George Walter Thornbury (13 November 1828 – 11 June 1876) was an English author. He was the first biographer of

J. M. W. Turner Joseph Mallord William Turner (23 April 177519 December 1851), known in his time as William Turner, was an English Romantic painter, printmaker and watercolourist. He is known for his expressive colouring, imaginative landscapes and turbulen ...

Early life

George Thornbury was born on 13 November 1828, the son of a London solicitor, reared by his aunt and educated by her husband, Reverend

Barton Bouchier Barton Bouchier (1794–1864) was an English religious writer. Biography He was born in 1794, was a younger son of the vicar of Epsom, Surrey, the Rev. Jonathan Boucher and Elizabeth James (née Hodgson). Barton changed his name from Boucher to B ...

Career

A journalist by profession, he also wrote verse, novels, art criticism and popular historical and topographical sketches. He began his career in 1845 with contributions to ''Bristol Journal'' and wrote later mainly for the '' Athenaeum''. His first major work was ''Lays and legends of the New World'' (1851). It followed a history of the Buccaneers, ''Monarchs of the Main'', (1855), ''Shakspeare's England during the reign of Elizabeth'' (1856, 2 Vols.) and ''Art and nature at home and abroad'' (1856, 2 Vols.). His ''Old and New London: a Narrative of its History, its People, and its Places'' was first published in 2 volumes in 1872, and in an undated edition of 1878 in 6 volumes, the last four being by Edward Walford. Many of these works are available online in full text from the Internet Archive Digital Library.

Death

Thornbury died of overwork at Camberwell House Asylum, London, at the early age of 47, and was buried in Nunhead Cemetery. He was survived by a young wife and three young sons.

Works

Poetry

*''Songs of Cavaliers and Roundheads'' (1857) *''Two centuries of song'' (1867) *''Historical and legendary ballads and songs'' (1875)

Novels

*''Every man his own trumpeter'' (1858) * ''Icebound'' (1861) * ''True as steel'' (1863, 3 Vols.) * ''Wildfire'' (1864) * ''Tales for the marines'' (1865) * ''Greatheart'' (1866) * ''The vicar's courtship'' (1869) *''Old stories retold'' (1869)

Nonfiction writing

*''Life in Spain'' (1859) * ''Turkish life and character'' (1860) *''British Artists from Hogarth to Turner'' (1861, 2 Vols.) *''Life of J. M. W. Turner'' (1861) Full text from the Internet Archive Digital Library. * ''Haunted London'' (1865) Full text from the Internet Archive Digital Library. * ''Tour round England'' (1870, 2 Vols.) * ''Criss cross journeys'' (1873, 2 Vols.) * ''Old and New London: a Narrative of its History, its People, and its Places'' (1873–74, 2 Vols.) Continued in an undated edition of 1878 in 6 volumes, the last four being by Edward Walford. Full text available from the Internet Archive Digital Library

References

;Attribution

External links

* * * *
Some works
(scroll down) * Biography. ''At the circulating library.'' Victorian Research.or

* Biographical information: Jeaffreson, John Cordy, 1831-1901. ''A book of recollections'', London : Hurst and Blackett, 1894. Full text from Internet Archive Digital Librar

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thornbury, George Walter English male poets English travel writers English art historians 1828 births 1876 deaths English male novelists 19th-century English poets 19th-century English novelists 19th-century English male writers English male non-fiction writers