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John Adolphus
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==Life== Born 7 August 1768, he was of German background. His grandfather had been domestic physician to [[Frederick the Great]], and wrote a French romance, ''Histoire des Diables Modernes''. His father lived for a time in London supported by a wealthy uncle, who provided the son with education, and sent him at the age of fifteen to be placed in the office of his agent for some estates in [[St. Kitts]]. Adolphus returned to London after something over a year, and was articled to an attorney. He was admitted an attorney in 1790, but after a few years began to write.<ref name=DNB>{{cite DNB|wstitle=Adolphus, John (1768-1845)}}</ref> The success of his history and the influence of Archdeacon [[William Coxe (historian)|William Coxe]] brought Adolphus into close connection with [[Henry Addington]], then prime minister. Addington put him on a salary, for political services which included electioneering and pamphleteering. He entered the [[Inner Temple]], and in 1807 he was [[called to the bar]].<ref name=DNB/> He joined the home circuit, and devoted himself specially to criminal work. At the [[Old Bailey]] he worked his way to the leadership, which he retained for many years. The first of his notable forensic successes was his defence in 1820 of [[Arthur Thistlewood]] and the other [[Cato Street conspirators]]. Among the cases in which he subsequently distinguished himself were the trials of [[John Thurtell]], [[James Greenacre]], and [[François Courvoisier]].<ref name=DNB/> Within a few weeks of entering his seventy-seventh year, he died on 16 July 1845.<ref name=DNB/>
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