John Wyatt (1700–1766) inventor, particularly of a spinning machine Thomas Newton (1704–1782) cleric, biblical scholar and Bishop of Bristol, 1761 to 1782. Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) often referred to as Dr Johnson, was an English writer, poet, playwright, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor, and lexicographer[51][52] Richard Greene (1716–1793) antiquary and[53] collector of curiosities. David Garrick (1717–1779), actor,[54] playwright, producer and theatre manager Erasmus Darwin (1731–1802), scientist,[55] inventor[56] and grandfather[57] of Charles Darwin Anna Seward (1742–1809), romantic poet,[58] memorialist and letter writer Richard Lovell Edgeworth (1744–1817), politician,[59] writer, inventor, lived at Stowe House Theophilus Houlbrooke (1745–1824), minister and amateur botanist, President of the Liverpool Athenaeum from 1809 to 1813 General Richard Vyse (1746–1825) general[60] and MP for Beverley in 1806 Joseph Potter (1756–1842) architect and builder, considerable practice in Staffordshire and neighbouring counties Thomas Day (1748–1789), author and abolitionist,[61] lived for a time at Stowe House Henry Salt (1780–1827), antiquarian;[62] gave Egyptian collection to the British Museum Admiral of the Fleet Sir William Parker, 1st Baronet, of Shenstone (1781–1866) a[63] Royal Navy officer