John Bridges (topographer) facts for kids
John Bridges FSA (1666–1724) was an important English lawyer. He was also an antiquarian, which means he studied old things and history. He was known for mapping and describing places, especially his home county of Northamptonshire.
John Bridges' Early Life and Career
John Bridges was born in a place called Barton Seagrave in Northamptonshire, England. His family was well-known. His grandfather, Colonel John Bridges, bought land nearby around 1665. John's uncle helped improve the land by growing a plant called sainfoin. John's mother, Elizabeth, was the sister of a famous government official, Sir William Trumball. His brother, Charles Bridges, became a painter and missionary.
John Bridges studied law and became a respected lawyer at Lincoln's Inn, a famous legal society in London. He worked for the government in different roles. In 1695, he became a lawyer for the customs office, which collects taxes on goods. Later, in 1711, he became a commissioner, helping to manage government business. By 1715, he was the cashier for excise, handling money from taxes on certain goods.
Achievements and Later Life
In 1708, John Bridges was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a special group for people who have made important discoveries in science. He also helped manage two important hospitals in London: Bridewell and Bethlehem Hospital. He passed away in his rooms at Lincoln's Inn on March 16, 1724.
After he died, John Bridges' large collection of books and prints was sold. The sale of over 4,000 books and old papers began in February 1726. His collection of prints was sold in March 1726. Both sales happened at his chambers in Lincoln's Inn and were handled by an auctioneer named Christopher Cock.
A painting of John Bridges was made in 1706 by a famous artist, Sir Godfrey Kneller. This painting was later copied as an engraving by George Vertue in 1726.
Studying History: John Bridges' Antiquarian Work
In 1718, John Bridges was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. This group focuses on studying old things and history. The next year, he started collecting a huge amount of information for a history book about Northamptonshire.
He traveled all around the county. He hired several people to draw pictures, gather facts, and copy down old records and information from monuments. He spent a lot of money on this project. He planned to visit the county again himself, but he became sick and died before he could finish.
John Bridges' notes and collections filled thirty large books. He also had nine smaller books with descriptions of churches, some written by him. These valuable books were sent to the Bodleian Library at Oxford University.
His brother, William, tried to get John's work published. A bookseller started to print parts of it and hired Samuel Jebb to edit the material. However, the bookseller went out of business. The notes were then bought by William Cartwright, a local politician. A group was formed to make sure the work was published.
The task was given to Reverend Peter Whalley. The first volume of the history book came out in 1762. The first part of the second volume was published in 1769. There were more delays, and the complete work was not published until 1791. Whalley said he didn't add much of his own writing. Robert Nares wrote the introduction, and Samuel Ayscough created the index.
A special copy of this history book is kept at the British Library. It has extra drawings, engravings, and notes added to it. This copy was given to the British Museum in 1883 and later became part of the British Library collections.
