FISHER, John, was born in 1748 at Hampton, near London, he was educated at the grammar-school of Peterborough and at St. Paul's, and in 1766 entered St. Peter's college, Cambridge. Two years afterwards he became fellow of St. John's college in that university, of which he was subsequently appointed one of the tutors. Having been ordained, he became curate of his native village. In 1780 he was recommended by Bishop Hurd, as private tutor to Prince Edward, duke of Kent, and in a short time he was constituted one of the king's chaplains-in-ordinary and a deputy-clerk of the closet. In 1783 he was elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, and in 1786 was promoted to a canonry in St. George's royal chapel at Windsor. In 1803, at the death of Dr. Reginald Courtenay, he was consecrated bishop of Exeter. Shortly after, he was selected to fill the delicate office of presiding over the education of the Princess Charlotte. In the house of lords he was distinguished as a strenuous opponent of the claims of the Roman catholics. In 1807 he became bishop of Salisbury. He died in the seventy-eighth year of his age, and was buried in St. George's chapel, Windsor, much esteemed for his piety, learning, and moderation.—T. J.
FISHER, Payne, or as he usually called himself, Paganus Piscator, a soldier and poet, was born at Warnford in Dorsetshire in 1616, and died in 1693. Fisher studied both at Oxford and Cambridge, and afterwards crossed over to the Low Countries where he served as a soldier. After a brief period of service he returned to England. This was a short time before the breaking out of the civil war, and Fisher, who seems to have been at first a devoted royalist, bore an ensign's commission in the army raised by Charles I. against the Scots in 1639. He afterwards went to Ireland, and on his return was promoted to the rank of major. After the battle of Marston-moor, in which he bore arms, Fisher came up to London, exchanged his sword for the pen, and went over to the cause of the parliament. He was, like all renegades, an intemperate partisan, and became so great a favourite with his new friends as to be accounted the poet-laureate of the Commonwealth. He changed sides again when the Restoration extinguished the puritan cause, but his hireling flattery of Charles' court met only with well-merited neglect. His last years were rendered miserable by such extreme poverty as makes the grave only too welcome an asylum. He was buried in St. Sepulchre's church-yard. Fisher wrote a poem, entitled "Marston-moore, sive de obsidione prælioque Eboracensi Carmen," 1650; "Threnodia Gratulatoria," &c., 1652; "Oratio anniversaria," &c.—R. M., A.
FITCH, John, an ingenious American mechanic, born at a place between Hartford and Windsor, Connecticut, in 1743; died in 1798. He was the son of a farmer in good circumstances, and received as liberal an education as the schools of the district would afford. The bent of his mind from the earliest age was towards mechanics. In his youth he had some inclination for the sea, of which a few voyages effectually cured him, and he then gave himself up to the business of clockmaking. He exchanged this for the trade of a brassfounder. He was a silversmith in Trenton, New Jersey, when the British army entered that town in 1776. He was convicted of repairing American arms; his shop was therefore destroyed. He joined the army, and was with Washington at Valley Forge. From this district he set off for Kentucky in 1780, having been appointed deputy-surveyor. He returned to Philadelphia in the following year, and on the journey back was made a prisoner by the Indians. Redeemed from captivity through the exertions of a British officer, he resumed the duties of his situation, and while sailing on the great western rivers, he conceived the idea that boats might be propelled through water, and carriages on land, by force of steam. In August, 1785, having prepared a plan and model of a steamboat driven by paddles, he presented the subject to congress, and asked for aid to complete his experiments; but the application was rejected. A controversy arose between Fitch and Rumsey, who had also made public a project for steam navigation, and ultimately, in the course of the years 1786 and 1787, Fitch obtained acts of the state legislatures of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, securing to him the exclusive privilege of propelling vessels by steam for fourteen years; while a similar privilege was conferred on Rumsey in Virginia, Maryland, and New York. In 1786, Fitch succeeded in establishing a steamboat company. He substituted for paddle-wheels, vertical oars worked by means of cranks, and with these he fitted a small skiff, which was propelled by them; but it is not clear whether in this case a steam-engine was used to move the propellers. His first practical trial of his invention took place in August, 1787; this was followed by a second trial in July, 1788, with a vessel which plied for hire during the summer of 1790. A new steamboat of a larger size was now begun; but as the undertaking failed to produce a profit, it was abandoned, and the vessels and machinery sold in 1795. Fitch afterwards visited Europe, but met with no encouragement, and having returned to Kentucky, died in 1798. A life of Fitch was published in 1857. His inventions are described in Woodcroft's History of Steam Navigation, and in the Abridgments of Specifications relating to Marine Propulsion.—W. J. M. R.
