Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 06.djvu/341

 Briggs the well-known historian of ‘Charnwood Forest,’ at Wymeswold, Leicestershire, and in 1833 to the Rev. Solomon Saxon, of Darley Dale. Early in life he was apprenticed to Mr. Bemrose, the venerable head of the printing firm of Bemrose & Sons, Derby; but ill-health compelling him to relinquish an indoor occupation, he thenceforward devoted himself, like his ancestors, to farming. He became the faithful chronicler of the seasons, and recorded all the facts and occurrences coming within his observation during at least thirty years. He kept these notes carefully bound in manuscript volumes, and shortly before his death they were announced for publication, but have not yet been given to the world. Meanwhile he utilised his notes regularly in the ‘Field’ newspaper, in which as early as 1855 he had originated ‘The Naturalists' Column,’ and entered into correspondence with the leading naturalists of the time. His papers also in the ‘Zoologist,’ ‘Critic,’ ‘Reliquary,’ ‘Sun,’ ‘Derby Reporter,’ and ‘Leicestershire Guardian’ (edited by his old schoolmaster Mr. Potter), were full of picturesque descriptions of nature and sketches of places and objects in the midland counties of archæological and antiquarian interest. He became a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and a member of the British Archæological Association. In 1869 he married Hannah Soar of Chellaston. Shortly before his death he had retired upon an ample competency, but his health failed, and he died at the place of his birth on 23 March 1876, leaving a widow, a son, and three daughters.

His works consist of:
 * 1) ‘Melbourne, a Sketch of its History and Antiquity,’ 1839, 4to.
 * 2) ‘History of Melbourne, including Biographical Notices,’ &c., with plates and woodcuts, Derby, 1852, 8vo, pp. 206.
 * 3) ‘The Trent and other Poems,’ Derby, 1857, 8vo; with additions, Derby, 1859, 8vo.
 * 4) ‘The Peacock at Rowsley,’ London, 1869, 8vo, a gossiping book about fishing and country life, descriptive of a well-known resort of anglers at the junction of the Wye and Derwent.
 * 5) ‘Guide to Melbourne and King's Newton,’ Derby, 1870, 8vo.
 * 6) ‘History and Antiquities of Hemington, Leicestershire,’ twelve copies, privately printed, with coloured lithographs and woodcuts, London, 1873, large 4to.

Besides these works and the unpublished observations on natural history, Briggs had been for many years collecting materials for a book to be entitled ‘The Worthies of Derbyshire,’ for which we believe he had notes for at least 700 memoirs. This work, however, has not been published.

 BRIGGS, JOHN THOMAS (1781–1865), accountant-general of the navy, of an old Norfolk family, a direct descendant of Dr. [q. v.], and, in a collateral line, of Professor [q. v.], was born in London on 4 June 1781. He entered early into the civil service of the admiralty, and at the age of twenty-five was appointed secretary to the 'commission for revising and digesting the civil affairs of the navy,' under the presidency of Lord Barham, in which capacity he was the virtual author of the voluminous reports issued by the commission, 1806-9. When the work of this commission was ended, Briggs was appointed assistant-secretary of the victualling board, a post which he held till, in 1830, he was selected by Sir James Graham, then first lord of the admiralty, as his private secretary; but was shortly afterwards advanced to be commissioner and accountant-general of the victualling board. That board was abolished in 1832, and Briggs was appointed accountant-general of the navy. He held this office for the next twenty-two years, during which term many and important improvements were made in the system of accounts, in the framing of the naval estimates, in the method of paying the seamen, and, more especially, in enabling them to remit part of their pay to their wives and families. In 1851 Briggs received the honour of knighthood in acknowledgment of his long and efficient departmental service, from which he retired in 1864. He died at Brighton on 3 Feb. 1886. His wife, to whom he was married in 1807, survived him several years, and died at the age of ninety, on 24 Dec. 1873. His son, Sir John Henry Briggs, chief clerk at the admiralty, was knighted on his retirement in 1870, after a service of forty-two years.

 BRIGGS, WILLIAM (1642–1704), physician and oculist, was born at Norwich, for which city his father, Augustine Briggs, was four times M.P. At thirteen he was entered at Corpus Christi, Cambridge, under Tenison, became a fellow of his college in 1668, and M.A. in 1670. After some years spent in tuition and in studying medicine, he went to France and attended the lectures of Vieussens at Montpellier, under the patronage of Ralph Montagu (afterwards Duke of Montagu), then British ambassador to France. To him Briggs dedicated his 'Ophthalmographia,' an