Kitto, JOHN

Kitto, JOHN, an industrious and praiseworthy writer on biblical subjects, was born at Plymouth, December 4, 1804. In his twelfth year he lost his power of hearing in consequence of a fall from a height of 35 feet. His father's circumstances were at this time so wretched that young Kitto was soon after sent to the workhouse, where he learned the trade of shoemaking. In 1824 he went to Exeter to learn dentistry with a Mr Grove, who encouraged him in his literary aspirations; and in 1825 he published Essays and Letters by John Kitto. In the same year he was sent to the Missionary College at Islington, where he learned printing. In 1829–33 he accompanied Mr Grove and family on a tour to the East, visiting in the course of his travels St Petersburg, Astrakhan, the Caucasus, Armenia, and Persia. The rest of his life was spent in the service of the publishers, chiefly in that of Charles Knight, whose failure led to less constant employment and pecuniary embarrassments. In 1850 he received a civil list pension of £100 a year. Stricken with paralysis, he died at Cannstadt, in Württemberg, November 25, 1854. His principal works are The Pictorial Bible (1838; new ed. 1855), Pictorial History of Palestine (1839–40), History of Palestine (1843), The Lost Senses—Deafness and Blindness (1845), Journal of Sacred Literature (1848–53), and Daily Bible Illustrations (1849–53; new ed. by Dr Porter, 8 vols. 1867). He also edited the Journal of Sacred Literature (1848–53). In 1844 the university of Giessen conferred on him the title of D.D. Kitto had a working knowledge of Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and the modern tongues. See his Life by Eadie (1857) and Ryland (1856).