Collier's New Encyclopedia

A complete general encyclopedia of 1921 — the world as it was understood just after the Great War, from Aachen to Zwingli, across twelve volumes and six thousand pages.

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Wedderburn

ALEXANDER, a Lord Chancellor of England, ennobled as Lord Loughborough and Earl of Rosslyn; born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Feb. 13, 1733; the son of a Scotch judge. He passed as advocate, but was called to the English bar in 1757. He entered Parlia ment in 1762, took part in the great Douglas cause, and in 1771 left the opposition to become a strenuous supporter of Lord North as solicitor-general. He supported the American war policy, and was made chief-justice as Lord Loughborough (1780); but in 1784, disappointed of the chancellorship, passed over to Fox, and sought favor with the Prince of Wales. Insinuating and unscrupulous, he next made friends with Pitt, by whom he was made Lord Chancellor (1793), but to whom he played false. Addington gave him his earldom (1801). He died near Windsor, Jan. 2, 1805.

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