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Whittington, Richard

(Encyclopedia) Whittington, Richard, 1358–1423, English merchant and lord mayor of London. He made his fortune as a mercer and then entered London politics to become successively councilman, alderman…

Carver, John

(Encyclopedia) Carver, John, c.1576–1621, first governor of Plymouth Colony. A wealthy London merchant, in 1609 he emigrated to Holland, where he soon joined the Pilgrims at Leiden. His excellent…

Gresham, Sir Thomas

(Encyclopedia) Gresham, Sir ThomasGresham, Sir Thomasgrĕshˈəm [key], 1519?–1579, English merchant and financier. As the royal financial agent in Antwerp after 1551 he proved himself very able, though…

Ismail Merchant 2005 Deaths

Ismail MerchantAge: 68 Indian-born filmmaker who, with partner James Ivory, produced several visually stunning literary films, including A Room with a View—which won three Oscars—Howards End…

Lillo, George

(Encyclopedia) Lillo, George, 1693–1739, English dramatist. The son of a prosperous jeweller, he was for many years his father's partner in the trade. He is chiefly remembered as the author of The…

Selfridge, Harry Gordon

(Encyclopedia) Selfridge, Harry Gordon, 1858–1947, American-British retail merchant, b. Ripon, Wis. He moved to Chicago in 1876, where he started a successful 25-year career at Marshall Field &…

Keyser, Thomas de

(Encyclopedia) Keyser, Thomas deKeyser, Thomas dedə kīˈzər [key], c.1596–1667, Dutch portrait and figure painter of Amsterdam. He was the outstanding practitioner in his field prior to Rembrandt. De…

Lee, William

(Encyclopedia) Lee, William, 1739–95, American Revolutionary diplomat, b. Westmoreland co., Va.; brother of Arthur Lee, Francis L. Lee, and Richard H. Lee. He opened a business house in London in…

Norton, Joshua Abraham

(Encyclopedia) Norton, Joshua Abraham, 1818–80, colorful eccentric of San Francisco known as “Emperor Norton,” b. London. He went (1820) with his parents to Cape Town, South Africa, and news of the…

Walker, Amasa

(Encyclopedia) Walker, Amasa, 1799–1875, American economist, b. Woodstock, Conn. He became a merchant in Boston but retired from business in 1840. He lectured (1842–48) on political economy at…