Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 21.djvu/213

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familiar, easy disposition, with a good understanding, but modest in showing it.’ Burnet (v. 391), who asserts that Prince George ‘knew much more than he could well express,’ adds that ‘his temper was mild and gentle,’ and that ‘he was free from all vice.’ The evident sincerity of these simple tributes and his long, happy wedded life should help to temper the ridicule which his name has suffered.

Kneller, Riley, and Dahl painted the prince's portrait. That in the National Portrait Gallery is by Wissing. Others are at Althorp and Middleton.

[Most of the authorities cited above are given in full under Queen Anne; several particulars mentioned there concerning Prince George of Denmark have not been repeated here. Doyle's Official Baronage, i. 498, s. v. ‘Cumberland,’ contains a collection of passages descriptive of the prince's person, with a woodcut after Kneller.]

A. W. W.

GEORGE, JOHN (1804–1871), Irish judge, eldest son of John George of Dublin, merchant, by Emily Jane, daughter of Richard Fox, was born in the city of Dublin on 18 Nov. 1804, and received his education at Trinity College, Dublin. The university of Dublin conferred on him the degrees of B.A. 1823, and M.A. 1826, and in the latter year he was called to the bar at King's Inns. On 16 May 1827 he was also called to the bar at Gray's Inn, London. Having returned to Ireland, he was created a queen's counsel 2 Nov. 1844. He represented Wexford county in parliament as a conservative from 1852 to 1857, and again from May 1859 to 1866. He acted as solicitor-general for Ireland under Lord Derby from February to July 1859. He became a bencher of King's Inns in 1849, and a member of the Irish privy council in 1866, and was appointed a judge of the court of queen's bench, Ireland, in the November of the latter year, a post which he held until his death. He was highly esteemed as patient and painstaking in the discharge of his duties, strictly impartial and independent in his judgments, and courteous and dignified in his demeanour on the bench. He died at 45 Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin, 15 Dec. 1871, having married, first, in 1832, Susan Rosanna, daughter of Isaac Matthew D'Olier of Collegues, co. Dublin—she died in 1847; and secondly, 10 Aug. 1848, Mary, eldest daughter of Christopher L'Estrange Carleton.

[Times, 16 Dec. 1871, p. 5, and 18 Dec. p. 5; Illustrated London News, 23 Dec. 1871, p. 618.]

G. C. B.

GEORGE, WILLIAM, D.D. (d. 1756), dean of Lincoln, born in London, was educated at Eton and admitted to King's College, Cambridge, in 1715. He proceeded to his degree of B.A. 1719, M.A. 1723, and D.D. 1728. On leaving the university he became assistant-master, and eventually principal, of Eton School, a position he maintained during several years with unusual distinction. It was during his residence at Eton that George was married to Miss Bland, daughter of Dr. Bland, his predecessor, and in 1731 he is further mentioned as canon of Windsor and chaplain in ordinary to his majesty. He quitted his scholastic career in 1743, when he was appointed to the vacant provostship of King's College, Cambridge. At his election to this office he engaged in a keen competition with Dr. Chapman, who was also a candidate, but he eventually succeeded in defeating his opponent by a small majority of votes. Within the same year he was also elected vice-chancellor of Cambridge. In 1747, the deanery of Winchester falling vacant, he was nominated for that office; but in order to oblige his friend, Dr. Samuel Pegge, he consented to exchange it for the deanery of Lincoln, where he was installed in 1748. He also resigned in favour of Dr. Pegge his rectory of Whittington, near Chesterfield in Derbyshire. He died on 2 Aug. 1756. George was a popular and eloquent preacher, and several of his sermons have been printed, among which may be mentioned a sermon preached before the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, 1732, and a second delivered before the House of Commons in 1752. He is also described as an accurate Greek scholar and good Latin poet. Some fine specimens of his poetry have been preserved in the ‘Musæ Etonenses’ (1755), edited by J. Prinsep, including among others a series of poems entitled ‘Ecclesiastes’ and some exquisite lines on the death of Prince Frederick. The latter became unusually famous, from the high commendation pronounced upon them by Pope Lambertini, Benedict IV, who gave them the title of ‘cardinal,’ and is said to have observed that if the author had been a catholic he would have made him a cardinal; but since that could not be, he would bestow the honour upon the verses themselves.

[Nichols's Lit. Illustr. and Lit. Anecd.; Le Neve's Fasti; Alumni Etonenses, pp. 49, 295; Cooper's Mem. Cambr.; Oratio habita in funere reverendi et doctissimi viri Guil. George, S.T.P., by W. Barford, M.A.]

W. F. W. S.

GERALD, Saint and Bishop (d. 731), of Magh Eo, now Mayo, was, according to the life published by the Bollandists, and attributed by Colgan to Augustin Magraidin (1405), a monk from the neighbourhood of Winchester, who, with some companions, migrated