RANDALL, WILLIAM (fl. 1598), musician, is included by Meres in his list of England's ‘excellente musitians.’ He was in early life a chorister of Exeter Cathedral. In 1584 he entered the Chapel Royal as epistler. There he remained till 1603, when Edmund Hooper ‘was sworne the first of March in Mr. Randoll's roome.’ Of Randall's compositions there remain a good ‘In Nomine’ in the part-books of the Oxford Music School, and an anthem in six parts, ‘Give sentence with me,’ in Brit. Mus. Addit. MSS. 17792–6, f. 144 b. A word-book of anthems (Harl. MS. 6346), written just after the Restoration and probably intended for the Chapel Royal, contains the words of two verse-anthems by Randall, ‘If the Lord Himself’ and ‘O Father deare,’ the latter in metre. The music of neither of these is known to exist; and as none of Randall's works appeared in Barnard's ‘Selected Church Musick’ (1641), it is probable that his title to rank, as Meres puts it, among ‘excellente musitians’ rested more upon his powers as an executant than as a composer. Among the vicars-choral of Exeter in 1634 was a G. Randall, probably of the same family.
[Cheque-Book of the Chapel Royal, in Camden Society's Publications; Hist. MSS. Comm. 4th Rep. p. 137; Meres's Palladis Tamia, f. 288 b, manuscripts quoted.]
RANDOLPH, CHARLES (1809–1878), marine engineer, son of Charles Randolph, bookseller and printer in Stirling, and author of a history of that city, was born there on 21 June 1809. He was first educated at the high school of Stirling, and subsequently at the high school and university of Glasgow. On showing a liking for mechanical engineering, he was apprenticed to Robert Napier (1791–1876) [q. v.] at Camlachie. He afterwards went to Manchester, where he worked in the leading millwright firms of Ormerod and Fairbairn & Lillie. In 1834 he returned to Glasgow, where he started business as an engineer and millwright. He was noted for his energy and ability, and was at once successful. From 1839 to 1842 he was joined in partnership by John Elliot, who died in the latter year. In 1852 he was joined by John Elder, the name of the firm becoming Randolph, Elder, & Co. Thenceforth Randolph turned his attention from millwright engineering to the manufacture of compound engines adapted to the propulsion of screw steamers. In 1858 the firm began shipbuilding on their own account, and 106 vessels had been built before 1886, together with 111 sets of marine engines, and three floating docks, one of which, at Saigon, was large enough to float the Gloire, then the largest ironclad in the French navy. Randolph retired in 1868. The firm was afterwards converted into the well-known Fairfield Shipbuilding Company, builders of the fast Atlantic liners.
On retiring from business, Randolph turned his attention by speech and pamphlet to the sewage question, the extension of Glasgow harbour, and the improvement of the Clyde navigation. He entered the Clyde trust, where he did yeoman service, was a director of the Glasgow and South-Western Railway, and also of the British and African Steam Navigation Company, and chairman of the British Dynamite Company, now Nobel's Explosives Company. He also devoted some of his leisure to the construction of a steam-engine for a family carriage, which was a familiar object in the Glasgow streets. Randolph died on 11 Nov. 1878, survived by his wife, Margaret Sainte-Pierre, who died on 19 Aug. 1894. He bequeathed to the university of Glasgow 60,000l., as well as the residue of his means and estate on the death of his widow. The Randolph Hall in the university was erected with a portion of the funds.
[Engineering, 22 Nov. 1878; One Hundred Glasgow Men, vol. ii (with portrait); Irving's Eminent Scotsmen.]
RANDOLPH, EDWARD (d. 1566), soldier, probably a brother of Thomas Randolph (1523–1590) [q. v.], was born at Badlesmere in Kent. He made himself sufficiently prominent in Edward VI's time to find it necessary to flee to Paris on the accession of Mary. But, like other rebels, he soon tired of exile, and his known value as a soldier rendered the negotiations for his pardon easy. Wotton wrote to Petre on 17 April 1554, recommending him to mercy; but Mary wrote in May that, though he was forgiven, he must stay and supply information as to the movements of his friends. The formal grant of pardon is dated 9 Oct. 1554. He soon found favour, and on 3 April 1555 Philip wrote to his treasurer, Dominico d'Orbea, ordering a pension of two hundred crowns to be paid to Randolph, who is described as colonel of infantry.
Under Elizabeth he was at first employed in Scotland. On 1 April 1560 Grey, writing to Norfolk, alluded to ‘good Mr. Randall's stout and valiant endeavour;’ and Cecil, writing from Edinburgh on 26 June, speaks of his worth. As a reward he was offered the post of marshal of Berwick, but refused it.
In 1563 he was made marshal of Havre
