John Laurens Bicknell facts for kids
John Laurens Bicknell (born around 1786 – died August 3, 1845) was an English solicitor (a type of lawyer) and an author. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1821. This means he was recognized as a very smart and important person in the world of knowledge and science.
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A Look at John Bicknell's Life
John Laurens Bicknell was the son of John Bicknell and his wife Sabrina Sidney. His middle name, Laurens, was a tribute to John Laurens, a friend of his father who passed away in 1782.
When his father died in 1787, John was very young. His mother, who didn't have much money, worked at Charles Burney's school. John also went to school there.
His Career as a Lawyer
John Bicknell had a very successful career as a lawyer. He became the main lawyer for the Admiralty, which was the part of the government that managed the Royal Navy.
From 1828, he was also the lawyer for Sir John Soane, a famous architect. John Bicknell even helped set up the Soane Museum and was one of its first trustees. This means he helped manage the museum from the very beginning.
He was a member of the Royal Society and also the Society of Antiquaries of London. This second group was for people who studied old things and history. John Bicknell passed away in Dover on August 3, 1845, when he was 59 years old.
What John Bicknell Wrote
Besides being a lawyer, John Bicknell also enjoyed writing. He wrote different kinds of books and poems. Here are some examples of his works:
- A Brief Vindication of the legality of the late proceedings against George Wilson, the Blackheath Pedestrian (1815): This book was about a famous racewalker named George Wilson.
- The Modern Church; a satirical poem (1820): This was a poem that made fun of or criticized parts of the church at the time.
- Original Miscellanies, in prose and verse (1820): This book was a collection of his different writings, both stories and poems.
- Reform in Parliament. a Letter to the Right Hon. George Tierney Suggesting a Practical and Constitutional Mode of Securing Purity of Election (1823): This writing shared his ideas on how to make elections fairer and more honest.
John Bicknell's Family
In 1809, John Bicknell married Jane Willmott. She was the oldest daughter of Thomas Willmott. They got married in Shoreham, Kent.
