AKERMAN, JOHN YONGE (1806–1873), numismatist and antiquary, was born in London on 12 June 1806. In early life he became secretary to William Cobbett; in 1838 to the Greenwich Railway Company; and subsequently to Lord Albert Conyngham (afterwards Lord Londesborough). In Jan. 1834, Akerman was elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. In the autumn of 1848 he became joint secretary with Sir Henry Ellis; and five years later, sole secretary of that society, and he held that post until 1860, when he was compelled by the failure of his health to resign it and the editorship of the ‘Archæologia.’ Akerman, though interested in the study of antiquities generally, took more delight in the special branch of numismatics. In 1836, at a time when there was no English periodical of the kind, he had the boldness to start, chiefly at his own expense, a publication called the ‘Numismatic Journal,’ two volumes of which appeared under his editorship. He helped to form the Numismatic Society of London, which held its first regular meeting on 22 Dec. 1836; Akerman was secretary from this date until 1860, and editor of the society's journal, first published in 1838 as the ‘Numismatic Chronicle.’ After 1860, Akerman resided constantly at Abingdon, where he died 18 Nov. 1873.
His contributions to numismatic and antiquarian literature consist largely of papers published in the ‘Numismatic Journal’ and ‘Chronicle,’ and in the pages of the ‘Archæologia.’ A long list of them may be found in the ‘Proceedings of the Numismatic Society for 1874,’ published in the ‘Numismatic Chronicle,’ vol. xiv. new series, pp. 16 ff., from which the following may be selected : ‘Numismatic Manual,’ London, 8vo, 1832 (and London, 8vo, 1840); ‘Introduction to the Study of Ancient and Modern Coins,’ London, 16mo, 1848; ‘Descriptive Catalogue of rare and Unedited Roman Coins,’ 2 vols. 8vo, London, 1834; ‘Coins of the Romans relating to Britain,’ 8vo, London, 1836 (enlarged edition in 1842, and again in 1844); ‘Ancient Coins of Cities and Princes,’ 8vo, London, 1846; ‘Numismatic Illustrations of the New Testament,’ 8vo, London, 1846; ‘Archæological Index for Celtic, Romano-British and Anglo-Saxon Remains,’ 8vo, London, 1847; ‘Glossary of Provincial Words and Phrases in Use in Wiltshire,’ 16mo, London, 1842; ‘Spring Tide, or the Angler and his Friends,’ London, 1850; ‘Wiltshire Tales,’ 12mo, London, 1853. In recognition of Akerman's published works and papers, especially of the series on the coins of the Romans relating to Britain, the gold medal of the French Institute was awarded to him, and he was also created an honorary member of several learned societies, among which were the Royal Academy of St. Petersburg and the Istituto di Corrispondenza Archeologica of Rome. Though Akerman's contributions to numismatics are in great part obsolete, he did good work in his day, especially in popularising the study of coins in England; and the Numismatic Society and its journal continue to prosper.
[Proceedings of the Numismatic Society of London for 1874, published in the Numismatic Chronicle, vol. xiv. (new series), pp. 13–19.]
ALABASTER, WILLIAM (1567–1640), Latin poet and divine, was born at Hadleigh, Suffolk, in 1567; a date that we are able to fix from the superscription to his engraved portrait in one of his later books, ‘Ecce Sponsus venit’ (1633). He was a ‘nephew by marriage’ (according to Fuller) of Dr. John Still, bishop of Bath and Wells, the well-known author of ‘Gammer Gurton's Needle.’ From a tract of John Racster (William Alabaster's Seven Motives removed and confuted, 1598) we learn that Alabaster was educated at Westminster School. From Westminster he proceeded to Trinity College, Cambridge; was elected to a fellowship, took the degree of M.A., and on 11 July 1592 was incorporated of the university of Oxford, The first mention of him by any of his contemporaries occurs in Spenser's ‘Colin Clout's come Home againe.’ Although this poem was not published until 1595, the dedication is dated ‘27 Dec. 1591.’ Additions were certainly introduced into the poem after 1591, but there is no need to follow Malone and Todd in supposing that the date of the dedication should be 1594. In ‘Colin Clout’ Spenser gives the most enthusiastic praise to an epic poem in Latin hexameters which Alabaster began, but never completed, in praise of Queen Elizabeth. The first book (which is probably all that was written) of this epic is preserved in manuscript in the library of Emmanuel College, Cambridge: the full title is ‘Elisæis, Apotheosis Poetica sive de florentissimo imperio et rebus gestis augustissimæ et invictissimæ principis Elizabethæ, D. G. Angliæ, Franciæ, et Hiberniæ Reginæ.’ Before 1592 Alabaster must have written
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