Thomas Salmon (historian) facts for kids

Thomas Salmon (born in 1679, died in 1767) was an English writer who focused on history and geography. He wrote many books about different countries and historical events.

Life of Thomas Salmon

Thomas Salmon was born in a place called Meppershall in Bedfordshire, England. He was baptized there on February 2, 1679. His father was also named Thomas Salmon, and his mother was Katherine. He had an older brother named Nathanael Salmon.

A writer named William Cole said that Thomas Salmon wrote many of his books while running a coffee house in Cambridge. Later, he moved to London. Thomas Salmon told Cole that he had traveled a lot. He spent time at sea and visited places far away like the East and West Indies. He also explored different countries in Europe.

In 1739 and 1740, Thomas Salmon went on a big trip around the world with George Anson. This must have given him lots of ideas for his geography books! He passed away on January 20, 1767.

Thomas Salmon's Books

Thomas Salmon wrote many interesting books. Here are some of his most famous works:

• A Review of the History of England: This book looked at the history of England, focusing on the claims of different kings from the Norman Conquest up to the Glorious Revolution. It was first published in 1722.
• The Chronological Historian: This book was like a timeline of important events in English history. It covered everything from when the Romans invaded England up to the death of King George I. The first edition came out in 1733.
• Modern History, or the Present State of all Nations: This was one of his most important works. It was a huge book that described the current state of all nations around the world. It even included pictures and maps made by a famous mapmaker named Herman Moll. This book was so popular that it was translated into Dutch and Italian!
• The Present State of the Universities: In 1744, he wrote about the universities and nearby areas, like Cambridge and Oxford.
• The Modern Gazetteer: This was a shorter book that gave a quick overview of different nations around the world. It was published in 1746. A gazetteer is like a dictionary of geographical places.
• A New Geographical and Historical Grammar: This book, published in 1749, was a guide to geography and history. It came with 22 maps and was very popular, with many new editions printed over the years.
• The Universal Traveller: This two-volume set, published in 1752 and 1753, gave a complete description of many nations around the world. It was like a big travel guide for its time.
• A Short View of the Families of the present English Nobility: He also wrote books about the important families in England, Ireland, and Scotland.

Thomas Salmon also helped publish an older book by his father in 1725. He added his own thoughts about how historians wrote about the past.

Images for kids

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  A page from Salmon's Modern History about Spain, published in 1745.

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  Another page from Modern History, this one about France, from 1748.