William Hepworth Dixon, an English author, born in Yorkshire, June 30, 1821. He entered a mercantile house in Manchester when 14 years of age, but early contributed some fugitive poems to several periodicals, wrote a tragedy which was printed privately, and became at length literary editor of a paper at Cheltenham. In 1846 he removed to London, and entered as a law student at the Inner Temple. In 1849 he published a memoir of John Howard, and followed this by various publications, becoming well known as an author. He was a deputy commissioner of the world's fair of 1851. The next year he made a tour of the continent, and in 1853 became chief editor of the " Athenaeum," which post he held till 1869. In 1864 he travelled in the East, and on his return assisted in founding the Palestine exploration fund. In 1866 he travelled in the United States, and visited the Mormons in Salt Lake City. Subsequently he made a journey through Russia. In 1869 he was appointed a magistrate for Middlesex, and in 1870 was elected a member of the London school board.

His more important works are: "John Howard," which reached three editions in the first year, and many later editions in England and the United States; "London Prisons" (1850), which first appeared in the " Daily News;" "William Penn" (1851), a reply to Macaulay; "Robert Blake" (1852); "Personal History of Lord Bacon" (1861), first published in the "Athe-na3um," and afterward in book form in London, Boston, and Leipsic; " Lives of the Archbishops of York" (1863); "The Holy Land" (1865);

"New America" (1867), of which eight editions appeared in England, three in America, and several in France, Germany, Holland, and Russia; "Spiritual Wives" (1868), from his observations among the Mormons; "Free Russia" (1870); "Her Majesty's Tower" (4 vols., 18G9-71); "The Switzers" (1872); and " History of Two Queens: I. Catharine of Aragon; II. Anne Boleyn" (2 vols., 1873). The Revue positive of Paris published from him in 1869 a contribution entitled Les sectes reli-gieuses en Amerique.