professes to celebrate. But his "Stories from the History of England," which suggested Scott's Tales of a Grandfather, will ever be a favourite manual in the hands of the young; and Croker's edition of Boswell's Life of Johnson, although subjected to severe criticism, has met with a success which few purely literary works have enjoyed in modern times. The popularity of this work induced Mr. Murray to propose to him the editing of Pope's works, which was accordingly undertaken several years ago; but not having been completed at the time of his death, the editorial task has passed into the hands of Mr. Peter Cunningham—a gentleman previously associated with him in the work—after a vast amount of illustration had been accumulated by the original editor for the purposes of the projected publication. Mr. Croker was married to a lady named Pennell, who survives him, and by whom he had one son, who died before he had arrived at maturity. Mr. Croker died in the year 1857, and was buried in the parish church of West Molesey, which had been restored and beautified by his exertions and liberality. A plain slab in the churchyard marks the spot where his body lies, and a bust is placed in the chancel.
CROKER, Thomas Crofton, was born on the 15th January, 1798, in the city of Cork. At the age of fifteen he was placed in an eminent mercantile firm in his native city, but he appears from his boyhood to have exhibited a strong taste for antiquarian and literary pursuits, rather than for the toils of business. The beautiful scenery of the county of Cork led him to make many excursions during his apprenticeship, and his mind was thus stored with the songs and legends which abound in the south of Ireland. Of these Croker made a collection, and his skill as a draughtsman enabled him to add to their value by pen and ink sketching, he furnished Moore with a large number of airs, as well as fragments of poetry and traditions for the Irish Melodies—a favour which the great lyrist did not fail to acknowledge. Upon the death of his father, Major Croker, in 1818, Thomas left Ireland; and after visiting Moore in Wiltshire, he proceeded to London, where, shortly afterwards, he procured through the aid of J. W. Croker, the secretary to the admiralty, an appointment in that department, in which he continued till 1850. In 1824 he published his "Researches in the South of Ireland, illustrative of the Scenery, Architectural Remains, and the Manners and Superstitions of the Peasantry;" and the following year "The Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland." In 1827 a second series of the "Fairy Legends" was published in 2 volumes. Croker was now elected a member of the Royal Irish Academy, and a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. In 1829 he edited two volumes entitled "Legends of the Lakes." Two novellettes bearing his name were published in 1832, "The Adventures of Barney Mahony," and "My Village versus Your Village." Croker took an active part in the formation of the Camden and Percy societies, serving on the council of both, and contributing many papers. The latter society published in 1843 his "Keen of the South of Ireland." He continued to edit many other works, antiquarian and national, which will be found in the proceedings of the societies to which he belonged. His collection of historical and literary manuscripts and Irish antiquities was one of the finest extant, and was sold after his death, which took place at his house at Old Brompton on the 8th of August, 1854. Croker was a man of undoubted genius and of great industry, and he has added largely to our stores of antiquarian knowledge and general literature.—J. F. W.
CROLY, Rev. George, LL.D.; poet, dramatic author, novelist, and divine. This eminent writer was born in Dublin in 1785, and after receiving his education at Trinity college in that city, came to London and quickly became distinguished as a man of letters and pulpit orator. The earliest of his numerous writings, "The Times, a satire," was published about 1818. Poems, histories, dramas, followed in quick succession; besides which and a large number of published sermons and lectures, Dr. Croly contributed to literature some works of fiction, remarkable for power and originality—"Tales of the Great St. Bernard;" "Salathiel, the immortal;" and "Marston, or the Soldier and Statesman." Throughout life he was a staunch tory, and as a contributor to Blackwood's Magazine, an editor of the Universal Review, and a writer of political articles for the Britannia newspaper, he rendered important services to his party. But he was so fortunate as to have his labours rewarded by preferment. The living of St. Stephen and St. Benet, Walbrook, was conferred upon him by the whigs. He died 24th November, 1860.
