Thomas Blore facts for kids
Thomas Blore (1754–1818) was an English historian who specialized in studying places. He was known as a topographer, which means he researched and wrote about the history, geography, and features of specific areas.
Thomas Blore's Life Story
Thomas Blore was born in a town called Ashbourne in Derbyshire, England, on December 1, 1764. He went to grammar school there. After finishing school, he became a solicitor in Derby. A solicitor is a type of lawyer who gives legal advice and prepares legal documents.
Later, Thomas Blore moved to a place called Hopton. He helped manage the business and personal matters for a person named Philip Eyre Gell.
After Philip Eyre Gell passed away in 1795, Thomas Blore moved to London. He joined a famous legal society called the Middle Temple. Even though he studied law there, he never became a full lawyer (meaning he was never "called to the bar").
In 1798, Thomas Blore married Dorothy Milnes. She was a poet and had been married before. They lived in different places, including Benwick Hall near Hertford. While living there, Thomas Blore collected a lot of information about the history and old things (antiquities) of Hertfordshire. He filled three large books with his handwritten notes! These notes were very important and later helped another historian, Robert Clutterbuck, write a history of that county.
Thomas Blore moved several more times, living in places like Mansfield Woodhouse, Bakewell, Manton in Rutland, and Stamford. In Stamford, he tried to become a Member of Parliament for the Whig political party, but he wasn't successful. He also worked for a short time as an editor for a newspaper called the Stamford News starting in 1809.
Thomas Blore passed away in London on November 10, 1818, when he was 63 years old. He was buried at St Mary on Paddington Green Church. A stone there says he worked very hard, and his intense studies may have made his life shorter.
Thomas Blore was also the father of a famous architect named Edward Blore.
Thomas Blore's Published Works
Thomas Blore was a very skilled and hardworking topographer, but he didn't finish as many large projects as he started. Still, he published several interesting books and articles about the history of places. Here are some of his works:
- History of South Wingfield: In 1791, he wrote "A History of the Manor and Manor-house of South Wingfield in Derbyshire." This book was about an old estate and house in Derbyshire.
- History of Alderwasley: He also wrote a short history of a place called Alderwasley. This was meant to be a sample for a larger history of Derbyshire he hoped to publish.
- History of Breadsall Priory: In 1791, he published "A History of Breadsall Priory, in the county of Derby." This was about an old religious building in Derbyshire.
- The History of Rutland: One of his biggest projects was "The History and Antiquities of the County of Rutland," published in 1811. This book included many pictures and family trees. However, he only managed to publish the second part of the first volume.
- Stamford's Charitable Foundations: In 1813, he wrote "An Account of the Public Schools, Hospitals, and other Charitable Foundations in the borough of Stamford." This book described the schools and charities in Stamford.
- Guide to Burghley House: In 1815, he wrote a guide to Burghley House, a large and famous house in Northamptonshire. This guide described all the paintings and old items inside, and it also included information about the artists who created them.
