BOOTH, Abraham, a well-known baptist author, was born at Blackwell, Derbyshire, in May, 1734, and died on the 27th of January, 1806. He was the eldest son of a large family, and received the scantiest education. By indomitable perseverance he perfected himself in arithmetic and writing, and, when still quite young, became a preacher among the General Baptists. For some years he laboured in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, with much success. His doctrinal sentiments on the points of difference between General and Particular Baptists undergoing a change, he published his "Reign of Grace," being the substance of discourses preached at Sutton Ashfield. In 1768 he was called to the pastoral office of the church in Prescot Street, Goodmans Fields, London. He now studied intensely, and soon became eminent as a theologian and a scholar. In 1770 he published a tract on "The Death of Legal Hope," and in 1778 "An Apology for the Baptists." In 1784, in consequence of a posthumous publication from the pen of Matthew Henry, Mr. Booth gave to the world his "Pædobaptism Examined, or the Principles, Concessions, and Reasonings of the most learned Pædobaptists." This work elicited a reply from Dr. E. Williams of Rotherham, and this again a reply from Mr. Booth, under the title of "A Defence of Pædobaptism Examined," 1792. Both works display great learning and research. Among Mr. Booth's minor productions may be mentioned his "Essay on the Kingdom of Christ," his "Pastoral Cautions," and his "Amen to Social Prayer." His "Glad Tidings to Perishing Sinners, or the genuine Gospel a complete warrant for the ungodly to believe in Jesus Christ," 1796; and his last publication, "Divine Justice essential to the Divine Character," are both happy illustrations of an enlightened mind, and of powerful reasoning. Mr. Booth was a man of unbending integrity, great holiness, and exhibited to all a pattern of the christian minister. In 1758 he married Miss E. Barnam, by whom he had a large family.—See Jones' Christian Biography.—J. A., L.
BOOTH, Sir Felix, an English merchant, born in 1775; died in 1850. This gentleman, who, until he had passed middle life, was only known as a successful and opulent London merchant, has achieved an undying reputation by his extraordinary liberality in fitting out, at his own expense, and without any hope or desire of pecuniary remuneration, the second expedition under Sir John Ross for the discovery of the North-West Passage. Many similar expeditions have from time to time been fitted out at a vast expense by the English government; and at first with such hopes of success, that a statutory grant of £20,000 was procured from parliament to be bestowed on the fortunate discoverer. In consequence, however, of the uniform failure of all attempts made to accomplish this object, both the government and the nation at length ceased to take much interest in the subject; and in 1827, when Captain Ross proposed to the duke of Wellington, then prime minister, to engage a second time in this perilous enterprise, his offer was coldly declined. Sir John then applied to Mr. Booth, with whose zeal in the cause of geographical discovery he was previously well acquainted, expecting that that gentleman would be inclined to aid him in fitting out an expedition, in the hope of being more than reimbursed by the promised grant of £20,000, in the event of its proving successful. Mr. Booth, however, refused to advance anything towards it as a mercantile speculation, and the project seemed on the eve of being finally abandoned. In the course of the same year the parliamentary grant was revoked; but this circumstance, which the enterprising navigator at first considered as the death-blow of his long-cherished hopes, was, in fact, the removal of the only obstacle to their fulfillment. Mr. Booth now entered warmly into the project, and, with rare munificence, expended nearly £18,000 in equipping the expedition. He gave unlimited powers to Captain Ross to furnish at his expense whatever he might judge necessary, imposing on him only one condition, that his name should not be mentioned in connection with the expedition. The results of Captain Ross's voyage have been long before the world. He failed in the primary object of his search; but the discoveries he made have been valuable contributions to science, and he had the happiness to immortalize his friend by inscribing his name, in the designation of Boothia Felix, on a portion of the American continent. After Captain Ross's return to England the king conferred on Mr. Booth the title of baronet.—G. M.
