Samuel Austin Allibone
Encyclopedia
Samuel Austin Allibone was an American
author
and bibliographer
.
, of French Huguenot
and Quaker
ancestry. He was privately educated and for many years was engaged in mercantile business in his native city. He, however, devoted himself chiefly to reading and to bibliographical research; acquired a very unusual knowledge of English and American literature
, and is remembered as the compiler of the well-known Critical Dictionary of English Literature and British and American Authors (3 vols. in royal octavo: vol. i. 1854, vols. ii. and iii. 1871). The Critical Dictionary was projected by George W. Childs, owner of the Philaldephia Public Ledger, and cost over $60,000. It comprised an alphabetical author index of over 46,000 authors; the third volume included 40 subject-classified lists of authors. Two supplementary volumes, edited by John Foster Kirk
, were added in 1891.
Allibone was a member of the Protestant Episcopal Church
..
He was criticized by the Catholic World
in 1872 for his alleged unfairness to Catholics, especially in relation to literature about Mary, Queen of Scots.
From 1867 to 1873, and again in 1877-1879, Allibone was book editor and corresponding secretary of the American Sunday School Union; and from 1879 to 1888 he was librarian of the Lenox Library
in New York City
. He died at Lucerne
, Switzerland
, in 1889. In addition to his Critical Dictionary he published three large anthologies and several religious tracts. He contributed to the North American Review
, the Evangelical Review and other periodicals.
The indexes to Edward Everett
's Orations and Speeches (1850-1859), and Washington Irving
's Life and Letters (1861-1864), were from his hand. He was book editor and corresponding secretary of the American Sunday School Union from 1867 until 1873, and from 1877 until 1879, when he became librarian of the Lenox Library
, resigning in 1888.
Samuel Allibone's brother was Thomas Allibone (1809–1876), senior member of the family's shipping concern, Thomas Allibone & Co. Thomas Allibone was president of the large Bank of Pennsylvania
at the time of its collapse in September 1857.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and bibliographer
Bibliographer
"A bibliographer is a person who describes and lists books and other publications, with particular attention to such characteristics as authorship, publication date, edition, typography, etc. The result of this endeavor is a bibliography...
.
Biography
He was born in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, of French Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
and Quaker
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
ancestry. He was privately educated and for many years was engaged in mercantile business in his native city. He, however, devoted himself chiefly to reading and to bibliographical research; acquired a very unusual knowledge of English and American literature
American literature
American literature is the written or literary work produced in the area of the United States and its preceding colonies. For more specific discussions of poetry and theater, see Poetry of the United States and Theater in the United States. During its early history, America was a series of British...
, and is remembered as the compiler of the well-known Critical Dictionary of English Literature and British and American Authors (3 vols. in royal octavo: vol. i. 1854, vols. ii. and iii. 1871). The Critical Dictionary was projected by George W. Childs, owner of the Philaldephia Public Ledger, and cost over $60,000. It comprised an alphabetical author index of over 46,000 authors; the third volume included 40 subject-classified lists of authors. Two supplementary volumes, edited by John Foster Kirk
John Foster Kirk
John Foster Kirk was an American historian, journalist, educator and bibliographer.Kirk was educated privately in Nova Scotia and came to the United States in 1842. From 1847 to 1859 he was secretary to the historian William H. Prescott, accompanying Prescott to Europe in 1850 and editing...
, were added in 1891.
Allibone was a member of the Protestant Episcopal Church
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
..
He was criticized by the Catholic World
Catholic World
Catholic World was a periodical founded by Paulist Father Isaac Thomas Hecker in April 1865. It featured many articles by Orestes Brownson, including the May 1870 essay "Church and State", which described Brownson's understanding of the proper relationship between the Church and the state.-...
in 1872 for his alleged unfairness to Catholics, especially in relation to literature about Mary, Queen of Scots.
From 1867 to 1873, and again in 1877-1879, Allibone was book editor and corresponding secretary of the American Sunday School Union; and from 1879 to 1888 he was librarian of the Lenox Library
Lenox Library
Lenox Library may refer to:*Lenox Library *A former library now part of the New York Public Library...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He died at Lucerne
Lucerne
Lucerne is a city in north-central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of that country. Lucerne is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne and the capital of the district of the same name. With a population of about 76,200 people, Lucerne is the most populous city in Central Switzerland, and...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, in 1889. In addition to his Critical Dictionary he published three large anthologies and several religious tracts. He contributed to the North American Review
North American Review
The North American Review was the first literary magazine in the United States. Founded in Boston in 1815 by journalist Nathan Hale and others, it was published continuously until 1940, when publication was suspended due to J. H. Smyth, who had purchased the magazine, being unmasked as a Japanese...
, the Evangelical Review and other periodicals.
The indexes to Edward Everett
Edward Everett
Edward Everett was an American politician and educator from Massachusetts. Everett, a Whig, served as U.S. Representative, and U.S. Senator, the 15th Governor of Massachusetts, Minister to Great Britain, and United States Secretary of State...
's Orations and Speeches (1850-1859), and Washington Irving
Washington Irving
Washington Irving was an American author, essayist, biographer and historian of the early 19th century. He was best known for his short stories "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle", both of which appear in his book The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. His historical works...
's Life and Letters (1861-1864), were from his hand. He was book editor and corresponding secretary of the American Sunday School Union from 1867 until 1873, and from 1877 until 1879, when he became librarian of the Lenox Library
Lenox Library
Lenox Library may refer to:*Lenox Library *A former library now part of the New York Public Library...
, resigning in 1888.
Samuel Allibone's brother was Thomas Allibone (1809–1876), senior member of the family's shipping concern, Thomas Allibone & Co. Thomas Allibone was president of the large Bank of Pennsylvania
Bank of Pennsylvania
The Bank of Pennsylvania was established on July 17, 1780, by Philadelphia merchants to provide funds for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War...
at the time of its collapse in September 1857.
Works
- A Review by a Layman of a Work entitled 'New Themes for the Protestant Clergy, 1852
- 'New Themes' Condemned, 1853
- Explanatory Questions on the Gospels and the Acts, 1869
- A Critical Dictionary of English Literature and British and American Authors, 3 vols (1858, 1871)
- Alphabetical Index to the New Testament, 1869.
- Union Bible Companion, 1871 (with first part published separately as The Divine Origin of the Holy Scriptures)
- Poetical Quotations from Chaucer to Tennyson, 1873. This work contains 13,600 passages taken from 550 authors, classified under 435 subjects.
- Prose Quotations from Socrates to Macaulay, 1875. This work contains 8,810 quotations, containing the names of 544 authors and 571 subjects
- Great Authors of All Ages, 1879
External links
- A Critical Dictionary, Vol. I (A-H) at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
; there are also versions of Vol. II and Vol. III available, but they are not so well scanned.