John Kirby (topographer)
Encyclopedia
John Kirby was an English land surveyor and topographer
. His book The Suffolk Traveller, first published in 1735, was the first single county road-book.
Kirby lived in Wickham Market
, Suffolk
and spent three years between 1732 and 1734 surveying the entire county. For part of this project he was accompanied by Nathaniel Bacon
. In 1736 he published a large-scale map of Suffolk. Subscribers to this received a copy of his book as a free gift. A further large scale map was published the following year.
, Suffolk, was originally a schoolmaster at Orford
in that county, and afterwards occupied a mill at Wickham Market
.
In 1735 he published at Ipswich, in duodecimo, The Suffolk Traveller; or, a Journey through Suffolk, a road-book with antiquarian
notices, from an actual survey which he made of the whole county in 1732, 1733, and 1734. Prefixed is a small map of the county. A new edition was published by subscription, with 'many alterations and large additions by several hands,' in 1764, 8vo, London, under the editorship of the Rev. Richard Canning, of which a reprint was issued from Woodbridge about 1800, containing some trifling additions, and a fourth edition, with additions, appeared as A Topographical . . . Description of the County of Suffolk, 8vo, Woodbridge, 1829, with Ebden's map in place of Kirby's. A Supplement to the Suffolk Traveller was published in 1844 by Augustine Page (cf. his Introduction, p. vi). In 1736 Kirby issued A Map of the County of Suffolk, illustrated with coats of arms and views. An improved edition, engraved by John Ryland, was published on a larger scale in 1766 by his sons John Joshua and William Kirby (entomologist).
Kirby died on 13 Dec. 1753, at Ipswich, and was buried in the churchyard of St. Mary at Tower, Ipswich. His portrait, by Thomas Gainsborough
, R.A., was in 1868 in the possession of the Rev. Kirby Trimmer. He married in 1714 Alice Brown; his eldest son was John Joshua Kirby
.
Topography
Topography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...
. His book The Suffolk Traveller, first published in 1735, was the first single county road-book.
Kirby lived in Wickham Market
Wickham Market
Wickham Market is a large village situated in the River Deben valley of Suffolk, England, within the Suffolk Coastal heritage area.It is on the A12 trunk road thirteen miles north-east of the county town of Ipswich, five miles north-east of Woodbridge. Its railway station is located approximately...
, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
and spent three years between 1732 and 1734 surveying the entire county. For part of this project he was accompanied by Nathaniel Bacon
Nathaniel Bacon
Nathaniel Bacon was a colonist of the Virginia Colony, famous as the instigator of Bacon's Rebellion of 1676, which collapsed when Bacon himself died from dysentery.-Early life:...
. In 1736 he published a large-scale map of Suffolk. Subscribers to this received a copy of his book as a free gift. A further large scale map was published the following year.
Life
Kirby, born in 1690 at HalesworthHalesworth
Halesworth is a small market town in the northeastern corner of Suffolk, England. It is located south west of Lowestoft, and straddles the River Blyth, 9 miles upstream from Southwold. The town is served by Halesworth railway station on the Ipswich-Lowestoft East Suffolk Line...
, Suffolk, was originally a schoolmaster at Orford
Orford, Suffolk
Orford is a small town in Suffolk, England, within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB.Like many Suffolk coastal towns it was of some importance as a port and fishing village in the Middle Ages. It still has a fine mediaeval castle, built to dominate the River Ore.The main geographical feature of the...
in that county, and afterwards occupied a mill at Wickham Market
Wickham Market
Wickham Market is a large village situated in the River Deben valley of Suffolk, England, within the Suffolk Coastal heritage area.It is on the A12 trunk road thirteen miles north-east of the county town of Ipswich, five miles north-east of Woodbridge. Its railway station is located approximately...
.
In 1735 he published at Ipswich, in duodecimo, The Suffolk Traveller; or, a Journey through Suffolk, a road-book with antiquarian
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 objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
notices, from an actual survey which he made of the whole county in 1732, 1733, and 1734. Prefixed is a small map of the county. A new edition was published by subscription, with 'many alterations and large additions by several hands,' in 1764, 8vo, London, under the editorship of the Rev. Richard Canning, of which a reprint was issued from Woodbridge about 1800, containing some trifling additions, and a fourth edition, with additions, appeared as A Topographical . . . Description of the County of Suffolk, 8vo, Woodbridge, 1829, with Ebden's map in place of Kirby's. A Supplement to the Suffolk Traveller was published in 1844 by Augustine Page (cf. his Introduction, p. vi). In 1736 Kirby issued A Map of the County of Suffolk, illustrated with coats of arms and views. An improved edition, engraved by John Ryland, was published on a larger scale in 1766 by his sons John Joshua and William Kirby (entomologist).
Kirby died on 13 Dec. 1753, at Ipswich, and was buried in the churchyard of St. Mary at Tower, Ipswich. His portrait, by Thomas Gainsborough
Thomas Gainsborough
Thomas Gainsborough was an English portrait and landscape painter.-Suffolk:Thomas Gainsborough was born in Sudbury, Suffolk. He was the youngest son of John Gainsborough, a weaver and maker of woolen goods. At the age of thirteen he impressed his father with his penciling skills so that he let...
, R.A., was in 1868 in the possession of the Rev. Kirby Trimmer. He married in 1714 Alice Brown; his eldest son was John Joshua Kirby
John Joshua Kirby
John Joshua Kirby , was an 18th century landscape painter, engraver, and writer from the United Kingdom, famed for his pamphlet on linear perspective based on Brook Taylor's math.-Biography:...
.