BOOTH, George, Baron Delamere, son of William Booth, Esq., and grandson of Sir George Booth, remarkable as the leader of a royalist insurrection in Cheshire about a year after the death of Oliver Cromwell. Having received a commission from Charles II., constituting him commander-in-chief of all forces to be raised for his majesty's service in Cheshire, Lancashire, and North Wales, he assembled about four thousand men, and declaring that his object was to deliver his country from a tyrannous soldiery and a usurping government, took possession of Chester, where he was joined by various leaders of the presbyterian party, particularly the earl of Derby, Sir Thomas Middleton, and Major Brook. Although he had carefully abstained from intimating the ulterior aim of the rising, so far from its being a secret, rumour gave out that Charles II. had actually been proclaimed by the insurgents at Wrexham and other places, near Chester. The parliamentary forces under Lambert were soon on the spot, and having defeated Sir George in a smart engagement, August, 1659, compelled him to evacuate Chester, and seek safety in flight. On his way to London, in the disguise of a female, he was arrested August 22. The house of commons immediately committed him prisoner to the Tower; but in February following, on the intercession of some powerful friends, and on his giving bail for £5000, voted his release. He was afterwards member of parliament for Chester, and was the first of twelve members sent to Charles by the house of commons in May, 1660, with a tender of the crown. In July following, the house, in consideration of his eminent public services, awarded him a sum of £10,000; and the king, in whose interests he had sacrificed his fortune, raised him to the peerage. The remainder of his life was passed in privacy He died in 1684.—J. S., G.
BOOTH, Henry, earl of Warrington and Baron Delamere, son of George Booth, born in 1651. He succeeded his father in 1673 in the office of custos rotulorum of Cheshire, and shortly afterwards entered parliament. His politics, from the commencement of his public life, were obnoxious to the court. As a zealous protestant and an unflinching advocate of constitutional government, he warmly supported the bill for excluding the duke of York from the throne; inveighed against the tyranny of the royal favourites, and the corruption of his fellow-senators and the judges, and allowed no opportunity to escape of damaging popery. In 1684, after the death of his father, on some pretence of his having been concerned in treasonable practices, he was committed to the tower of London. He recovered his liberty at the end of a few months, but was again incarcerated on the accession of James II. This time he underwent a trial before a select number of the peers—Jefferies presiding as lord high steward. The chancellor had an ancient grudge against Lord Delamere, which he did not forget to show on this occasion; but the only witness against the prisoner was a notorious scoundrel who, in the course of the trial, was convicted of perjury, and the charge thus failing for want of evidence, Jefferies and the papists missed their revenge; a unanimous verdict of acquittal being returned by the twenty-seven peers who constituted the judicial bench. After his release. Lord Delamere retired to his seat at Dunham-Massey, and was lost to public life till the commencement of the Revolution. After the landing of the prince of Orange he assembled a body of men in Cheshire and Lancashire, with whom he joined William at London. He was one of the three commissioners sent to Whitehall, December 17, to desire James instantly to evacuate the palace. In the execution of this commission he conducted himself with so much urbanity, that James afterwards declared himself to have been far better used by that one of the three to whom he had behaved ill, than by the other two who had received kindnesses from him. With the settlement of the new government he began to reap the honours of his patriotic career. He was appointed chancellor of the exchequer in 1689, and the following year created earl of Warrington, and decreed a pension of £2000. He was too little of a courtier, however, to remain long in office. His connection with the government lasted only a year. He died in London in 1694. A vindication of his friend, William, Lord Russell, and a volume of parliamentary speeches, &c., 1694, are from the pen of the first earl of Warrington.—J. S., G.
BOOTH, James, an eminent English property lawyer of the last century. Mr. Booth was a Roman catholic, and persons of that communion, who took the law for their profession, directed their views to the conveyancing branch, for the practice of which the test of the oath of supremacy and declaration against transubstantiation (imposed by St. 7 and 8, W. III., and