CROMPTON, Samuel, the inventor of the spinning machine called the "mule," was born in 1753 at Firwood, a small estate which had belonged to his ancestors for many generations, near Bolton-le-Moors, Lancashire. The district around Bolton had long been famous as a seat of the textile manufactures; almost every house was supplied with a loom, and by far the greater number of the yeomen made more account of their weaving shops than of their lands. Crompton lost his father when he was at the age of five, and from that period till the date of his marriage he resided with his mother on the estate of Firwood. His great invention, which was completed at this place in 1779, was one of several attempts made in the same district to supplement by machinery the labour of the spinners, who, since the invention of Kay's fly shuttle, were overwhelmed with demands for yarn for the new looms, which their utmost exertions could not meet. The mule exactly met the want of the time, and was universally adopted. The result to the inventor, however, was little more than the satisfaction he derived from having given a new and signal impetus to the industry and enterprise of his country. He was persuaded to make his invention generally known without securing a patent, and to trust for his reward to the generosity of the public and the munificence of the government. From the former he received £50, and from the latter £5000. This latter sum the house of commons voted, after hearing evidence to the effect that the result of the introduction of the mule had been to add £350,000 to the yearly revenue—it was hardly adequate to defray the expenses of the application. Mr. Crompton, having expended the whole of his small fortune in pursuits connected with his invention, was during the last years of his life dependent upon a small annuity. He died 1827.——C.
CROMWELL, Henry, the fourth and youngest son of the Protector, was born in 1627. He was educated at Felsted in Essex; at the age of sixteen entered the parliamentary army; became a colonel in 1649, and accompanied his father to Ireland, where he displayed great bravery. He was a member of Barebone's parliament, and in 1653 married the daughter of Sir Francis Russell of Chippenham. In 1654 he was appointed lord-deputy of Ireland, and discharged the duty of that important office with great ability, although his influence was greatly crippled by the want of money and the restrictions put upon him by the council in London. On the accession of his brother, Henry Cromwell was compelled by the factious and turbulent council to exchange the title of lord-deputy for that of lord-lieutenant; and shortly after the resignation of Richard he too was obliged to relinquish his office. He retired first to Chippenham and then to Soham in Cambridgeshire, where he spent the remainder of his life in the cultivation of his estate. Henry Cromwell died in 1673, leaving six children.—J. T.
CROMWELL, Oliver, Lord-Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland, was born at Huntingdon on the 25th April, 1599. He was the son of Robert Cromwell, M.P. for Huntingdon in the parliament of 1593, and of Elizabeth Stuart, daughter of Sir Richard Stuart. He was named after his uncle and godfather, Sir Oliver Cromwell. His father, Robert Cromwell, second son of Sir Henry Cromwell of Hinchinbrooke, was a gentleman of good family and moderate estate, who lived a rural life, and cultivated his own lands. Among his possessions may possibly have been a brewery, a circumstance that may account for the cavalier stigma that Oliver was the son of a brewer. Robert's sister, Elizabeth Cromwell, was the mother of John Hampden, who was the head of a Buckinghamshire family of great wealth and consideration, that could trace back to a period before the Norman conquest. John Hampden and Oliver Cromwell were therefore first cousins. Of Oliver's early life little is known with any degree of certainty. He appears to have lived at home, and to have received his education at a presbyterian school in the district, after which he went to Sidney college, Cambridge, and pursued his studies there from the 23rd April, 1616, to 23rd June, 1617. His father then died, and he returned to Huntingdon. At the age of twenty-one, August 22, 1620, he married Elizabeth Bourchier, daughter of Sir James Bourchier, who brought him a certain amount of dower. Whether from the influence of the rather ascetic religion that prevailed among the puritans—asceticism being a common feature where persecution has previously prevailed—or from the influence of the low-lying marsh lands which generated unwholesome vapours, certain it is that Oliver fell into hypochondriasis and low spirits, and indulged in the inconvenient practice of
