Albertrandy, Jan

Albertrandy, Jan (or John Christian), a Polish bishop and scholar, was born at Warsaw in 1731. He was educated entirely under the care of the Jesuits, and joined their society at the age of fifteen. He was sent as public tutor to the College of Pultusk at the age of nineteen; and subsequently held the same office at Plovsko, Nieswicz, and Wilna. In 1760 he was appointed librarian of the collection opened to the public by bishop Zaluski. He was for several years the instructor of count Felix Lubienski, during which time he became one of the first numismatists of his age. Having become keeper of medals and librarian to king Stanislaus, he was sent to Italy in 1782, and subsequently to Sweden, to collect material for a history of Poland. The result was a valuable collection of MSS., almost two hundred in number.

As a reward for these services the king presented him with a medal, the cross of the Order of St. Stanislaus, and made him bishop of Zeriopolis. When seventy years of age he was called to preside over the newly founded Royal Society of the Friends of Science of Warsaw; and he continued to direct its operations until his death, Aug. 10, 1808. See Knight; Eng. Cyclop. of Biog. s.v.; also Biog. Diet. of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, s.v.; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, s.v.