William Thompson Watkin (15 October 1836 – 23 March 1888) was a British

archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

, interested in

Roman Britain Roman Britain was the period in classical antiquity when large parts of the island of Great Britain were under occupation by the Roman Empire. The occupation lasted from AD 43 to AD 410. During that time, the territory conquered was ...

, particularly of the north of England.

Life

Watkin was born in

Salford Salford () is a city and the largest settlement in the City of Salford metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. In 2011, Salford had a population of 103,886. It is also the second and only other city in the metropolitan county afte ...

in 1836, son of John Watkin (1808–48) of Salford and wife Mary Hamilton, who was born in the USA. A second cousin was the railway entrepreneur

Edward Watkin Sir Edward William Watkin, 1st Baronet (26 September 1819 – 13 April 1901) was a British Member of Parliament and railway entrepreneur. He was an ambitious visionary, and presided over large-scale railway engineering projects to fulfil his b ...

. He received his education at private schools, and afterwards began a career as a merchant in Liverpool. From early life he was greatly interested in archaeological studies. Between 1871 and 1888 he wrote 123 books and articles, dealing mostly with the Roman occupation of Britain, in the north-west and in Yorkshire and Northumbria. His most important works were ''Roman Lancashire'' (1883) and ''Roman Cheshire'' (1886), both full of careful research and accurate descriptions of objects. From 1884 Watkin was a council member, and from 1885 honorary librarian, of the

Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire The Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire is a historical society and registered charity founded for the purpose of "collecting, preserving, arranging and publishing such Historical Documents, Antiquities…Specimens of Ancient and Medi ...

, a Liverpool institution. He was also an active member, and served on the council, of the

Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society The Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society is a historical society and registered charity founded, on 21 March 1883, for the study of any aspects of the area covered by the Palatine Counties of Lancashire and Cheshire (and succeeding local ...

of Manchester, from its founding in 1883 until his death. He died in 1888 at his home in

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

, and was buried at

Anfield Cemetery Anfield Cemetery, or the City of Liverpool Cemetery, is located in Anfield, a district of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It lies to the northeast of Stanley Park, and is bounded by Walton Lane (A580 road) to the west, Priory Road to the south, ...

. He was three times married, and left a widow and several children. Valuable unpublished notes on Roman remains in North Wales and in various English counties and other manuscripts were purchased by subscription after his death, and presented to

Chetham's Library Chetham's Library in Manchester, England, is the oldest free public reference library in the English-speaking world.Nicholls (2004), p. 20. Chetham's Hospital, which contains both the library and Chetham's School of Music, was established in ...

, Manchester.

Selected publications

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References

Attribution *

External links

The William Thompson Watkin Collection at Chetham's Library
Archives Hub {{DEFAULTSORT:Watkin, William Thompson 1836 births 1888 deaths English archaeologists People from Salford Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society