Bickersteth. I. Edward, an English clergyman, born at Kirkby Lonsdale, March 19, 1786, died at Watton, Feb. 24, 1850. He was for several years a post office clerk in London, till in 1812 he began business as a solicitor in Norwich. Here he became interested in religious and benevolent movements, and was ordained in 1815 as a deacon in the established church. He was sent in 1816 to Africa to reorganize the stations of the church missionary society, and during the next 15 years he was secretary and chief acting officer of that society. In 1830 he resigned this position and became rector of Watton, Hertfordshire. He belonged to the evangelical section of the established church. His most popular manual, "The Scripture Help," has been translated into French and other languages, and reached a sale of over 150,000 copies. A uniform edition of his principal works was published in 17 vols, in 1853, and there are 5 vols, more of his smaller publications. See "Memoir of the Rev. Edward Bickersteth," by T. R. Birks (2 vols., 1851). II. Henry, Lord Langdale, an English lawyer, brother of the preceding, born June 18, 1783, died at Tunbridge Wells, April 18, 1851. He served an apprenticeship to his father, who was a surgeon and apothecary, after which he travelled on the continent as medical attendant to the earl of Oxford, subsequently studied law, and rose to eminence in the courts of equity.

He was appointed master of the rolls and raised to the peerage in 1836 as Lord Langdale. As he died childless, the title became extinct. His widow, sister of the earl of Oxford, was licensed in 1853 to assume her family name of Harley, and died Sept. 1, 1872. III. Edward, an English clergyman, nephew of the preceding, born at Acton, Suffolk, in 1814. After holding various ecclesiastical positions, he became in 1853 vicar of Aylesbury and archdeacon of Buckingham. In December, 1868, he was elected for the third time prolocutor at the convocation of Canterbury, and he is a member of the committee appointed for the revision of the New Testament. His charges at his different visitations between 1855 and 1870, as well as many of his sermons, have been published. IV. Robert, an English prelate, brother of the preceding, born at Acton, Aug. 24, 1816. He is a graduate of Queen's college, Cambridge, and has been successively curate at Sapcote (1841), at Reading (1843-'4), Clapham (1845), rector of St. Giles in the Fields (1851), and canon residentiary of Salisbury (1854). In 1856 he was appointed bishop of Ripon. His publications include "Bible Landmarks" (1850), "Lent Lectures, Means of Grace" (1851), "Sermons" (1 vol., 1866), and charges delivered to the clergy of his diocese.

V. Edward Henry, an English clergyman and poet, son of Edward Bickersteth, rector of Watton, born in London, Jan. 25, 1825. He studied at Trinity college, Cambridge, and became curate at Birmingham in 1848, and at Tunbridge Wells in 1852. In the same year he was appointed rector of Hin-ton Martell, Dorsetshire; in 1855 vicar of Christchurch, Hampstead; and since 1861 he has been the private chaplain of his relative, the bishop of Ripon. His publications include "Poems" (1848); "The Rock of Ages" (1858); "Yesterday, To-day, and For Ever," a poem in 12 books (1866); and "The Two Brothers, and other Poems" (1871).