Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 45.djvu/307

 Shipwreck, or Misfortune the Inspirer of Virtuous Sentiments,’ London, 1819, 12mo. 45. ‘Celebrity, or the Unfortunate Choice,’ a novel, 3 vols., London, 1825. The ‘Lady's Monthly Museum’ adds ‘The Spoiled Child’ and ‘Letters from a Mother to a Daughter.’



PILKINGTON, MATTHEW (d. 1765), author. [See under, 1700?–1784.]

PILKINGTON, MATTHEW (1700?–1784), author of the ‘Dictionary of Painters,’ was born in Dublin about 1700. He entered Trinity College, Dublin, as a scholar in 1721, and graduated B.A. in 1722. Shortly afterwards he was appointed vicar of Donabate and Portrahan, co. Dublin, and occupied this benefice until his death about 1784.

Pilkington is known as the author of ‘The Gentleman's and Connoisseur's Dictionary of Painters,’ London, 1770, 4to. This useful work, the first of its kind in England, embraced about fourteen hundred artists, and continued a standard book until the appearance, 1813–16, of Bryan's ‘Dictionary of Painters and Engravers,’ which was to a certain extent based upon it. In the meantime Pilkington's ‘Dictionary’ had been very largely transformed in successive new editions. The first of these, ‘with remarks on the present state of the art by James Barry,’ and a supplement, appeared in 1798 (London, 4to). Another edition by John Wolcott, M.D., 1799, 4to, was followed by a new edition with alterations and additions by Henry Fuseli, 1805, 4to, reprinted in 1810; another, revised and corrected, 2 vols. 8vo, 1824; a sixth edition, revised and corrected by [q. v.], 2 vols. 8vo, 1829; a seventh, with introduction and new lives by Alan Cunningham, 1840, 8vo; again by R. Davenport, 1851, 8vo; by Cunningham and Davenport, 1852, 8vo, and 1857, 8vo. A supplement by Edward Shepard appeared in 1803.

The lexicographer is to be distinguished from the husband of [q. v.] and also from Matthew Pilkington, divine (1705–1765), son of Middlemore Pilkington (1670–1752) of Stanton-le-Dale, Derbyshire, by his wife Hannah (Smith), who was baptised 25 May 1705 and graduated LL.B. from Jesus College, Cambridge, in 1728, was collated to the prebend of Ruiton in Lichfield Cathedral on 25 Jan. 1748 and died in 1765. He was author of ‘A Rational Concordance, or an Index to the Bible,’ Nottingham, 1749, 4to, a volume containing many words not included in Priestley's ‘Index to the Bible,’ 1805; and of ‘Remarks upon several passages of Scripture,’ Cambridge and London, 1759, 8vo (, Fasti;, Bibl. Bibl. p. 133; , Bibl. Bibl.; , Brit. Lib. 89).



PILKINGTON, RICHARD (1568?–1631), protestant controversialist, born about 1568, was probably a nephew of [q. v.], bishop of Durham (see Wills, old ser. Chetham Soc. i. 82, iii. 122). He was educated at Rivington school, Lancashire, entered Emmanuel College, Cambridge, in April 1585, and proceeded M.A. in 1593. He was incorporated M.A. at Oxford on 31 Oct. 1599, where he proceeded B.D. on 27 June 1600, and D.D. in July 1607 as of Queen's College (, Fasti, pp. 285, 322). From 27 May 1596 till his death he was rector of Hambleden, Buckinghamshire; from 1597 to 1599 rector of Salkeld, Cumberland, and of Little Kimble, Buckinghamshire, from 1620 till his death. On 13 Dec. 1609 he received the king's license to hold Hambleden rectory along with ‘another’ benefice (State Papers, Dom. James I, vol. 1., Docquet). From 1597 till 1600 he was archdeacon of Carlisle, treasurer of Lichfield Cathedral from 1625 till 1628, and from 1625 till his death archdeacon of Leicester.

He died in September 1631, and was buried in the chancel of Hambleden church. His wife was Anne, daughter of [q. v.], bishop of Carlisle.

In reply to the ‘Manual of Controversies’ (1614) by [q. v.], Pilkington wrote ‘Parallela, or the grounds of the new Roman Catholic and of the ancient Christian Religion out of the holy Scriptures compared together,’ London, 1618, 4to. Champney answered Pilkington in 1620, and, in a prefatory epistle to Archbishop Abbot, spoke of Pilkington as ‘a minion of yours,’ who had been induced by Abbot to begin the controversy.



PILKINGTON, ROBERT (1765–1834), major-general and inspector-general of fortifications, was born at Chelsfield, Kent,