Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 38.djvu/86

Mitford 'written chiefly by Mitford,' is assigned in the British Museum Catalogue to G. D. Whittington of Cambridge. 3. 'Sacred Specimens selected from the Early English Poets, with Prefatory Remarks,' 1827. Charles Lamb called this a 'thankful addition' to his shelves, but regretted the errors in printing. 4. 'Poemata Latine partim reddita partim scripta a V. Bourne,' 1840; with life by Mitford. 5. 'Correspondence of Horace Walpole and Rev. W. Mason,' ed., with notes, by Mitford, 1851, 2 vols. This, like all Mitford's works, shows much knowledge of the last century, but great laxity of supervision. Some of his annotations are reproduced by Peter Cunningham in his edition of Walpole's 'Letters.' 6. 'Lines suggested by a fatal Shipwreck near Aldborough, 3 Nov. 1855,' n.p. 1855, 12mo; 2nd edit., Woodbridge, 1856. 7. 'Cursory Notes on various Passages in the Text of Beaumont and Fletcher, as edited by Rev. Alexander Dyce,' 1856; complimentary to Dyce. 8. 'Miscellaneous Poems,' 1858; a selection from his fugitive pieces. At the end was announced a volume, hitherto unpublished, of 'Passages of Scripture, illustrated by Specimens from the Works of the Old Masters of Painting.' Raw's 'Pocket-book' for 1830 and later years contained poems by him; his impromptu lines 'On the Aldine Anchor,' printed in the 'Gentleman's Magazine' for 1836, pt. i. p. 501, and in 'Notes and Queries,' 3rd ser. x. 327, and 5th ser. xii. 44, were struck off for separate circulation. Further poems of his composition are inserted in the last periodical, 3rd ser. ix. 58, in Mrs. Houstoun's 'A Woman's Memories' and her 'Sylvanus Redivivus,' and in Glyde's 'New Suffolk Garland,' 1866, p. 375, and some 'Remarks by him on the Mustard Tree of Scripture' are at the Dyce Library, South Kensington Museum.

Mitford's collections were dispersed after his death by Sotheby & Wilkinson. His fine art collection of silver Greek coins, cameos, and miniatures was sold on 30 June 1859, the engravings and drawings on 23 July 1859 and two following days, his Greek and Latin classics on 17 Dec. 1859 and six following days. This sale produced 1,029l. 19s. The library of English history, plays, and poetry was sold on 24 April 1860 and eleven following days, producing 2,999l. 2s.; and his manuscripts on 9 July 1860, producing 817l. 3s. The manuscripts contained three volumes of autograph letters, papers relating to Gray, his own recollections in fifty-five volumes, the correspondence of Toup. Many of the books, with his notes, are now in the libraries of the Rev. Alexander Dyce and John Forster at the South Kensington Museum, or in the library of the British Museum. His commonplace-books are Addit. MSS. 32559-32575 at the British Museum, and from them were printed 'Some Conversations with the Duke of Wellington' (Temple Bar, April 1888, pp. 507-13). Mitford was in early life a great cricketer, and from the conversation of William Fennex, a cricket veteran whom he supported by charitable work in his garden at Benhall, he wrote many newspaper articles and compiled a manuscript volume, which he gave to the Rev. James Pycroft in 1836, and on it Pycroft laid the structure of his work on the 'Cricket Field,' 1851 (, Oxford Memories, ii. 120-1). On his letters was based a volume of 'Sylvanus Redivivus (the Rev. John Mitford). With a short Memoir of Edward Jesse. By M. Houstoun,' 1889, reissued in 1891, with new title-page and slip of errata as 'Letters and Reminiscences of the Rev. John Mitford. With a Sketch of Edward Jesse. By C. M.' He wrote many letters to Bernard Barton (one of which is printed in 'Selections from Poems and Letters of Barton,' 1849, p. xxiii, and in 'Poems and Letters of Barton,' 1853, p. xxiv), and Charles Lamb frequently refers to him in his correspondence with Barton (ib. pp. 126-39, and, Letters, ed. Ainger, ii. passim). Many of his letters afterwards passed to Edward Fitzgerald, who collected and bound together Mitford's papers in the 'Gentleman's Magazine;' the volume is now the property of Dr. W. Aldis Wright. A letter from him on his notice of the early works of Mary Russell Mitford [q. v.] in the 'Quarterly Review,' which was much mutilated by Gifford, is in 'Friendships of Miss Mitford,' i. 53-4, and a communication on an ancient garden at Chelsea is in L'Estrange's 'Village of Palaces,' ii. 288-91. He recommended to J. B. Nichols the publication of 'Bishop Percy's Correspondence,' which forms the staple of the seventh and eighth volumes of the 'Illustrations of the Literary History of the Eighteenth Century;' the seventh volume was dedicated to him.

[Gent. Mag. 1847 pt. ii. p. 534, 1859 pt. i. p. 652, pt. ii. pp. 84-6, 206; Foster's Alumni Oxon.; Foster's Index Ecclesiasticus; Foster's Peerage, sub 'Redesdale;' Mrs. Houstoun's Woman's Memories, i. 122-5, 178-204; Mrs. Houstoun's Sylvanus Redivivus; information from Dr. W. Aldis Wright and Mr. R. H. Mitford; Mitford's Works, passim.]  MITFORD, JOHN FREEMAN-, first (1748–1830), younger son of John Mitford of Newton House, Kent, and Exbury, Hampshire, by his wife Philadelphia, daughter of William Reveley of Newby Wiske, Yorkshire, was born in the