The General Biographical Dictionary was a bestselling book of the early 19th century, compiled by British author Alexander Chalmers.
Then Chalmers's edition had as full title The General Biographical Dictionary: containing an historical and critical account of the lives and writings of the most eminent persons in every nation, particularly the British and Irish, from the earliest accounts to the present time.
The preceding edition of the "Dictionary" was augmented by 3,934 additional lives, and of the remaining number 2,176 were rewritten; while the whole were revised and corrected.
For many years Chalmers was employed by the booksellers in revising and enlarging the "Dictionary"; but at the time of his death only about one-third of the work, as far as the end of the letter D, was ready for the press.
"[1] The Dictionary gives references in footnotes at the end of most articles; Saxii's Onomasticon is the most commonly cited source.