Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 06.djvu/372

 pleasant exponent of science, and did much to popularise the taste for natural history in his adopted home.

 BRITTON, JOHN. [see ]

 BRITTON, JOHN (1771–1857), antiquary, topographer, and miscellaneous writer, was born on 7 July 1771 at Kington St. Michael, near Chippenham, Wiltshire, where his father was a small farmer, maltster, baker, and village shopkeeper. After a desultory education, in the course of which he acquired a love of reading, he went at sixteen to London, where he was apprenticed by an uncle to a tavern-keeper on Clerkenwell Green. Here he bottled wines in a cellar, snatching an occasional hour for the perusal of a few books. Here, too, he made the acquaintance of [q. v.], who joined him in writing and issuing a popular ballad. He was next employed as a cellarman at the London Tavern, and in Smithfield, and as a clerk in an attorney's office. Amid these employments, and the compilation of street songbooks, he was led by the success of Sheridan's 'Pizarro' to produce in 1799 his first book, 'The Adventures of Pizarro, preceded by a sketch of the voyage and discoveries of Columbus and Pizarro, with biographical sketches of Sheridan and Kotzebue.' The publisher of a dramatic miscellany to which he contributed had long before received subscriptions for a topographical work, 'The Beauties of Wiltshire.' He asked Britton to undertake its preparation, and, with the promise of Brayley's assistance, Britton consented. Two volumes appeared in 1801, and were successful. The third and concluding volume, to which Britton prefixed an interesting autobiographical preface, did not appear until 1825. Meanwhile, a publishing firm which had shared in the production of the 'Beauties of Wiltshire' engaged Britton and Brayley to co-operate in a larger enterprise, the first instalment of which appeared also in 1801 with the title 'The Beauties of England and Wales, or original delineations, topographical, historical, and descriptive, of each county. By Edward Brayley and John Britton.' The names of the two 'editors,' as they at first styled themselves, alternately took precedence of each other on the title-pages up to the seventh volume, after which each was assigned to its respective author. In the earlier volumes the letterpress seems to have been mainly Brayley's, while the general editing, including the direction of artists and engravers, was Britton's. With the completion of the first five volumes in 1803-4, subscribers were informed that the 'authors' had travelled over an extent of 3,500 miles to inspect the localities described. There had been scarcely any work of the kind so comprehensive in its plan since the appearance of the 'Magna Britannia' (1720-31). Vol. vii., containing Lancashire, Leicestershire, and Lincolnshire, was wholly Britton's composition, but difficulties with the proprietors suspended his editorship. Subsequently he contributed Norfolk and Northamptonshire to vol. xi. (1810), and Wiltshire to vol. xv. (1814). Britton estimated the sum expended on the work during his connection with it as joint-editor at 50,000l. Partly while he was occupied with it he contributed to Rees's 'Cyclopædia' the articles on British topography. That on Avebury he afterwards expanded for the 'Penny Cyclopædia,' for which he wrote the account of Stonehenge. He also contributed the articles on British topography and antiquities to Arthur Aikin's 'Annual Review.'

The proprietors of the 'Beauties' wished to restrict the illustrations of antiquities. Britton therefore produced separately the 'Architectural Antiquities of Great Britain represented and illustrated in a series of views, elevations, plans, sections, and details of various ancient English edifices, with historical and descriptive accounts of each,' 4 vols. 1805-14, and to these was added in 1818-26 a supplementary volume—the best of the series—'Chronological History and Graphic Illustrations of Christian Architecture in England, embracing a critical enquiry into the rise, progress, and perfection of this species of architecture.' The letterpress was meagre, but the artistic excellence of the illustrations procured success for what Southey (Quarterly Review for September 1826) pronounced to be the 'most beautiful work of the kind that had ever till then appeared.' Eight thousand pounds was expended on the work, in which Britton held a third share. His next important undertaking was the 'Cathedral Antiquities of England, or an historical, architectural, and graphic illustration of the English Cathedral Churches,' 14 vols. 1814-35. The title of the first volume is 'The History and Antiquities of the Cathedral Church of Salisbury, illustrated by a series of engravings of views, elevations, and plans of that edifice; also etchings of the ancient monuments and sculpture, including Biographical Anecdotes of the Bishops and of other eminent persons connected with the Church.' No complete publication of the kind had appeared since Browne Willis's 'Survey of the Cathedrals' in 1742, and more than 20,000l. was expended on the production of