by saying that "The strictly historical investigation into the careers of the Cabots dates from the appearance of Mr. Biddle's volume." In a preface to "John and Sebastian Cabot" by C. Raymond Beazley, Fellow of Merton College, Oxford, appearing in 1898, the author in noting the changes of opinion in Europe and America on certain points of history, leads off by saying, "Since the modern Cabot literature began with the appearance of R. Biddle's (American) Memoir in 1831.” Not a work on the Cabots but contains references to the Biddle Memoir (Harrisse has 36 references), and a note in Winship's Cabot Bibliography mentions that an account of Cabot by Errizo, appearing at Venice in 1855, "is largely drawn from Biddle." Mr. Biddle returned to Pittsburgh in 1832, after an absence of four years, and reëngaged in the practice of the law. In 1837 he was elected to Congress, and went to Washington the year following to attend its sessions. Mr. David Ritchie, when speaking of his election in the Eulogium referred to at the beginning of this notice, says: "No man was ever elected to that place with less intrigue or management or personal interference. He had earned such a position in this community (Pittsburgh) that the people desired his services and sent him to Congress without any solicitation on his part. He had not been long in the house of representatives till his position was of the highest." He was reëlected in 1838, and served in the first session of '39 and '40, but in this year resigned "to the very great regret of his constituents, to whom his services gave almost universal satisfaction." On the 17th of June, 1844, he was married to Ann Eliza Anderson, eldest daughter of John Anderson of Pittsburgh. This lady survived him many years, and passed the latter portion of her life in Philadelphia, although finally removing to her daughter's house in Pittsburgh, where she died May 6th, 1908. Two children were born of this marriage: a son, Richard, now a resident of Tennessee, and a daughter, Grace, lately deceased, who married the Rev. J. Hall McIlvaine. December, 1915. EDWARD BIDDLE. CORRECTION In a Note at foot of page 79, a printed nought should clearly have been the figure 9-Thus for "10th August, 1407," read "10th August, 1497. To hym that found the New Isle, 10l." |