John Lingard, an English historian, born in Winchester, Feb. 5, 1771, died at Hornby, near Lancaster, July 13, 1851. His parents were Roman Catholics, and in humble circumstances. The friendship of Bishop Talbot enabled him to be sent at a very early age to the English college at Douai, where he entered the theological department in 1791. During the disturbances of the French revolution he once narrowly escaped being hanged by a mob, and soon afterward, anticipating the forcible dissolution of the college, which took place a little later, withdrew with some others of the community to England, where they formed a seminary at Crook Hall, near Durham. He was ordained priest in May, 1795, and was appointed about the same time vice president of the seminary and professor of natural and moral philosophy. In 1808 the community removed to Ushaw near Durham, where Lingard remained three years, having previously refused the presidency of the college of Maynooth. In 1811 he accepted the charge of a small mission at Hornby for the purpose of pursuing his studies with less interruption, and prosecuting the design which he had already formed of writing a history of England. In 1817 he went to Rome upon an important mission, and again in 1825, when a cardinalship was offered to him, which he declined.

During his later years he received a pension of £300 from the British government. His principal work is the "History of England, from the First Invasion by the Romans to the Accession of William and Mary, in 1C88." The first portion appeared in 1819, and it was finally completed in 8 vols. 4to in 1830. In 1849 was published an edition in 10 vols. 8vo, thoroughly revised by the author. The work has been translated into several languages, and ranks among the standard histories of England. Among Lingard's other writings are: "Antiquities of the Anglo-Saxon Church" (1806; enlarged ed., 1845); "Documents to ascertain the Sentiments of British Catholics in former Ages in regard to the Power of the Popes" (1812); "A Review of certain Anti-Catholic Publications" (1813); "Strictures on Dr. Marsh's Comparative View of the Churches of England and Rome " (1815); " New Version of the Four Gospels" (1836); "Account of the Martyrs" (1839); and "Catechetical Instructions on the Doctrines and Worship of the Catholic Church" (1840).