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 BIDDLE 625 sides of the river, are worked by it ; there are also extensive manufactories of woollen goods and hardware, iron founderies, and large saw mills, and the place has a large trade in lumber. The valuation of property in 1870 was $5,682,- 402 ; in 1800, $4,593,647. The city has two na- tional banks, 2 savings banks, 1 Congregational- ist, 1 Methodist, 2 Baptist, 1 Universalist, 1 Epis- copal, and 2 Catholic churches, 34 schools, and 2 weekly newspapers. There are large fruit nurseries. The Portland, Saco, and Ports- mouth railroad, passing through the city, con- nects it with Portland and Boston. The " Pool," near the mouth of the river, where there is a fine beach several miles in extent, is a place of summer resort. Biddeford was settled about 1630, and incorporated as a town in 1718, and as a city in 1855. It was named from Bideford, in England. BIDDLE. I. Clement, an American soldier, born in Philadelphia, May 10, 1740, died there, July 14, 1814. He was a member of the so- ciety of Friends, a descendant of an early Quaker settler and proprietary of West Jersey, and was engaged in commercial pursuits. In 1764 he joined in raising a military corps for the pro- tection of friendly Indians against a lawless hand called the Paxton boys ; and in 1775 he was an officer of the "Quaker" company of volunteers raised in Philadelphia. In 1776 he was appointed by congress deputy quarter- master general for the militia of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and took part in the battle of Trenton, and in conjunction with another officer was ordered by Washington to receive the swords of the Hessian officers. He also participated in the victory of Princeton, the retreat at Brandywine, and the enterprise of Germantown. During the winter of 1777-'8 he shared the sufferings of the American army at Valley Forge, rendering important service especially during the famine. After the battle of Monmouth he retired from the army (Sep- tember, 1780). In 1781 he was appointed at the urgent request of Greene quartermaster general of Pennsylvania. In 1794 he served against the whiskey insurgents. He was at the same time an active politician, urging the adop- tion of the state constitution of 1776, of which his brother Owen was one of the framers. After the organization of the federal govern- ment in 1787, he was appointed United States marshal of Pennsylvania. He was held in high regard by Washington, with whom he was in frequent intercourse and active cor- respondence. II. Clement Cornell, an American political economist, son of the preceding, born in Philadelphia, Oct. 24, 1784, died Aug. 21, 1855. He early entered the naval service, but soon left it and became a lawyer. The out- rage upon the U. 8. ship Chesapeake in June, 1807, led him to solicit military employment, and he was appointed captain of dragoons, but resigned his commission on the speedy settle- ment of this difficulty. In 1812 he raised a com- pany of volunteers, called the " State Fencibles," and was afterward elected colonel of a volunteer regiment ; but the retreat of the British from Baltimore left no opportunity for active service. After the restoration of peace he devoted him- self chiefly to political economy, preparing notes and additions to the translation of Say's " Treatise on Political Economy " (2 vols., Boston, 1821; new ed., Philadelphia, 1851), which were commended by Dugald Stewart. In the free trade convention in Philadelphia in 1831 he bore a prominent part ; and, although occupying no public position, he contributed to mould the policy of the government with re- gard to the currency and foreign commerce. BIDDLE, James, an officer of the United States navy, born in Philadelphia in February, 1783, died there, Oct. 1, 1848. He entered the navy as midshipman in February, 1800. During the war with Tripoli he served on the Constellation and Philadelphia, was made pris- oner, and detained until the conclusion of peace. When war was declared against Great Britain he sailed as lieutenant on board the Wasp, which soon captured the Frolic, and was put in command of the prize ; but both vessels were soon after taken by the Poictiers, a British 74-gun ship, and carried to Bermuda. Having been exchanged (March, 1813), Biddle was placed in command of the gunboats on the Delaware, but was soon transferred to the Hornet, one of Decatur's squadron. He was for many months blockaded in the harbor of New London ; but making his escape, he was assigned to the command of the Hornet, which was ordered to the East Indies ; and in Febru- ary, 1815, he was made captain. On March 23, off the island of Tristan d'Acunha, he cap- tured the Penguin, being severely wounded in the action. For this he received a gold medal from congress, and was promoted to the rank of captain. After the war he held several im- portant commands, including, in 1830-'32, that of the Mediterranean squadron, being also ap- pointed a commissioner to negotiate a treaty with the Ottoman government. BIDDLE, John, an English theologian, called "the father of English Unitarians," born at Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire, in 1615, died in London, Sept. 22, 1662. He was the son of a tradesman, was educated at Oxford, and elected master of the free school of Gloucester. His tract entitled " Twelve Argu- ments drawn out of the Scripture, wherein the commonly received opinion touching the Deity of the Holy Spirit is clearly and fully refuted," led to his dismissal from this post and to his arrest (Dec. 2, 1645) and imprisonment, the house of commons ordering all printed copies of the book to be burned by the common hang- man. While yet in prison he printed a " Con- fession of Faith concerning the Holy Trinity according to the Scriptures, with the Testi- monies of several of the Fathers on this head " (London, 1648). This was followed by " The Testimonies of Irenams, Justin Martyr, Nova- tianus, Theophilus, &c., concerning the Persons