Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 13.djvu/92

 by the dowager empress in the construction and regulation of many charitable institutions. His exertions to mitigate the horrors of an epidemic which was devastating the south-eastern provinces of Russia in 1809 were fully acknowledged by the emperor, who conferred on him the knight grand cross of the order of St. Anne and St. Vladimir, third class, and in 1814 that of the second class. Having obtained leave of absence on account of his health, he returned to England in 1819, but in the following year was recalled to Russia to take charge of the Grand Duchess Alexandra, whom he accompanied on her convalescence to Berlin, where he stayed for a short time, and then returned to his family. On 27 Dec. 1820 Frederick William III of Prussia created him a knight grand cross of the Red Eagle, second class, and on 1 March 1821 he was knighted by George IV at the Pavilion, Brighton, and obtained the royal permission to wear his foreign orders. He received the order of the grand cross of St. Anne from the Emperor Nicholas in August 1830, and died at The Grove, near Sevenoaks, Kent, 4 June 1856, and was buried in Norwood cemetery. He married, 27 Sept. 1800, Frances, only daughter of Edward Dodwell of West Moulsey, Surrey; she died 20 Jan. 1857, aged 85. Crichton was the author of: He also published an essay in the ‘Annals of Philosophy,’ ix. 97 (1825), ‘On the Climate of the Antediluvian World,’ and in the ‘Geological Transactions’ three papers, ‘On the Taunus and other Mountains of Nassau,’ ‘On the Geological Structure of the Crimea,’ and ‘An Account of Fossil Vegetables found in Sandstone.’
 * 1) ‘An Essay on Generation,’ by J. F. Blumenbach, translated from the German, 1792.
 * 2) ‘An Inquiry into the Nature and Origin of Mental Derangement,’ 1798.
 * 3) ‘A Synoptical Table of Diseases designed for the use of Students,’ 1805.
 * 4) ‘An Account of some Experiments with Vapour of Tar in the Cure of Pulmonary Consumption,’ 1817.
 * 5) ‘On the Treatment and Cure of Pulmonary Consumption,’ 1823.
 * 6) ‘Commentaries on some Doctrines of a Dangerous Tendency in Medicine and on the General Principles of Safe Practice.’



CRICHTON, ANDREW, LL.D. (1790–1855), biographer and historian, youngest son of a small landed proprietor, was born in the parish of Kirkmahoe, Dumfriesshire, December 1790, and educated at Dumfries academy and at the university of Edinburgh. After becoming a licensed preacher he was for some time engaged in teaching in Edinburgh and North Berwick. In 1823 he published his first work, the ‘Life of the Rev. John Blackadder,’ which was followed by the ‘Life of Colonel J. Blackadder,’ 1824, and ‘Memoirs of the Rev. Thomas Scott,’ 1825. To ‘Constable's Miscellany’ he contributed five volumes, viz. ‘Converts from Infidelity,’ 2 vols. 1827, and a translation of Koch's ‘Revolutions in Europe,’ 3 vols. 1828. In the ‘Edinburgh Cabinet Library’ he wrote the ‘History of Arabia,’ 2 vols. 1833, and ‘Scandinavia, Ancient and Modern,’ 2 vols. 1838. He commenced his connection with the newspaper press in 1828 by editing (at first in conjunction with De Quincey) the ‘Edinburgh Evening Post.’ In 1830 he conducted the ‘North Briton,’ and in 1832 he undertook the editorship of the ‘Edinburgh Advertiser,’ in which employment he continued till June 1851. He contributed extensively to periodicals, among others to the ‘Westminster Review,’ ‘Tait's Edinburgh Magazine,’ the ‘Dublin University,’ ‘Fraser's Magazine,’ the ‘Church Review,’ and the ‘Church of Scotland Magazine and Review.’ In 1837 the university of St. Andrews conferred on him the degree of doctor of laws. He was a member of the presbytery of Edinburgh, being ruling elder of the congregation of Trinity College Church, and sat in the general assembly of the church of Scotland as elder for the burgh of Cullen for three years previous to his decease. He died at 33 St. Bernard's Crescent, Edinburgh, 9 Jan. 1855.

He married first, in July 1835, Isabella Calvert, daughter of James Calvert, LL.D.of Montrose, she died in November 1837; and secondly, December 1844, Jane, daughter of the Rev. John Duguid, minister of Erie and Kendall.



CRICHTON, GEORGE (1555?–1611), jurist and classical scholar, was born in Scotland about 1555. He quitted his country at an early age in order to pursue his classical studies at Paris. He studied jurisprudence at Toulouse for several years, and returned to Paris in 1582. For a short time he practised at the bar, and then accepted the post of regent in the Collège Harcourt (November 1583). He also resided for a time in the Collège de Boncourt. He succeeded Daniel d'Ange as professor of Greek in the Collège Royal, and was created doctor of canon law by the university of Paris in 1609. He died on 8 April 1611, and was buried in the church of the Jacobins in the Rue Saint-Jacques. 