‘Two Visits to the Tea Countries of China and the British Plantations in the Himalayas,’ London, 1853, 2 vols. 8vo. In 1853 he visited Formosa and described the manufacture of rice-paper carried on there, and about the same time paid several visits to Japan, whence he introduced the variegated China-rose (Kerria japonica), Aucuba japonica, Lilium auratum, and the golden larch (Larix Kæmpferi), with many other species now widely known in our gardens. In 1857 he published ‘A Residence among the Chinese,’ describing the culture of the silkworm, and in the same year was commissioned to collect tea-shrubs and other plants in China and Japan on behalf of the United States government. The story of this journey was told in his last work, ‘Yeddo and Peking,’ London, 1863, 8vo, written after his retirement, when he engaged for a time in farming in Scotland. He died at Gilston Road, South Kensington, 13 April 1880.
[Gardener's Chronicle, 1880, i. 487; Garden, 1880, xvii. 356; Cottage Gardener, xix. 192.]
FOSBROKE, THOMAS DUDLEY (1770–1842), antiquary, born 27 May 1770, was the only son of William Fosbroke by his second wife, Hesther, daughter of Thomas Lashbroke of Southwark, and was a descendant of a family first settled at Forsbrook in Staffordshire (for the family history see Fosbroke, Brit. Monachism, 3rd ed. pp. 14–23). When nine years old he was sent to St. Paul's School, London, and in 1785 was elected to a Teasdale scholarship at Pembroke College, Oxford. He graduated B.A. 1789, M.A. 1792 (Catal. Oxf. Graduates). He was ordained in 1792, and was curate of Horsley in Gloucestershire from 1792 to 1810. From 1810 to 1830 he was curate of Walford, near Ross, Herefordshire, and from 1830 till his death was vicar of the parish. He died at Walford vicarage on 1 Jan. 1842. He married, in 1796, Miss Howell of Horsley, and had four sons and six daughters. His wife and seven of his children (see Gent. Mag. 1842, new ser. xvii. 216) survived him. There is a portrait of him prefixed to his ‘British Monachism’ (3rd edit.).
Fosbroke was elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries in 1799, and from about that time devoted himself to archæology and Anglo-Saxon literature, studying eight or nine hours a day. His ‘British Monachism’ was published in 1802 (London, 2 vols. 8vo), and was well received (also 1817, 4to; 1843, 8vo). His other chief work, the ‘Encyclopædia of Antiquities,’ a treatise on the elements of classical and mediæval archæology, was published in 1825 (London, 2 vols. 4to; also London, 1840, 1 vol. 8vo). He contributed many reviews to the ‘Gentleman's Magazine,’ and among his other publications are: 1. ‘Abstracts of Records and MSS. respecting the County of Gloucester,’ Gloucester, 1807, 2 vols. 4to. 2. ‘Key to the Testament; or Whitby's Commentary abridged,’ 1815, 8vo. 3. ‘History of the City of Gloucester,’ London, 1819, fol. 4. ‘Berkeley Manuscripts’ (pedigrees of the Berkeleys; history of parish of Berkeley, &c.), London, 1821, 4to. 5. ‘Companion to the Wye Tour: Ariconensia’ (on Ross and Archenfield), Ross, 1821, 12mo. He also made additions to Gilpin's ‘Wye Tour’ (see Brit. Mus. Cat.) 6. ‘The Tourist's Grammar’ (on scenery, antiquities, &c.), London, 1826, 12mo. 7. ‘Account of Cheltenham,’ Cheltenham, 1826, 12mo. 8. ‘Foreign Topography’ (an account of ancient remains in Africa, Asia, and Europe), London, 1828, 4to. 9. ‘A Treatise on the Arts, Manufactures, Manners, and Institutions of the Greeks and Romans’ (in Lardner's ‘Cabinet Cyclopædia’), 1833, 8vo.
[Gent. Mag. 1842, new ser. xvii. 214–16; Fosbroke's Works; Brit. Mus. Cat.]
FOSS, EDWARD (1787–1870), biographer, eldest son of Edward Smith Foss, solicitor, of 36 Essex Street, Strand, London, by Anne, his wife, daughter of Dr. William Rose of Chiswick, was born in Gough Square, Fleet Street, 16 Oct. 1787. He was educated under Dr. Charles Burney [q. v.], his mother's brother-in-law, at Greenwich, and remained there until he was articled in 1804 to his father, whose partner he became in 1811. In 1822 he became a member of the Inner Temple, but never proceeded further towards a call to the bar. Upon his father's death, in 1830, he removed to Essex Street, and carried on the practice alone until 1840, when he retired. During his professional career he had, owing to his literary tastes and connections, been specially concerned with questions relating to publishers and literary men. In 1827–8 he served the office of under-sheriff of London. He was connected with the Law Life Assurance Society from its foundation in 1823, first as auditor and afterwards as director, and was active in founding the Incorporated Law Society, of which he was president in 1842 and 1843. In 1844 he removed from Streatham to Canterbury, where he proved himself a useful chairman of the magistrates' bench, in 1859 to Dover, and in 1865 to Addiscombe. From an early age he had made various essays in writing. He contributed, while still a very young man, to the ‘Monthly Review,’ ‘Aikin's
