizabeth. He entered actively
into the colonization schemes of Sir Walter Raleigh,
who was his cousin, and on 9 April, 1585, sailed
from Plymouth in command of seven vessels bear-
ing 108 colonists, which were despatched to Caro-
lina by Raleigh. The fleet touched the West In-
dies, where it captured two Spanish frigates, and
on 20 June reached the mainland of Carolina, or
Florida, as it was then called. They encountered
a storm, and narrowly escaped being wrecked on
the cape, which Grenville named in consequence
Cape Fear. They anchored at Wocoken on 26
June, and passing through the Ocracoke inlet made
their way to Roanoke island. Grenville and his
party explored the country for eight days, and in
revenge for the theft of a silver cup burned an In-
dian village and destroyed the Indian maize around
it. Grenville left the colony under the govern-
ment of Robert Lane, and returned to England
with his ships, capturing a Spanish galleon on his
way. On his second visit to the colony he found
it deserted, as the colonists had returned to Eng-
land with Sir Francis Drake, owing to trouble with
the Indians. In order to keep possession of the
country he left fifteen men there and sailed for
England. He was made a member of the council
that was created in 1588 to devise means of defence
against the Spanish armada, and in 1591 he was
raised to the rank of vice-admiral and sent in con-
junction with Lord Howard to cruise against the
Spaniards in the West Indies. He encountered off
the Azores a Spanish fleet consisting of fifty-two
ships. With only five ships he attacked the ene-
my, and fought from 3 p. m. until daybreak.
During the action four of the Spanish ships were
sunk and a thousand men killed. Grenville was
wounded early in the engagement, and was finally
shot through" the body and carried into the cabin.
Upon this the rest of the crew surrendered. When
the vessel was about to sink he was carried on
board a Spanish ship, where he died three days
afterward. His name is written Grenville, Green-
ville, and Granville. Tlie voyage of Sir Richard
Grenville in 1585 was related by one of the persons
who accompanied him, and an account after their
arrival was written probably by Ralph Lane. See
Hakluvt's " Voyages."
GRESHAM, WaIter Quinton. jurist, b. near Lonesville, Harrison co., Ind., 17 March, 1832; d.