FITCH, Ralph, a London merchant, who lived in the sixteenth century, and was one of the first English travellers in India. Stirred by the accounts of Drake and Cavendish, he formed the design of increasing his fortune by visiting the East and trading there; and, with others whom he had induced to accompany him, embarked in January, 1583, having obtained letters from Queen Elizabeth to the emperor of China and the Great Mogul, commending him to their favour and protection. He landed first at Tripoli in Syria, traversed Mesopotamia, and after visiting several Eastern cities, arrived at Bassora on the Tigris. After a short sojourn there, he again sailed and reached Ormuz, an island in the Persian Gulf. Here Fitch and his companions were at first permitted to trade freely; but having excited the jealousy of the European merchants previously settled there, one of them, an Italian named Stropene, denounced them as heretics to the officers of the church. The jesuits offered to convert them, but doubtful of success, they procured the arrest of Fitch and his companions, confiscated their goods, and took them before the magisterial tribunal. After a month's imprisonment they were declared catholics, and set at liberty on paying a large ransom to the jesuits, and finding security that they would not relapse into heresy. Thereafter Fitch was most successful in his trading, and realized large sums; but being subjected to continual annoyance on the part of the jesuits, and menaced with slavery, he secretly converted his goods into money, and in April, 1585, fled to Goa. From this place he proceeded to the interior of India, where he carried on an extensive and lucrative traffic in diamonds. He continued to travel through India, visiting many of the chief cities, went to Ceylon, and ultimately returned to London, on the 29th of April, 1591. A full account of his expedition is given by Purchas and by Richard Hakluyt.—J. T—r.
* FITTON, William, M.D., a distinguished geologist. He was one of the founders of the Geological Society of London, and has contributed extensively to the Transactions of that society. He is especially distinguished for his knowledge of the chalk formation and its relations in England, and many of his papers are devoted to this subject. In 1822 he was chosen president of the Geological Society. He is a fellow of the Royal, Linnæan, and other scientific societies.—E. L.
FITZGERALD, a noble and ancient family, which traces its descent from the Gherardini, a baronial family established in Florence before it became a republic.—The Lord Otho passed into Normandy in the time of Edward the Confessor, and thence into England, of which kingdom he was in 1057 an honorary baron. From that period they continued to occupy a distinguished position in England, till Maurice, the great-grandson of Otho, accompanied Strongbow to Ireland in 1169, and became the founder of the great Irish family, as distinguished for their noble qualities as for their illustrious descent. Maurice was a perfect knight, according to the testimony of Giraldus Cambrensis—"Valiant, .... neither impetuous or rash, but circumspect in attack and resolute in defence; a sober, modest, and chaste man, constant, trusty, and faithful." In 1171 he and Strongbow defended Dublin, besieged by King Roderick O'Connor; and with a far inferior force they sallied from the town, and defeated Roderick, Maurice's sons, Gerald and Alexander, exhibiting great valour on the occasion. Henry II. appointed Maurice one of the wardens of Dublin on his departure from Ireland in 1172. In 1176 he obtained a grant of the barony of Offaly, and built the castle of Maynooth, and died at Wexford in September, 1177 leaving a son, Gerald, first baron of Offaly, who sat in parliament, and is said to have been lord-justice of Ireland. He died in 1197.—Thomas the Great, the second son of Maurice, was the ancestor of the
