BOOTHROYD, BENJAMIN, D.D., a laborious and learned minister of the Independent body, and an eminent Hebrew scholar, was born in 1768 of the humblest origin. Having come under religious convictions, he forthwith applied himself with heroic energy and perseverance to studies designed to fit for the christian ministry, and after the usual academic training, he was ordained to the ministry. His first settlement was at Ponte fract, where he added to his income by pursuing the business of a bookseller and printer ; and printed his two valuable editions of the Bible. The first was the Biblia Hebraica, or the Hebrew Scriptures of the O. T., without points, after the text of Kennicott; with the chiefvarious readings selected fivm his collation of the Hebrew MSS., from that of De Rossi, and from the ancient versions; accom panied with English notes, critkal, philological, and explanatory, etc., Pontefract, S10-1816, 2 vols. 4to. It was no ordinary merit for Dr. Boothroyd to have been at once the editor, printer, and annotator of this work. The text is well printed, and the notes, for the most part selected from the works of the best Biblical scholars to which he had access, are generally very judicious and appropriate. It
had the merit, for a time, of being the most use ful Hebrew Bible published for common use, and though not always correct, it was sufficiently so for general purposes. The other and English edition of the Bible published by Dr. Boothroyd, was entitled, A New Family Bible, and improved version from corrected texts of the Originals; with notes, critical and explanatory, Pontefract, 1818, 3 vols. 4to. This translation is excellent, and will he found an important help to the student in ascer taining the import of the Bible. The notes are judicious, useful, and practical. A second edition was published at Huddersfield, 1824. Also a condensed edition in one royal Svo voL In 1818, after 24 years at Pontefract, Dr. B. removed to Huddersfield to become minister of Highfield Chapel. Here he remained t8 years, until his death in 1836, aged 68.—W. J. C.