John, an ingenious poet of Manchester, born in 1691. His first poetical essay appeared in the Spectator, No. 63, beginning, "My time, O ye Muses, was happily spent;" which, with two humorous letters on dreams, are to be found in the eighth volume. He was admitted a member of the Royal Society in 1724; and having originally entertained thoughts of practising physic, to which the title of doctor is incident, that was the appellation by which he was always known: but reducing himself to narrow circumstances by a precipitate marriage, he supported himself by teaching a new method of writing shorthand, of his own invention; until an estate devolved to him by the death of an elder brother. He was a man of lively wit; of which, whenever a favourable opportunity tempted him to indulge it, he gave many humorous specimens. He died in 1763; and a collection of his miscellaneous poems was printed at Manchester, in 2 vols 8vo, 1773.