‘Memoirs of the French Revolution,’ not only as a collection of original documents, but as giving the views of a contemporary while the revolution was yet in its first stage. Dillon was an ardent advocate of religious liberty, and an uncompromising enemy of intolerance in every shape. His admiration of the Germanic empire was mainly due to the spirit of toleration that pervaded it. He was a firm believer in the moderation of the revolution. With all his enthusiasm for liberty, however, he was not disposed to extend it to the negroes in the West Indies. ‘God forbid,’ he says, ‘I should be an advocate for slavery as a system;’ but in their particular case he regarded it as a necessary evil, and believed that upon the whole they were far better off as slaves than they would be if set free. His contributions to literature were not very important, or marked by much originality, but they are evidence of a cultivated taste and an acute and active mind. Bowle, in the preface and notes to his elaborate edition of ‘Don Quixote,’ repeatedly acknowledges his obligations to Baron Dillon for sound critical suggestions received during the progress of his work, and Baretti speaks of him with respect in his ferocious attack upon Bowle, printed in 1786, under the title of ‘Tolondron.’ He was created a baronet of the United Kingdom in 1801, and died in Dublin in August 1805.
Dillon's published works were: 1. ‘Travels through Spain … in a series of Letters, including the most interesting subjects contained in the Memoirs of Don G. Bowles and other Spanish writers,’ London, 1780, 4to. 2. ‘Letters from an English Traveller in Spain in 1778 … with illustrations of the romance of Don Quixote,’ London, 1781, 8vo. 3. ‘A Political Survey of the Sacred Roman Empire, &c.,’ London, 1782, 8vo. 4. ‘Sketches on the Art of Painting, translated from the Spanish by J. T. Dillon,’ London, 1782, 12mo. 5. ‘History of the Reign of Pedro the Cruel, King of Castile and Leon,’ London, 1788, 2 vols. 8vo. 6. ‘Historical and Critical Memoirs of the General Revolution in France in the year 1789 … produced from authentic papers communicated by M. Hugon de Bassville,’ London, 1790, 4to. 7. ‘Foreign Agriculture, being the result of practical husbandry, by the Chevalier de Monroy; selected from communications in the French language, with additional notes by J. T. Dillon,’ London, 1796, 8vo. 8. ‘Alphonso and Eleonora, or the triumphs of Valour and Virtue,’ London, 1800, 2 vols. 12mo.
[Gent. Mag. for September 1805; Betham's and Foster's Baronetages; Nichols's Illustr. of Lit. Hist. vol. viii.]
DILLON, ROBERT CRAWFORD, D.D. (1795–1847), divine, was born in the rectory house of St. Margaret's, Lothbury, in the city of London, 22 May 1795. After a private education he entered at St. Edmund Hall, Oxford, in the Michaelmas term of 1813. He took his B.A. 16 May 1817, M.A. 3 Feb. 1820, and B.D. and D.D. 27 Oct. 1836. He was ordained 20 Dec. 1818 to the curacy of Poorstock and West Milton, Dorsetshire. Here he stayed but a very short time, and, having received priest's orders, in 1819 he was appointed assistant minister of St. John's Chapel, Bedford Row, the recognised centre of evangelical teaching, of which Daniel Wilson, afterwards bishop of Calcutta [q. v.], was at that time the incumbent in succession to Richard Cecil [q. v.] Here he became a popular preacher, and was much run after, especially by ladies. Dillon removed in 1824 to the curacy of Willesden and Kingsbury, Middlesex, and the next year to that of St. James, Clerkenwell, the following year, 1826, obtaining an appointment at St. Matthew's Chapel, Denmark Hill. In 1822 Dillon was chaplain to Alderman Venables during his shrievalty, and filled the same office during that gentleman's mayoralty in 1826–7. In the latter year he accompanied the lord mayor and corporation on an official visit to Oxford, of which he published a too notorious account. In 1828 he was elected by a large majority morning preacher of the Female Orphan Asylum, a post which he resigned the next year for a proprietary chapel in Charlotte Street, Pimlico, to which he was licensed 24 July 1829. From 1829 to 1837 he was early morning lecturer at St. Swithin's, London Stone, where he attracted large congregations. During this period Dillon continued his evening lectureship at St. James's, Clerkenwell, and in 1839, on the vacancy of the rectory, which was in the gift of the parishioners, he became candidate for the benefice. The contest which ensued was marked with the opening of public-houses, bribery, and all the worst evils of a popular election. Dillon's private life was narrowly inquired into, and very grave scandals were brought to light, and he deservedly lost his election in spite of zealous female support. A brisk pamphlet war ensued, in which a ‘ladies' committee,’ including several ladies of rank, took an active and not very creditable part. The charges of immorality having been fully proved, Blomfield, bishop of London, revoked his license, and suspended him from his ministry in Charlotte Street, 29 Feb. 1840. In defiance of the inhibition, Dillon continued to officiate in the chapel, and a suit was brought against him in the consistory court in April of the same
