Thomas Bailey (31 July 1785 – 23 October 1856) was an English

topographer Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the landforms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps. Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary scienc ...

and writer.

Biography

Bailey was born in

Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located south-east of Sheffield and nor ...

on 31 July 1785. His father, Philip Bailey, was Nottingham Town and County Gaoler for twenty years until 1820. Prior to his appointment, Bailey Sr. was engaged in the

hosiery Hosiery, (, ) also referred to as legwear, describes garments worn directly on the foot, feet and human leg, legs. The term originated as the collective term for products of which a maker or seller is termed a hosier; and those products are also ...

trade. Bailey Jr.'s education was received partly in a

day school A day school — as opposed to a boarding school — is an educational institution where children are given instruction during the day, after which the students return to their homes. A day school has full-day programs when compared to a regular s ...

in his native town, and partly in a

boarding school A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. They have existed for many centuries, and now extend acr ...

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...

. For a short while afterwards he continued his father's

silk Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...

hosiery business, before entering the wine trade, in which he eventually prospered. In 1832, he was trading as a vintner from Wheeler Gate. Politically liberal, he came forward in 1830 as a candidate for the representation of the borough of Nottingham, though was ultimately unsuccessful. In 1836, he was elected to the

town council A town council, city council or municipal council is a form of local government for small municipalities. Usage of the term varies under different jurisdictions. Republic of Ireland In 2002, 49 urban district councils and 26 town commissi ...

, and he continued to be a member for seven years. From 1845 to 1846, he became proprietor and editor of the '' Nottingham Mercury'', but his opinions were considered too temperate by his readers. The circulation of the paper declined, and in 1851 the mass of subscribers withdrew in protest at Bailey's views respecting the original error of the

Ecclesiastical Titles Act The Ecclesiastical Titles Act 1851 ( 14 & 15 Vict. c. 60) was an act of the British Parliament which made it a criminal offence for anyone outside the established "United Church of England and Ireland" to use any episcopal title "of any city, ...

, and his prophecies of its inevitable failure. The newspaper was declared bankrupt the next year. In 1830, he purchased a mansion at Basford, near Nottingham, where he spent the later years of his life, engaged in literary pursuits and in the formation of a collection of books and engravings. To commemorate the passing of the Reform Act in 1832, Bailey erected a vase-surmounted Grecian column, in the grounds of Basford House. When the property was sold, the column was removed and re-erected across the road in the Old Basford Cemetery in memory of his friend, Richard B. Spencer, who was buried nearby. The column has disappeared, but the memorial inscription on the base is still legible. He died at Basford on 23 October 1856. His son,

Philip James Bailey Philip James Bailey (22 April 1816 – 6 September 1902) was an English poet, best known as the author of ''Festus''. Life Bailey was born on 22 April 1816, in Nottingham, the only son of Thomas Bailey by his first wife, Mary Taylor. He was ...

, is the author of ''Festus'' and of other poems.

Publications

# 'What is Life? and other Poems,' Lond., 1820, 12mo. # 'The Carnival of Death,' a poem, Lond., 1822, 16mo. # 'A Sermon on the Death of Byron,' 1824. # 'Ireton,' a poem, Lond. 1827, 8vo. # 'Discourse on Political Revolutions,' 1830. # 'Recreations in Retirement,' a miscellany of poetry and prose, 1836. # 'The Rights of Labour,' a pamphlet, 1844. # 'The Advent of Charity and other Poems,' Lond. 1861, 16mo. # 'Annals of Nottinghamshire; a new and popular history of the county of Nottingham, including the borough,' 4 vols., Lond. 1852–55, 8vo, his most important publication. # 'Village Reform: the great social necessity of Britain.' being a letter to Lord Palmerston, Lond. 1854, 12mo. # 'Handbook to Nottingham Castle,' Lond. 1854, 8vo. # 'Handbook to Newstead Abbey,' Lond. 1855, 12mo. # 'Records of Longevity; with an introductory discourse on Vital Statistics,' Lond. 1857, 8vo.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bailey, Thomas 1785 births 1856 deaths English topographers 19th-century English writers People from Nottingham 19th-century British geographers