LYSONS, Daniel.

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

The Environs of London: being an historical account of the Towns, Villages, and Hamlets, Within Twelve Miles of that Capital; A large paper set of the principal work of the antiquary Daniel Lysons (1762-1834), produced with the keen support of Horace Walpole, to whom the work is dedicated, and who affectionately dubbed the author "Stumpity Stump". The volumes "remain of value nearly 200 years after their publication" (ODNB).Many areas considered "environs" by Lysons are now firmly inside London, including Battersea, Bermondsey, Camberwell, Lambeth, Chelsea, Finchley, Fulham, Hackney, Islington, Kensington, and Tottenham. As Walpole himself predicted in 1791, "There will soon be one street from London to Brentford; ay, and from London to every village ten miles around!"After attending Bath grammar school, Lysons went to Oxford, after which he was ordained and served as assistant curate of Mortlake (1784-89) and curate of Putney (1789-1800). "At this time he began work for his Environs of London … a topographical account of the parishes within 12 miles of London. A contemporary recounted that Lysons 'spent seven hours up to his knees in water in the vaults of Stepney Church copying epitaphs' and he extended this industry and meticulousness to all his work. He treats Surrey parishes in the first volume, which includes notable demographic sections compiled from primary sources … The second and third volumes cover Middlesex parishes and are a great advance on previous works. The s

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