Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 62.djvu/404

 133 pictures to the Royal Academy, and thirty-nine to the British Institution. His ‘Dorinda wounded by Sylvia’ is in the Diploma Gallery at Burlington House, and a watercolour, ‘Pan teaching Apollo’ (1790), is in the South Kensington Museum. Many of his pictures were engraved, including the forest scene in ‘Titus Andronicus,’ engraved by Anker Smith for Boydell's ‘Shakespeare’ (1793), several subjects engraved by James Heath and others for an edition of Shakespeare published by Longmans (1805–7), and, among larger subjects, ‘A Vestal’ (1800), by S. W. Reynolds, and ‘The Soldier's Widow’ (1801), by Maria Gisborne, both in mezzotint. Most of Woodforde's compositions were in the correct classical style of his period. He was elected an associate of the Royal Academy in 1800, and an academician in 1807. In 1815 he married and went to Italy. He died of fever at Ferrara on 27 July 1817, leaving no issue.



WOODHALL or WOODALL. [See .]

WOODHAM, (1743–1803), singer and actress, previously called, and generally known on account of the elegance of her dress and person as ‘Buck’ Spencer, was born in 1743, and was a pupil of the celebrated Dr. Arne. She played at Covent Garden Euphrosyne in ‘Comus,’ and was regarded as a rival to Miss Brent, subsequently Mrs. Pinto. She sang at Marylebone Gardens under Dr. Arnold, from whom she received further instruction. This must have been between 1769 and 1773. Thence she proceeded to Ireland, and was for many years a favourite on the Dublin stage. She married a man named Smith, and had by him a daughter, who married ‘Young’ Astley, the son and successor of Philip Astley [q. v.] On his death she married a Mr. Woodham, from whom she was divorced. In her later years she lived entirely with her daughter. On the morning of 2 Feb. 1803 Astley's amphitheatre took fire and was consumed. Mrs. Woodham heard the alarm of fire and came to the door (or the window) where means of escape were awaiting her, but returning for a dress or to secure the receipts of the house for the last two nights, which were in her charge, was suffocated and burnt, a few calcined remains alone being available for interment. Her name, which appears as Woodham in the ‘Gentleman's Magazine,’ is given in the ‘Monthly Mirror’ as Woodman. No reference to her is to be traced under any of her names in theatrical histories.



WOODHAM or, ADAM (d. 1358), Franciscan. [See .]

WOODHEAD, ABRAHAM (1609–1678), Roman catholic controversialist, son of John Woodhead of Thornhill, Yorkshire, was baptised at Meltham in the parish of Almonbury in the same county, on 2 April 1609. Having acquired the rudiments of learning at Wakefield, he was entered as a student at University College, Oxford, in 1624, and soon afterwards became a scholar of that house. His tutors were successively Jonas Radcliff and Thomas Radcliff. He graduated B.A. 5 Feb. 1628–9, and M.A. 10 Nov. 1631. On 27 April 1633 he was elected a fellow of University College. He took holy orders, passed a course in divinity, and in 1641 was elected proctor. During his tenure of that office he made a determined stand on behalf of the university against the efforts of the puritan parliament to impose the ‘solemn league and covenant.’ He was summoned to appear at the bar of the House of Commons, where he made so strong and prudent a defence for his proceedings that he was dismissed without further molestation. Wood's statement that he resigned his office in consequence of the denial of the grace of [q. v.] is a groundless surmise.

At the expiration of his proctorship Woodhead procured the college license to travel abroad with two pupils, and on 22 June 1645 he had leave of absence for four terms. At this period he began to entertain doubts concerning the truth of the protestant faith, and felt some inclination to join the Roman communion. A comparison of the dates shows that he was never at Rome, as Anthony à Wood asserts. In 1648 he was ejected from his fellowship by the visitors of the university of Oxford. Some time before this Mr. (afterwards Sir Thomas) Aylesbury, governor to George Villiers, second duke of Buckingham [q. v.] and to Lord Francis, his brother, induced Woodhead to undertake their instruction in mathematics. Woodhead accompanied them on their return to London, receiving a handsome allowance with apartments at York House in the Strand. He continued to act as their tutor until the defeat at Kingston (1648), when Lord Francis was killed and the duke incurred the danger of utter ruin. Afterwards he lived till 1652 in the family of Arthur, lord Capel (afterwards Earl of Essex), who settled on him an