Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) John of Damascus, Saint, or Saint John Damascene dămˈəsēn [key], c.675–c.749, Syrian theologian, Father of the Church and Doctor of the Church. He was brought up at the court of the caliph in Da...

(Encyclopedia) Tooke, John Horne, 1736–1812, English radical politician and philologist. Born John Horne, he adopted the name Tooke in 1782 after being designated heir to the estate of a rich friend, William Tooke...

(Encyclopedia) John II (John Comnenus) kŏmnēˈnəs [key], 1088–1143, Byzantine emperor (1118–43), son and successor of Alexius I. He was crowned despite the intrigues of his sister, Anna Comnena, and of his mo...

(Encyclopedia) Stafford, Edward, 3d duke of Buckingham, 1478–1521, English nobleman; son of Henry Stafford, 2d duke of Buckingham. The attainder (1483) of his father was reversed on the accession (1485) of Henry V...

(Encyclopedia) serjeanty or sergeanty both: särˈjĕntē [key], a type of tenure in English feudalism in which the tenant held his lands from the king or overlord in return for the performance of some personal, oft...

(Encyclopedia) Ashe, John, c.1720–1781, American Revolutionary general, b. Brunswick co., N.C. Speaker of the colonial assembly (1762–65) and a leader of the opposition to the Stamp Act, he was important to the ...

(Encyclopedia) Bradshaw, John, 1602–59, English regicide judge. In 1649 he was made president of the parliamentary commission to try Charles I, other lawyers of greater prominence having refused the position. For ...

(Encyclopedia) Campbell, John, 1653–1728, American editor, b. Scotland. After emigrating to Boston, he was postmaster of the city from 1702 to 1718 and wrote newsletters for regular patrons. In 1704 he started pri...

(Encyclopedia) Taverner, John, c.1495–1545, English organist and composer. He was choirmaster at Oxford from 1526 to 1530. His small body of work—eight masses, 28 motets, and three secular songs—may be conside...

(Encyclopedia) Davidson, John, 1857–1909, Scottish poet. After teaching in Scotland he went to London. There, struggling with poverty and illness, he wrote Fleet Street Eclogues (1893; Ser. 2, 1896), Ballads and S...