Sir Nicholas Carlisle,
KH,
FRS,
MRIA, (1771 in
York
York is a cathedral city with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many hist ...
, England – 27 August 1847 in
Margate
Margate is a seaside town on the north coast of Kent in south-east England. The town is estimated to be 1.5 miles long, north-east of Canterbury and includes Cliftonville, Garlinge, Palm Bay and Westbrook.
The town has been a significant m ...
, England) was an
English antiquary and librarian. In 1806, he became a candidate for the office of Secretary to the
Society of Antiquaries, which he obtained the following year. In 1812, he became an Assistant Librarian of the
Royal Library; he went on to accompany that collection to the
British Museum
The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docume ...
, which he attended two days each week. He wrote several
topographical dictionaries of England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland. He also wrote an historical account of Charitable Commissioners, and of Foreign Orders of Knighthood.
Carlisle traced his descent from John Carlisle (d. 1670), of
Witton-le-Wear. He was the son of Thomas Carlisle. His father married, first, Elizabeth Hutchinson; they had at least one child, a son, the surgeon,
Anthony Carlisle
Sir Anthony Carlisle FRCS, FRS (15 February 1768 in Stillington, County Durham, England – 2 November 1840 in London) was an English surgeon.
Life
He was born in Stillington, County Durham, the third son of Thomas Carlisle and his first wife, ...
. Thomas married secondly Susanna Skottowe, who was Nicholas' mother. Nicholas was born in York, where he was baptized in the
St Mary Bishophill Junior, York on 8 February 1771. He received his education from the Rev. James Lawson at
West Witton. Carlisle entered the naval service of the
East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Sout ...
, attaining the post of
purser. He also went into private business and made a large sum of money.
In 1839, he was elected as a member of the
American Philosophical Society
The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communi ...
.
He was appointed
Doctor of Civil Law
Doctor of Civil Law (DCL; la, Legis Civilis Doctor or Juris Civilis Doctor) is a degree offered by some universities, such as the University of Oxford, instead of the more common Doctor of Laws (LLD) degrees.
At Oxford, the degree is a high ...
in 1847.
Select Bibliography
''A concise description of the endowed grammar schools in England and Wales 2 vols.''(1818)
''A Topographical Dictionary of England''(1808)
''An Index to the First Fifteen Volumes of Archaeologia; Or, Miscellaneous Tracts, Relating to Antiquity''(1809)
''A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland''(1819)
''A Topographical Dictionary of the Dominion of Wales''(1811)
''A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland''(1813)
* ''A concise account of the several foreign orders of knighthood : and other marks of honourable distinction'' (1839)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carlisle, Nicholas
1771 births
1847 deaths
People from York
English antiquarians
English librarians
English lexicographers
19th-century English writers
Employees of the British Library
Fellows of the Royal Society
Members of the Royal Irish Academy
British East India Company Marine personnel