Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1892, volume 3).djvu/771

Rh LINN, William, clergyman, b. in Shippensburg, Pa., 27 Feb, 1752; d. in Albany, N. Y., 8 Jan., 1808. His grandfather, William, and his father of the same name, came from the north of Ireland to Chester county, Pa, in 1732. The grandson was graduated at Princeton in 1772, ordained bv Done- gal presbytery in 1775, and in 1776 served as a chaplain in the Continental army. After holding a pastorate at Big Spring (now'Newville). Pa, in 1777-84, he was president of Washington college, Md, till 1785, and had charge of the collegiate Dutch church, New York city, from 1786 till 1805, when feeble health compelled him to retire. He also acted as president of Rutgers college in 1791-4, was a regent of the University of the state of New York from 1787 till his death, and in 1789 was first chaplain of the U. S. house of representa- tives. He was chosen president of Union college shortly before his death, but was not inaugurated. Princeton gave him the degree of D. D. in 1789. Dr. Linn was a pulpit orator of much power. He published " Sermons, Historical and Characteristi- cal" (New York, 1791); "Signs of the Times" (1794) ; a " Funeral Eulogy on Gen. Washington," delivered 22 Feb, 1800, before the New York soci- ety of the Cincinnati, and various separate ser- mons. — His son, John Blair, clergyman, b. in Shippensburg, Pa, 14 March, 1777; d.'in Philadel- phia, 30 Aug, 1804, was graduated at Columbia in 1795, and read law with Alexander Hamilton. While a law-student he wrote a drama called " Bourville Castle," which was produced at the John street theatre in 1797, but was unsuccessful. He afterward studied theology, was licensed as a Presbyterian clergyman in 1798, and on 13 June, 1799, installed as joint pastor of the 1st Presbyterian church. Philadelphia, where he remained till his death. He received the degree of D. D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1803, and from Columbia in 1804. Several years before his death an exposure to the sun resulted in an affection of the brain, which often made it difficult for him to speak in the pulpit. Dr. Linn was a man of much promise. He published a poem on " The Death of Washington " (1800) ; " The Power of Genius," a poem in the style of Ossian (1801) ; two replies to Unitarian tracts by Dr. Joseph Priestley (1803); and " Valerian," a narrative poem, which was issued after his death, with a sketch of his life by his brother-in-law, Charles Brockden Brown (1805). He also published anonymously two volumes of miscellanies soon after he left college. — Another son, William, lawyer, b. in New York city, 31 Aug, 1790; d. in Ithaca, N. Y, 14 Jan, 1867, studied law, and practised his profession at Ithaca, N. Y. He was the author of a " Life of Thomas Jeffer- son " (Ithaca, 1834), and the " Roorbach Papers," purporting to be extracts from the travels of a " Baron Roorbach " (1844). From these the name of "Roorbach" came to be applied to any po- litical canard. Mr. Linn was also the author of a "Legal and Commercial Commonplace Book" (1850).— Another son, Archibald Laidlie, lawyer, b. in New York city, 15 Oct, 1802 ; d. in Schenec- tady, N. Y, 10 Oct, 1857, was graduated at Union college in 1820, admitted to the bar, and began to practise in Schenectady. He was twice mayor of that town, served in congress in 1841-3, having been elected as a Whig, and in 1844 was a member of the New York legislature. He also served as a county judge. — John Blair, grandson of William's brother, John, lawyer, b. in Lewisburg, Pa, 15 Oct, 1831, was graduated at Mai-shall college, Pa, in 1848, and admitted to the bar of Union county, Pa, in 1851. He became 1st lieutenant in the 51st Penn- sylvania regiment in 1862, served in the civil war, and was deputy secretary of the state in 1873-'8, and secretary in 1878-'9. His published works are " Annals of Buffalo Valley " (1877) : " Pennsylvania Archives," 2d series, with William H. Eglo. M I > (12 vols, 1874-'80); and "History of Center and Clinton Counties " (1883).

LINSLEY, James Harvey, naturalist, b. in Northford, Conn, 5 May, 1787; d. in Stratford, Conn, 26 Dec, 1843. He was graduated at Yale in 1817, and ordained to the Baptist ministry, but delicate health prevented his preaching. He then devoted himself to the study of natural history. and collected a valuable cabinet of specimens, dis- covering more species of birds in Connecticut alone than had previously been catalogued as existing in the United States, more mammalia than had been found elsewhere in New England, and double the number of shells that were supposed to exist there. He prepared a series of papers on the zoology of Connecticut for the Yale natural history society that were published under the title of "Catalogue of the Mammalia of Connecticut" in the "Ameri- can Journal of Science and Arts," and also contrib- uted to that magazine " Catalogues of the Birds, Fishes, and Reptiles of Connecticut, with Notes " (1842-'3). See " Memoir of James H. Linsley," by his daughter (Hartford, 1845).

LINSLEY, Joel Hervey, clergyman, b. in Corn- wall. Vt, 16 July, 1790; d. in Greenwich, Conn, 22 March, 1868. He was graduated at Middlebury in 1811, was tutor there in 1812-'13, admitted to the bar in 1815, and, after practising with success for seven years, studied theology at Andover seminary, was licensed to preach, and became a domestic missionary in South Carolina. He was pastor of the 1st Presbyterian church of Hartford in 1824-31, afterward of the Park street Presbyterian church in Boston, and in 1835-'45 was president of Mari- etta college, raising a large endowment for that institution. lie was subsequently agent of the Society for the aid of western colleges, and from 1847 till his death was pastor of the 2d Congrega- tional church, Greenwich, Conn.

LINSLY, Jared, phvsician, b. in Northford, Conn, 30 Oct, 1803 ; d." there, 12 July, 1887. He was graduated at Yale in 1826, and subsequently at the College of physicians and surgeons of New York city in 1829. Since that time until his last illness he was actively engaged in the practice of his profession. He was a trustee of the College of physicians and surgeons, and of the Ophthalmic and aural institute; and consulting physician to the Asylum for lying-in women, and to the New York dispensary and the Presbyterian hospital. He was a member of the New York society for the relief of the widows and orphans of medical men, and one of its managers and benefactors. He was also a member of medical societies, and took an active interest in Yale, founding the Noah and Jared Linsly fund for supplying books to the col- lege library! in memory of his uncle Noah, a grad- uate of Yale in 1791, who made one of the earliest similar endowments to that institution, and found- ed the first free school in a slave state.

LINTNER, Joseph Albert, entomologist, b. in Schoharie, N. Y, 8 Feb, 1822. He studied in the Jefferson and Schoharie academies until 1837, and then engaged in business pursuits in New York city for several years, during which time his studies were actively continued through facilities that were afforded him by his official connection with the mercantile library association. In 1848 he returned to Schoharie, and there followed a mercantile life. About 1853 he became interested in the study and