John Timbs (; 17 August 1801 – 6 March 1875) was an English author and

antiquary An antiquarian or antiquary () is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artifacts, archaeological and historic si ...

. Some of his work was published under the pseudonym of Horace Welby.

Biography

Timbs was born in 1801 in

Clerkenwell Clerkenwell () is an area of central London, England. Clerkenwell was an ancient parish from the mediaeval period onwards, and now forms the south-western part of the London Borough of Islington. The well after which it was named was redis ...

, London. He was educated at a private school at

Hemel Hempstead Hemel Hempstead () is a town in the Dacorum district in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of London, which is part of the Greater London Urban Area. The population at the 2011 census was 97,500. Developed after the Second World War as a new ...

. In his sixteenth year he was apprenticed to a druggist and printer at

Dorking Dorking () is a market town in Surrey in South East England, about south of London. It is in Mole Valley, Mole Valley District and the non-metropolitan district, council headquarters are to the east of the centre. The High Street runs roughl ...

. He had early shown literary capacity, and when nineteen began to write for the ''

Monthly Magazine ''The Monthly Magazine'' (1796–1843) of London began publication in February 1796. Contributors Richard Phillips was the publisher and a contributor on political issues. The editor for the first ten years was a literary jack-of-all-trades, Dr ...

''. A year later he became secretary to

Sir Richard Phillips Sir Richard Phillips (13 December 1767 – 2 April 1840) was an English schoolteacher, author, publisher and vegetarianism activist. Life Phillips was born in London. Following some political difficulties in Leicester where he was a schoolte ...

, its proprietor, and permanently adopted literature as a profession. He was successively editor of the '' Mirror of Literature'', the ''Harlequin'', ''The Literary World'', and sub-editor of the ''

Illustrated London News ''The Illustrated London News'' appeared first on Saturday 14 May 1842, as the world's first illustrated weekly news magazine. Founded by Herbert Ingram, it appeared weekly until 1971, then less frequently thereafter, and ceased publication i ...

''. He was also founder and first editor of ''Year-Book of Science and Art''. His published works amounted to more than one hundred and fifty volumes. In 1834 he was elected a fellow of the

Society of Antiquaries of London A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Soci ...

. Timbs died on 6 March 1875 and is buried in the churchyard of St Peter and St Paul, Edenbridge, Kent.

Works

Some of these were published under the pseudonym, Horace Welby. His work continued to be re-edited and republished well after his death. *''Signs before Death, and authenticated apparitions'': in one hundred narratives, collected by Horace Welby. 1825 *''Arcana of Science and Art: or, An annual register of useful inventions and improvements, discoveries and new facts, in mechanics, chemistry, natural history, and social economy''; 1828
''Curiosities of London''
1828 *''Harlequin: A journal of the drama''. 1829 *''Laconics''; 1829 *''Literary World: a journal of popular information and entertainment''. 1839 *''Table-Wit, and After-Dinner Anecdote''. 1840 *''Curiosities of London: exhibiting the most rare and remarkable objects of interest in the metropolis; with nearly Fifty Years' Personal Recollections''. 1855
''Things not generally known, familiarly explained: A book for old and young''
1856 *''Curiosities of History''; 1857 *''School-Days of Eminent Men. I. Sketches of the progress of education in England, from the reign of King Alfred to that of Queen Victoria. II. Early lives of celebrated British authors, philosophers and poets, inventors and discoverers, divines, heroes, statesmen &c\''. 1858 *''Curiosities of Science'', 1859 *''Things Not Generally Known, Familiarly Explained'', 1859 *''Stories of Inventors and Discoverers in Science and the Useful Arts''. 1860 *''Popular Errors Explained and Illustrated''. 1862 *''Century of Anecdote from 1760 to 1860''. 1864 *''Romance of London. Supernatural stories, sights and shows, strange adventures, and remarkable persons''. 1865 *''Something for Everybody; and a garland for the year''. 1866 *''Club Life of London,'' 1866 *'' English Eccentrics and Eccentricities''. 1866, in two volumes *''Mysteries of Life, Death, and Futurity''. 1868 *''Mountain Adventures in the Various Countries of the World''. 1869 *''Wonderful Inventions: from the mariner's compass to the electric telegraph cable''. 1870 *''Abbeys, Castles, and Ancient Halls of England and Wales''. 1872 *''Thoughts for Times and Seasons''. 1872 *''Doctors and Patients''. 1873

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Timbs, John 1801 births 1875 deaths English antiquarians 19th-century antiquarians Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London English male journalists People from Clerkenwell English magazine editors 19th-century British journalists 19th-century English male writers