DILKE, Sir Charles Wentworth (1810-1869), Baronet, born in London, February 18, 1810, was the only son of Charles Wentworth Dilke, proprietor and editor of the Athenaeum, and was educated at Westminster school and Trinity Hall, Cambridge. He studied law, and in 1834 took his degree of LL.B.; but he did not enter upon the practice of his profession. He assisted his father in his literary work, and afterwards gave up much of his time to several of the learned societies. He was for some years chairman of the council of the Society of Arts, and took a prominent part in the affairs of the Royal Horticultural Society. He was one of the most zealous promoters of the Great Exhibition (1851), and a member of the executive committee. At the close of the exhibition he was honoured by foreign sovereigns, and the Queen offered him knighthood, which, however, he did not accept; he also declined a large remuneration offered by the royal commission. In 1853 Dilke was one of the English Commissioners at the New York Industrial Exhibition, and prepared a report on it. He again declined to receive any money reward for his services. He was appointed one of the five royal commissioners for the Great Exhibition of 1862; and soon after the death of the Prince Consort he was created baronet by the Queen. In 1865 he entered parliament as member for Wallingford. Iu 1869 he was sent to Russia as representative of England at the Horticultural Exhibition held at St Petersburg. His health, however, had been for some time failing, and he died suddenly in that city, May 10, 1869. He was a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, aud a member of other learned bodies.