Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Patrick, Richard
PATRICK, RICHARD (1769–1815), classical scholar and divine, was son of Richard Patrick of Kingston-upon-Hull, Yorkshire, where he was born in 1769. He was educated in the public school there, and entered Magdalene College, Cambridge, on 26 Oct. 1786 as a sizar. He graduated B.A. in 1791, and M.A. in 1808; in 1794 he became vicar of Sculcoates, Hull. He also acted as chaplain to Anne, widow of George, first marquis Townshend. He died at his vicarage on 9 Feb. 1815, aged forty-five. Patrick published ‘The Adventures of a Hull Eighteenpenny Token,’ anon. 1811; ‘Geographical, Commercial, and Political Essays,’ anon. 1812; and at least one sermon (Hull, 1809). He also contributed to ‘The Classical Journal’ ‘Remarks on Sir George Staunton's Penal Code of China’ (1810, ii. 381); ‘The Chinese World’ (1811, iii. 16); ‘Notes on part of the poem of Festus Avienus,’ ‘an account of a voyage to Cornwall, Ireland, and Albion, performed by Himilco, the celebrated Carthagenian admiral’ (iii. 141 sqq.); ‘A Chart of Ten Numerals’ (iv. 105 sq.), followed by a descriptive essay. The latter was reprinted separately as ‘A Chart of Ten Numerals in Two Hundred Tongues, with a Descriptive Essay,’ London, 1812. It is an attempt, on a basis of comparative philology, at classifying the races of the earth. To E. H. Barker's edition of Cicero's ‘De Senectute’ and ‘De Amicitia’ of 1811 Patrick contributed ‘an appendix, in which will be found remarks on the origin of the Latin conjunctions and prepositions; also some curious matter on the affinity of different languages, oriental and northern, to the Latin, including two essays on the origin and the extinction of the Latin tongue.’
[Information kindly sent by A. G. Peskett, master of Magdalene College, Cambr.; Classical Journal, vols. ii.–iv.; Luard's Grad. Cantabr.; Biographical Dictionary of Living Authors.]