cal romance in six cantos, with very copious historical and illustrative notes. The romance arose out of a study of Sharon Turner's ‘History of the Anglo-Saxons.’ In conception it has something in common with Fouqué's ‘Undine,’ though Bigg states that book to have been unknown to him at the time of the composition of his own work. The ‘Sea King’ interested several men of letters, including Lord Lytton and James Montgomery. Bigg was now appointed editor of the ‘Ulverston Advertiser,’ a post which he occupied for several years. He subsequently went to Ireland, and edited for some years the ‘Downshire Protestant,’ the proprietor of which was Mr. W. Johnston, of Ballykilbeg House, the author of ‘Nightshade,’ and other works. At Downpatrick Bigg married Miss. R. A. H. Pridham. In 1859 the Burns centenary was celebrated, and his ode competing for the Crystal Palace prize was selected by the three judges as one of the six best.
Previous to his Irish experiences, Bigg had written his most important poem, ‘Night and the Soul.’ It appeared in 1854. Bigg belonged to that class of poets which acquired the name of the ‘Spasmodic School,’ a school severely travestied by Professor Aytoun in his spasmodic tragedy of ‘Firmilian.’
In 1860 Bigg left Ireland and returned to Ulverston, where he became both editor and proprietor of the ‘Advertiser,’ which position he continued to occupy until his death. In 1860 he also published a novel in one volume, entitled ‘Alfred Staunton,’ which met with a favourable reception. In 1862 appeared his last work, ‘Shifting Scenes, and other Poems.’ In the course of his brief career Bigg was a contributor to the ‘Critic,’ ‘Literary Gazette,’ ‘London Quarterly Review,’ ‘Eclectic Review,’ ‘Church of England Review,’ ‘Scottish Quarterly Review,’ ‘Dublin University Magazine,’ and ‘Hogg's Instructor.’ In all the private relations of life he was most estimable, and his premature death was widely lamented. He died 19 May 1865, in his thirty-seventh year.
[Works of Bigg; Gent. Mag. 1865; Gilfillan's Literary Portraits; Athenæum. 1854 and 1862; Ulverston Advertiser, 25 May 1865.]
BIGG, WILLIAM REDMORE (1755–1828), painter, was a pupil of Edward Penny, R.A., and by choice of his subjects at least a faithful follower of his master. In 1778 he entered the Academy schools. Bigg delighted in depicting florid children. The first of many engaging works of this class was exhibited in 1778, 'Schoolboys giving Charity to a Blind Man.' It was followed a year later by one similar, 'A Lady and her Children relieving a Distressed Cottager.' Besides these his 'Palemon and Lavinia,' the 'Shipwrecked Sailor Boy,' and 'Youths relieving a Blind Man ' were highly popular works, and were all engraved. Two good pictures from his easel are preserved in the Cottonian Museum at Plymouth. He had not the naïve rusticity of Wheatley, nor the rough and ready naturalism of Morland, though by choice of subjex^ts and general manner of treatment he woidd rightly be classed with those painters. He was highly popular in his day, and the best engravers were employed upon his work. In 1787 he became A.R.A., and was elected academician in 1814. He sat to C. R. Leslie for the knight in 'Sir Roger de Coverley.' The younger painter spoke eloquently of his fine presence and genial nature. He died in Great Russell Street on 6 Feb. 1828.
[Gent. Mag. vol. xcviii. pt. i. p. 376; Redgrave's Dict, of Artists of the Eng. School.]
BIGLAND, JOHN (1750–1832), schoolmaster and author, was born of poor parents at Skirlaugh, or Skirlaw, in Holdemess in Yorkshire, and died, at the age of eighty-two, at Aldbrough (Poulson, History of Hoiderness, ii. 19) or, according to other authorities, at Finningley near Doncaster. He began life as a village schoolmaster. At the age of fifty (1803) he published his first work, 'Reflections on the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ,' occasioned, as he tells us himself, by his religious scepticism. Having removed his own doubts, he ventured to place the reasons for his convictions in print, His work was a success, and the encouragement he received in consequence determined' him to follow a literary career. He soon developed into a professional author, and published in rapid succession a series of popular books, chiefly connected with geography and history. Towards the end of his life he resided at Finningley, and used to spend a portion of his time in his garden rearing flowers and vegetables. His long scholastic life has given to the majority of his books a distinctly practical turn.
He was the author of sundry articles in the magazines; of a continuation to April 1808 of Lord Lyttleton s 'History of England in a Series of Letters from a Nobleman to his Son ; 'and of an addition of the whole period of the third George to Dr. Goldsmith's 'History of England.' His other works are 1. 'Reflections on the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ,' 1803. 2. 'Letters on the Study and Use of Ancient and Modern His-
