GROSE, FRANCIS, a celebrated antiquarian, was born in 1731, and was the son of a jeweller at Richmond, who died in the year 1769, and left his son an independent for tune. He entered into the Surrey militia, and was appoint ed adjutant and paymaster ; and such was his love of dissi pation, that he soon squandered away the fortune which his father had accumulated. The distress to which he was now reduced, compelled him to have recourse to his talents ; and having a fine taste for drawing, he began to collect materials for his Views of Antiquities in England and TVales, a work which he began to publish in numbers in 1773, and which•was completed in 1776. Other two volumes, in cluding Guernsey and Jersey, were completed in 1787. The success of this work induced him to embark more deeply as an author. In the summer of 1789, he made a tour through Scotland ; and in 1790, he began to publish in numbers, his ?ntiquities of Scotland. which were com pleted in two volumes 4to. In the year 1791, Mr Grose set out for Ireland, with the view, of collecting materials for an account of the antiquities of that country ; but soon after his arrival at Dublin, he was seized with an apoplec tic fit, he died, on the 6th of May 1791, about the 60th vear of his age. Mr Grose was remarkable for his good humour, conviviality, and friendship. He was ex tremely corpulent, and altogether singular in his external appearance. A likeness of him, at full length, is given in his Olio, published after his death.
The following is a list of his works : 1. The Antiquities of England and Wales, S vols. 4to. and 8vo. 2. The Anti quities of Scotland, 2 vols. 4m. and 8vo. 3. The Antiquities of Ireland, 2 vols. 4to. and Svc). 4. A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons, 4to, 1785. 5. A Classical Dictiona ry of the Vulgar Tongue, 8 vols. 1785. 6. Military Anti • If we assume a=4 feet 8 inches, (the dimensions assign ed by Mr Alexander tb the piers of the groined vaults at the London dock tobacco warehouses.)'the strength of the old groins will be to that of the new ribs as 5.44 to 10 64, which is nearly 2 to 1 in favour of the new construction ; quities ; being a HiStory of the English Army from the Conquest to the present time, 2 vols. 4to, 1786, 1788. 7. The History of Dover Castle, by the Rev. William Da niell, 4to, 1786. 8. A Provincial Glossary, with a Collec tion of local Proverbs and popular Superstitions, 8vo, 1788. 9. Rules for drawing Caricatures, 8vo, 1788. 10. Supple ment to the 'Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons,4to, 1789. 11. A Guide to Health, Beauty, Honour, and Riches ; being a collection of humorous Advertisements, pointing out the means to obtain those blessings •; with a suitable in troductory Preface, 8vo. 12. The Olio ; being a Collec tion of Essays, in 8vo, 1793.