CRUDE N, ALEXANDER (1701-70). An English scholar. maker of a \veil-known Bible concordanee. He was born at Aberdeen and edu eated at Alarischal College in that city. with a view to the Church, but haying exhibited decided symptoms of insanity, lie was for some time idaced in confinement. On his release lie left Aberdeen, and after spending several years as a tutor in and about London, settled in London in 1732, as a bookseller. In 173.5 he received the title of 'bookseller to the Queen.' In l73(1 he began. and the next year published. his Complete Concordance of Ole ifoly Scriptures of the Old and Testaments. Soon afterwards he re lapsed into insanity and his friends were obliged to remove him to a private asylum, where he appears to have been harshly treated. on his recovery lie published an ;lemma of his suffer ings 173s1. He then acted as a corrector for the press. Crnden now believed himself divinely commissioned to reform the manners of the world, and styled himself Alexander the Correc tor. He went about the country exhorting the
people to keep holy the Sabbath day, etc. He also petitioned the King for the honor of knight hood, and Parliament to constitute him by act 'the corrector of the people,' hoping by such honors to influence the people more effectually. The second edition of his eoncordance appeared in 1761 and the third in 1760; since then it has been repeatedly reprinted in full. with his defini tions. which make it a Bible dictionary. or in abridgment, and has been made the basis of other enneordances. Perhaps the best edition of the complete work is by Alexander Chalmers (London. 1S12; 10th ed. IS2-1), with his life. linden died at Islington, London, November 1, 1770. See CONCORDANCE.