Lambert Blackwell Larking (2 February 1797 – 2 August 1868) was an English clergyman, writer and

antiquarian An antiquarian or antiquary () is an fan (person), 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 artifact (archaeology), artifac ...

Life

Larking was born in Clare House,

East Malling East Malling is a village in the borough of Tonbridge and Malling, Kent, in the part of the civil parish of East Malling and Larkfield lying south of the A20 road. In 2019 the ward had an estimated population of 5478. History The earliest reco ...

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

, the eldest son of John Larking,

High Sheriff of Kent The high sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown (prior to 1974 the office previously known as sheriff)."Sheriffs appointed for a county or Greater London shall be known as high sheriffs, and any reference in any enactment or instrum ...

, by Dorothy, daughter of Sir Charles Style, baronet (died 1774), of

Wateringbury Wateringbury is a village and civil parish near the town of Maidstone in Kent, England. The Wateringbury Stream flows into the River Medway just above Bow Bridge. It formerly powered three watermills in the village, one of which survives. The ...

. He was educated at

Eton Eton most commonly refers to Eton College, a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. Eton may also refer to: Places *Eton, Berkshire, a town in Berkshire, England * Eton, Georgia, a town in the United States * Éton, a commune in the Meuse dep ...

and

Brasenose College, Oxford Brasenose College (BNC) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It began as Brasenose Hall in the 13th century, before being founded as a college in 1509. The library and chapel were added in the mi ...

. He was a

Freemason Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

, and whilst at Oxford he became one of the founders (in 1818) of the

Apollo University Lodge Apollo University Lodge No 357 is a Masonic Lodge based at the University of Oxford aimed at past and present members of the university. It was consecrated in 1819, and its members have met continuously since then. University of Oxford Membershi ...

. In 1830, aged 33, he became vicar of

Ryarsh Ryarsh is a village and civil parish in the local government district of Tonbridge and Malling in Kent, England. It is home to around 1,000 residents. Ryarsh is west of Maidstone and north of West Malling. History Ryarsh is believed to be a Saxon ...

, near

Maidstone Maidstone is the largest Town status in the United Kingdom, town in Kent, England, of which it is the county town. Maidstone is historically important and lies 32 miles (51 km) east-south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the c ...

Writings

For many years Larking collaborated with the Revd

Thomas Streatfeild Rev Thomas Streatfeild MA, FSA (5 January 1777 – 17 May 1848) was a renowned antiquarian and churchman in the early 19th century descended from the historic Streatfeild family. He lived on both sides of the Surrey Kent border, but is best known ...

(1777–1848), in the collection and compilation of materials for a new history of the county of Kent and, when Streatfeild died in 1848 the materials were left in Larking's hands. However, ill health constricted Larking to concentrating all his energy on his clerical duties, allowing him little time to devote to the project. Nevertheless, Larking was able to complete another project very dear to him during his lifetime. A

lithographic Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by the German a ...

edition of the Kent section of

Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...

, in

facsimile A facsimile (from Latin ''fac simile'', "to make alike") is a copy or reproduction of an old book, manuscript, map, Old master print, art print, or other item of historical value that is as true to the original source as possible. It differs from ...

, with transcription, translation, notes, and appendix by him, was completed shortly before his death, when it was in process of being printed. One year on, in 1869, the

folio The term "folio" (), has three interconnected but distinct meanings in the world of books and printing: first, it is a term for a common method of arranging sheets of paper into book form, folding the sheet only once, and a term for a book ma ...

edition which he had planned appeared in print.

Later life

Larking was a founder member of the

Kent Archaeological Society The Kent Archaeological Society was founded in 1857 to promote the study and publication of archaeology and history, especially that pertaining to the ancient county of Kent in England. This includes the modern administrative county as well as area ...

in 1857, and served as its honorary secretary until 1860, when he was elected vice-president. Larking died of ill health on 2 August 1868 at Ryarsh Vicarage.

References

* * * 1797 births 1868 deaths People from East Malling People educated at Eton College Alumni of Brasenose College, Oxford 19th-century English Anglican priests English antiquarians 19th-century antiquarians {{UK-historian-stub