DOUBLEDAY

doubleday, thomas (1790-1870), english politician and author, was born at newcastle-on-tyne in february 1790. in early life he adopted the views of william cobbett, and was active in promoting the agitation which resulted in the passing of the reform bill of 1832. as secretary of the northern political union of whigs and radicals he took a prominent part in forwarding the interests of earl grey and the reforming party. in 1858-1859 he was a member of the council of the northern reform union; and to the last he was a keen observer of political events. he succeeded his father, george doubleday, as partner in a firm of soap manufacturers at newcastle, but devoted his attention rather to literature than to mercantile affairs. on the failure of the firm he obtained the office of registrar of st andrew's parish, newcastle, a post which he held until appointed secretary to the coal trade. he died at bulman's village, newcastle-on-tyne, on the 18th of december 1870. in 1832 doubleday published an _essay on mundane moral government_, and in 1842 he attacked some of the principles of malthus in his _true law of population_. he also wrote _a political life of sir robert peel_ (london, 1856); _a financial, statistical and monetary history of england from 1688_ (london, 1847); _matter for materialists_ (london, 1870); _the eve of st mark, a romance of venice_; and three dramas, _the statue wife_, _diocletian_ and _caius marius_, in addition to some fishing songs, and many contributions to various newspapers and periodicals. doublet (a fr. word, diminutive of _double_, folded or of two thicknesses), a close-fitting garment, with or without sleeves, extending from the neck to a little below the waist, worn by men of all ranks and ages from the 14th century to the time of charles ii., when it began to be superseded by coat and waistcoat. the doublet was introduced into england from france, and was originally padded for defence or warmth. "doublet" is also used of a pair or couple--a thing that is the facsimile of another; as in philology, one of two words differing in form, but represented by an identical root, as "alarm" or "alarum"; in optics, of a pair of lenses, combined, for example, to correct aberration. in the work of the lapidary a doublet is a counterfeit gem, made by cementing two pieces of plain glass or crystal on each side of a layer of glass (coloured to represent the stone counterfeited); a thin portion of a genuine stone may be cemented upon an inferior one, as a layer of diamond upon a topaz, or ruby on a garnet.