Thomas Faulkner (topographer)
Thomas Faulkner (1777–1855) was an English topographer of Chelsea and other localities about London.
Life
Faulkner belonged to a family involved in the building trade in the west of London. He for many years kept a small bookseller's and stationer's shop at the corner of Paradise Row, at the west end of the footpath running past Chelsea Hospital. Without much education, he acquired sufficient knowledge of French and Spanish to obtain some employment as a translator.
Faulkner was a member of the Society of Antiquaries of Normandy. He died at Smith Street, Chelsea, on 26 May 1855, at the age of seventy-eight.
Works
He began his literary career in October and November 1797 by communications to the Gentleman's Magazine, to which he was an occasional contributor for over half a century. He was also a contributor to the earlier series of the New Monthly Magazine.
In 1805 he published a ‘Short Account of Chelsea Hospital,’ and in 1810 produced his major work, ‘A Historical and Topographical Account of Chelsea and its Environs. With biographical anecdotes of illustrious and eminent persons who have resided in Chelsea during the three preceding centuries,’ London. It was dedicated to Brownlow North, bishop of Winchester, who then had an official house in Chelsea. Faulkner is said to have been assisted in the compilation by the Rev. Weedon Butler, the younger, a local schoolmaster. A second edition of the work, in 2 vols. and dedicated to the Hon. G. Cadogan, appeared in 1829.
In 1813 Faulkner published ‘Historical and Topographical Account of the parish of Fulham, including the hamlet of Hammersmith,’ dedicated to John Randolph, then bishop of London; and in 1820 his ‘History and Antiquities of Kensington, with Biographical Anecdotes of Royal and Distinguished Personages, and a Descriptive Catalogue of the Pictures in the Palace from a survey taken by the late Benjamin West, P.R.A., by command of his Majesty,’ London. This work was dedicated to George IV. The plates in general were poor; but some etchings, illustrative of the work, were published by Robert Banks, from original drawings in the possession of W. Simonds Higgs, F.S.A., then a resident in Kensington, and in 1831 eight views of Kew Gardens were published from drawings by J. Sargeant, engraved by H. Waller and John Rogers.
In 1839 Faulkner brought out his ‘History and Antiquities of Hammersmith,’ London, dedicated to Queen Victoria and in 1845 ‘History and Antiquities of Brentford, Chiswick, and Ealing,’ London. Both these works contain biographical notices of local notabilities during the three preceding centuries. A complete list of Faulkner's works, including several minor publications not in the ‘British Museum Catalogue of Printed Books,’ is given in the obituary notice in the Gentleman's Magazine for June 1855.
Two portraits of him exist—an expressive one in octavo size, with his coat of arms, and a quarto lithograph inscribed ‘J. Holmes, ad vivum del.’
References
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Faulkner, Thomas". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.