Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1892, volume 3).djvu/538

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502
KEIMER
KEITH

Perry, Va., and the upper Potomac. In the au- tumn of this year, Keim was commissioned briga- dier-general of volunteers, and, joining the army under Gen. McClellan, he commanded a Pennsyl- vania brigade in the peninsular campaign. His death was the result of camp fever.


KEIMER, Samuel, printer, b. in England; d. in liarbadoes after 1738. He learned the trade of a printer in London, was a member of the sect known as the " French Prophets," and came to this country in 1722, accompanied by his sister, a prophetess of the same sect. He brought with him printing materials, consisting "of an old damaged press and a small cast of worn-out Eng- lish types contained in one pair of cases," and es- tablished himself in business in Philadelphia, Pa. Probably the first printer that he employed to assist him was Benjamin Franklin, who, in 1723, found employment in Philadelphia in Keimer's office. Shortly afterward he published a pam- phlet called " A Parable," which was said to be the joint work of himself and Franklin, and which so offended the Quakers that, by order of their month- ly meeting in September, 1723, he was denounced and disowned. On Franklin's return from Europe he engaged again with Keimer, and on the latter's hearing that Franklin intended to publish a news- paper, Keimer issued a prospectus announcing his intention to begin the publication of one of his own, and on 24 Dec, 1728, appeared the first issue of the " Universal Instructor in all Arts and Sci- ences, and Pennsylvania Gazette." Through the covert opposition of Franklin, Keimer was unable to make his paper a success, and in nine months from its first issue he sold the " Gazette " to Frank- lin and Hugh Meredith. Shortly thereafter he re- moved to Barbadoes, where in 1731, at Bridgetown, he began the publication of the " Barbadoes Ga- zette," the first newspaper that was issued in the Caribbean islands, and the first that was published twice a week, for any considerable time, in any part of America. He continued its publication until 1738. Selections from this paper were after- ward published under the title " Caribbeana, a Collection of Essays," arranged in imitation of the " Tattler " (2 vols., London, 1741). He was also the author of " A Brand plucked from the Burn- ing, exemplified in the Unparalleled Case of Sam- uel Keimer" (London, 1718).


KEISAR, Mauritius van, Dutch physician, b. in Essequibo, Guiana, in 1663: d. in Demerara in 1725. He was graduated at the University of Leyden, and was for some time a military surgeon ; but his father having died in 1695 and left him a large estate in Guiana, the son tendered his resigna- tion, and, returning to America, settled in Demerara, where he divided his time between the exercise of his profession and agricultural schemes. He made experiments on his own estate, and urged the adoption of artificial guano. The country greatly benefited by his exertions and his experiments, as he established at his own expense a model farm in which a practical agricultural education was given free to those who were willing to learn. Keisar published many books, some of which are yet standard works. These include "Expose des moyens de mettre en valeur et d'administrer la Guiane " (Amsterdam, 1709); "Notions sur la culture des basses terres dans la Guiane Hollan- daise" (Leyden, 1706); "Land und Leute von Guiana" (Demerara, 1719); "Traite du cafe" (Amsterdam, 1720); "Traite du tabac" (1721): " System der Medicin" (Leipsic and Amsterdam, 1721) ; and " Grundlage der Pathologie und Thera- pie des Menschen" (1723).


KEITH, Alexander, Canadian statesman, b. in Falkirk, Caithness-shire, Scotland, 5 Oct., 1795; d. in Halifax 14 Dec, 1873. He was educated in Scotland, and in 1817 came with his father's family to Halifax, N. S., where he engaged in the brewing and malting business. He became commissioner of the court of common pleas, served as mayor of Halifax in 1843, 1853, and 1854, and was also for a long period a director of the Bank of Nova Scotia. He became a member of the legislative council in 1843, sat in that body for thirty years, and when the Nova Scotian legislature was consti- tuted in 1867 became president of the upper house. In the same year he was appointed to the Domin- ion senate, but declined the office.


KEITH, Charles Penrose, lawyer, b. in Phila- delphia, Pa., 15 March, 1854. He was graduated at the University of Pennsylvania in 1873, and taught for a year, after which he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1877. For a few years he acted as librarian of the Historical society of Pennsylvania. He is the compiler of " The Pro- vincial Councillors of Pennsylvania who held office between 1733 and 1776, and those Earlier Councillors who were some time Chief Magistrates of the Province, and their Descendants " (Philadel- phia, 1883), and has contributed historical and ge- nealogical articles to periodicals.


KEITH, George, clergyman, b. in Aberdeen, Scotland, about 1645 ; d. in Sussex, England, in 1715. He was educated in the schools of the Church of Scotland and at the University of Aber- deen. Becoming a Quaker in 1664, he suffered confiscation and imprisonment, and in 1675 was engaged with Robert Barclay in a discussion be- fore the students of Aberdeen university concern- ing Quaker doctrines. A continuance of persecu- tions induced Keith to emigrate to the United States in 1684. He became a surveyor in New Jersey, and was engaged to determine the bound- ary-line between the eastern and western parts of the state. He removed to Philadelphia in 1689, and took charge of a Friends' school, but left it to travel in New England, where he engaged in con- troversy with John Cotton and Increase Mather. On his return to Philadelphia he became involved in disputes with his own sect. He then went to London and met William Penn in controversy, who pronounced him an apostate and dismissed him from the society. Keith responded in an able argument, and formed a society of his own known as the Christian or Baptist Quakers, or Keithians. Becoming again dissatisfied, he was ordained in the Church of England, and in 1702 was sent by the Society for propagating the gospel on a mission to Pennsylvania and New Jersey. He was signally successful in this work, 700 Quakers under his in- fluence receiving baptism in the Episcopal church. He subsequently returned to England, and became rector of Edburton, Sussex. Bishop Burnet, who was his fellow-student at Aberdeen, says of him in his " History of My Own Times " : " Keith was the most learned man ever in the Quaker sect, well versed both in the Oriental tongues and in phi- losophy and mathematics." Besides theological works, he published " Journal of Travels from New Hampshire to Caratuck " (London. 1706) ; " Standard of the Quakers " (1702 : republished in Janney's " History of Friends," Philadelphia, 1867) ; and " New Theory of Longitude " (1709).


KEITH, Isaac Stockton, clergyman, b. in Newton, Bucks co., Pa., 20 Jan., 1755 ; d. in Charleston, S. C, 13 Dec, 1813. He was graduated at Princeton in 1775, entered the ministry in 1778, and was ordained pastor of the Presbyterian church