Sir John Gardner Wilkinson (5 October 1797 – 29 October 1875) was an English traveller, writer and pioneer
egyptologist
Egyptology (from ''Egypt'' and Greek , ''-logia''; ) is the scientific study of ancient Egypt. The topics studied include ancient Egyptian history, language, literature, religion, architecture and art from the 5th millennium BC until the end ...
of the 19th century. He is often referred to as "the Father of British egyptology".
Childhood and education
Wilkinson was born in
Little Missenden,
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire (, abbreviated ''Bucks'') is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east, Hertfordshir ...
. His father was a
Westmoreland clergyman, the Reverend John Wilkinson, an amateur enthusiast for antiquities. Wilkinson inherited a modest income from his early-deceased parents. Sent by his guardian to
Harrow School
Harrow School () is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English boarding school for boys) in Harrow on the Hill, Greater London, England. The school was founded in 1572 by John Lyon (school founder), John Lyon, a local landowner an ...
in 1813, he later went up to
Exeter College,
Oxford
Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town.
The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
in 1816.
[Portraits of Men of Eminence in Literature, Science, and Art, with Biographical Memoirs, Edwards, Ernest, and Lovell Reeve, 1863,] Wilkinson ultimately took no degree and, suffering from ill-health, decided to travel to Italy. There in 1819 he met the
antiquarian
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 artefacts, archaeological and historic si ...
Sir William Gell and resolved to study
Egyptology
Egyptology (from ''Egypt'' and Ancient Greek, Greek , ''wiktionary:-logia, -logia''; ) is the scientific study of ancient Egypt. The topics studied include ancient Egyptian History of Egypt, history, Egyptian language, language, Ancient Egypt ...
.
First sojourn in Egypt
Wilkinson first arrived in
Egypt
Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
in October 1821 as a young man of 24 years, remaining in the country for a further 12 years continuously.
During his stay, Wilkinson visited virtually every known ancient Egyptian site, skillfully recording inscriptions and paintings as a talented copyist and compiling copious notes.
Return to England and honours

Finally returning to England for his health's sake in 1833, succeeding in being elected to the
Royal Society
The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...
in 1834, Wilkinson went on to publish his researches in a large number of publications. Although preceded by ''The Topography of Thebes and General View of Egypt'' in 1835, Wilkinson's most significant work was ''Manners and Customs of the Ancient Egyptians''. First published in three volumes in 1837 and subsequently illustrated by
Joseph Bonomi, this title stood as the best general treatment of ancient Egyptian culture and history for the next half century. Acclaim for this publication brought Wilkinson a knighthood in 1839 and ensured him the title of the first distinguished British Egyptologist.
Further travels and research
The now Sir John Gardner Wilkinson returned to Egypt in 1842, contributing an article entitled "Survey of the Valley of the Natron Lakes" to the ''Journal of the Geographical Society'' in 1843. The same year witnessed his publication of a revised and enlarged edition of his ''Topography'', entitled ''Moslem Egypt and Thebes''.
Wilkinson travelled in
Dalmatia
Dalmatia (; ; ) is a historical region located in modern-day Croatia and Montenegro, on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. Through time it formed part of several historical states, most notably the Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Croatia (925 ...
,
Montenegro
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,
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
during 1844, an account of his observations being published in 1848 (''Dalmatia and Montenegro'', 2 volumes).
A third visit to Egypt in 1848 to 1849 was followed by a final visit to
Thebes in 1855. Thereafter, Wilkinson remained in England where he investigated
Cornish antiquities and studied
zoology
Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the anatomy, structure, embryology, Biological classification, classification, Ethology, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinction, extinct, and ...
.
Marriage, death and legacy

In 1856, at the age of 59, he married
Caroline Catherine Lucas (b. 1822), the daughter of Henry Lucas of
Glamorganshire
Glamorgan (), or sometimes Glamorganshire ( or ), was one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974. It is located in the south of Wales. Originally an early medieval petty kingdom of varying bo ...
. Lady Wilkinson worked on editing her husband's manuscripts as well as writing several books of her own, the most successful of which was ''Weeds and Wildflowers'' (1858).
Wilkinson died at
Llandovery
Llandovery (; ) is a market town and community (Wales), community in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It lies on the River Tywi and at the junction of the A40 road, A40 and A483 road, A483 roads, about north-east of Carmarthen, north of Swansea and w ...
in 1875. He had bequeathed his collections with an elaborate catalogue in 1864 to his cousin, Lady Georgiana Stanhope Lovell, who had married Sir John Harper Crewe at
Calke Abbey
Calke Abbey is a Grade I listed building, Grade I listed English country house, country house near Ticknall, Derbyshire, England, in the care of the charitable National Trust.
The site was an Augustinians, Augustinian priory from the 12th centu ...
(now owned by the National Trust). He left his widow in poor financial straits from which she was rescued by a pension that
Benjamin Disraeli
Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman, Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician and writer who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a ...
persuaded the Queen to grant her.
Wilkinson's papers are now held in the
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library () is the main research library of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1602 by Sir Thomas Bodley, it is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. With over 13 million printed items, it is the second-largest library in ...
,
Oxford
Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town.
The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
, and form an invaluable resource to some of the earliest recorded states (dating to 1821 to 1856, before the advent of widespread tourism and collection) of many Egyptian monuments. His library and two plan folders are held in the National Trust collection at Calke Abbey. Many historic sites were subsequently damaged or lost altogether, making Wilkinson's work all the more important.
Publications
*''
Materia Hieroglyphica'' (1828)
*''
The Topography of Thebes and General View of Egypt'', London, 1835
*''Dalmatia and Montenegro'', London, 1848
*''Manners and Customs of the Ancient Egyptians, including their private life, government, laws, arts, manufactures, religion, agriculture, and early history, derived from a comparison of the paintings, sculptures, and monuments still existing, with the accounts of ancient authors'', (6 volumes, 1837–41).
New edition, revised & corrected, 1878*"Modern Egypt and Thebes: being a description of Egypt; including the information required for travellers in that country." (1843) Full text available on google books.
File:MMoCA197a (MA) Engraving by Sir John Gardner Wilkinson.jpg, ''Plate 29: 'Ra or Re, 1841
File:MMoCA197b (MA) Engraving by Sir John Gardner Wilkinson.jpg, ''Plate 36: 'Athor, 1841
File:MMoCA197c (MA) Engraving by Sir John Gardner Wilkinson.jpg, ''Plate 36A: 'Athor in the Persea-Tree, 1841
References
Further reading
*
*
*
External links
Wilkinson's watercolor of a "Woman in the Tomb at Thebes"Gardner Wilkinson: Modern Egypt and Thebesin Archive.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilkinson, John Gardner
1797 births
1875 deaths
English archaeologists
English Egyptologists
Alumni of Exeter College, Oxford
People educated at Harrow School
Fellows of the Royal Society
People from Chiltern District
English male non-fiction writers