Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Kennedy, John (d.1760)
KENNEDY, JOHN (d. 1760), numismatist, was a native of Scotland, graduated M.D., and resided for some time in Smyrna. He was a collector of Greek and Roman coins, and, according to George Ballard [q. v.], his Roman collection was the best private cabinet of that series in Great Britain (Nichols, Lit. Illustr. iv. 209). Dr. Mead sold him a portion of his Greek regal coins (Nichols, Lit. Anecd. vi. 219). He is stated to have died at ‘an advanced age’ on 26 Feb. 1760, in the Strand, London (ib. v. 451; Gent. Mag. 1760, xxx. 102). Kennedy's coin collection was sold by auction by Prestage in Savile Row, London, on 8 and 9 May 1760 (Sale Catalogue, pp. 3–18, 4to, in department of coins, British Museum). It included 256 coins of Carausius and 89 of Allectus, which were purchased by P. C. Webb for 86l. 10s., and afterwards passed into the Hunter collection. Kennedy's collection of about two hundred pictures, including two heads of himself, was also sold by auction in 1760. He published: 1. ‘A Dissertation upon Oriuna,’ 1751, 4to (illustrated with coins of Carausius). 2. ‘Further Observations on Carausius … and Oriuna,’ &c., 1756, 4to. 3. ‘A Letter to Dr. Stukeley,’ a sixpenny 4to pamphlet [1759?]. In these publications he maintained that Oriuna was the guardian-goddess of Carausius, against Stukeley, who maintained that she was his wife (Stukeley, Palæographia Brit. No. iii. 1752; Medallic Hist. of Carausius, 1757–9). ‘Oriuna’ was really a misreading of the word ‘Fortuna,’ which accompanies the figure of Fortune on a coin of Carausius. Kennedy also published ‘Numismata selectiora,’ a plate, engraved by Perry, of coins of Carausius and Allectus in Kennedy's collection, with a quarto leaf of explanation (Lit. Anecd. ii. 283).
[Authorities cited above.]
Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.171
N.B.— f.e. stands for from end and l.l. for last line
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| 427 | ii | 84 | Kennedy, John (d. 1760): for John read Patrick (cf. MS. Egerton 22, ff. 85-87; Nichols's Literary Anecdotes, ix. 409) |