John Nickolls facts for kids

John Nickolls (1710?–1745) was an English collector and antiquary. An antiquary is someone who studies old things. He loved collecting old books, prints, and letters. He helped others learn about history through his amazing collections.

His Early Life

John Nickolls was born in Ware, Hertfordshire, around 1710 or 1711. His father, also named John Nickolls, was a Quaker miller. Quakers are a religious group known for their simple lifestyle.

When John was young, he became an apprentice to Joseph Wyeth. Wyeth was a merchant in London. An apprentice learns a trade or business from an experienced person. After his training, John became a business partner with his father.

John was very interested in history and old items. He became a member of the Society of Antiquaries in 1740. This group studies history and old things. In 1744, he also joined the Royal Society. This is a famous group for scientists and thinkers.

A Passion for Collecting

John Nickolls built a huge library at his house in Queenhithe, London. He loved books! He also collected many old prints of people's faces. He found about two thousand of these prints from bookstalls around Moorfields.

These prints were very useful later. A writer named Joseph Ames used them. He included them in his book, Catalogue of English Heads, published in 1748.

John also got some special letters from Joseph Wyeth's widow. These letters had once belonged to the famous writer John Milton. They were later owned by Milton's secretary, Thomas Ellwood. Wyeth had used these letters to prepare Ellwood's Journal for publishing in 1713.

A historian named William Oldys visited John Nickolls in 1737. He wanted to see this collection of original letters. John Nickolls published these important documents in 1743. Oldys noted that John allowed Thomas Birch to use some of them. Birch used them for his writing about Oliver Cromwell. This was for a large dictionary published between 1731 and 1741.

His Final Years

John Nickolls sadly died from a fever on January 11, 1745. He was buried five days later. His burial took place at the Quaker Burying Ground in Bunhill Fields.

What He Left Behind

John Nickolls left behind a valuable collection. On January 18, 1746, his father gave the original old writings from John's collection to the Society of Antiquaries.

John's prints and rare small books were bought by John Fothergill. Fothergill was a well-known doctor.