991 



BRAYLEY, EDWARD WEDLAKE, F.S.A. 



BRAYLEY, EDWARD WILLIAM, F.R.S. 



932 



associated in several literary undertakings of a minor description, 

 until they united in projecting and in producing the well-known 

 work on which their reputation was originally founded ' The Beauties 

 of England and Wales,' the earlier volumes of which were written 

 by them. This work greatly contributfd to extend and gratify the 

 zest for topographical history by which the early part of the 19th 

 century was so remarkably characterised. The illustrations, chiefly 

 copper-plate engravings, directed also by the authors, were the means 

 by which many of the most eminent of our architectural and land- 

 scape draughtsmen and engravers became qualified for the execution 

 of works of a higher grade in art. Mr. Brayley himself contributed also 

 to the progress of the fine arts in another direction. Having become 

 acquainted with the late Henry Bone, R.A., when that artist was endea- 

 vouring to elevate painting in enamel to the position it subsequently 

 acquired in his hands, as an integral and a legitimate branch of accepted 

 pictorial art, he had early begun to prepare enamelled plates for Mr. 

 Bone's use. This he continued to do for some years after he had become 

 eminent as a topographer, and the plates for the largest paintings in 

 enamel which Mr. Bone executed the largest ever produced until they 

 were exceeded, in several instances, by those of the late Mr. Charles 

 Muss were not only made by Mr. Brayley, but the pictures also con- 

 ducted by him throughout the subsequent processes of 'firing,' or inci- 

 pient fusion on the plate, in the muffle of an air-furuace, requisite for 

 their completion. He derived from the practice of enamelling and the 

 preparation of enamel-colours a certain interest in science and its pur- 

 suits, especially those of chemistry, mineralogy, and the allied depart- 

 ments of natural knowledge, which, though it scarcely rose above the 

 character of an intelligent curiosity, was retained by him through life, 

 and contributed to the care with which he introduced into county 

 history in ' The Beauties,' and in his subsequent works the more 

 characteristic or interesting features of the natural history of the 

 localities described. He acquired also, from the same early occupa- 

 tions, a skill in manipulation, which in after-life he applied to good 

 purpose in his archaeological researches, in taking casts of sculptured 

 ornaments, impressions of inscriptions, rubbings of engraved monu- 

 mental brasses, &c. It may here be remarked, with reference to his 

 topographical works generally, that though there were better geo- 

 graphers and historians, better architectural and record antiquaries, 

 better heralds, critics in art, and bibliographers, there were probably 

 few of his contemporaries 'Certainly none of his earlier ones who 

 could unite and apply a competent knowledge of the subjects of all 

 these branches of literature and archaeology to what is termed Topo- 

 graphy, in a manner at once so useful and so acceptable to general 

 readers and the public. 



In the year 1825 Mr. Brayley was appointed librarian and secretary 

 of the Russell Institution, Great Coram-street, the third in date and 

 in rank of the literary and scientific institutions established in Lon- 

 don, which had been founded about seventeen years before to meet the 

 intellectual requirements of the populous superior middle-class suburb 

 which was then growing up on the estate of the Duke of Bedford atid 

 the Foundling Hospital, on the north side of the metropolis. He was 

 the third librarian in succession of the Russell Institution, the first 

 having been the late Nathaniel Highmore, LL.D. and M.D. of Jesus 

 College, Cambridge (author of 'Jus Ecclesiasticum Anglicanum,' &c.). 

 In this capacity Mr. Brayley greatly improved the library and con- 

 ducted with ability the general business of the institution, continuing 

 however to follow the pursuits of a topographer and antiquary. He pro- 

 duced several catalogues of the library (the last in 1849), which are not 

 however remarkable in a bibliographical point of view, except perhaps 

 for the extent to which the principle of the analysis of collections is 

 carried. Having a singular strength of constitution, neither the wear 

 and tear of these united official and professional vocations, nor the 

 progress of age, sensibly impaired his faculties, either physical or 

 mental, for many years. His most extensive, and, with the exception 

 of ' The History of Westminster Abbey,' perhaps his best work, was 

 also his last, ' The Topographical History of the County of Surrey,' 

 which he composed and produced between the ages-of sixty eight and 

 seventy-six, during which period the history of the places and objects 

 described was diligently and critically investigated in the localities 

 themselves in very many journeys into the county. Fora year or two 

 prior to his decease, gradually increasing though slight weakness and 

 liability to disease was observed in him by the members of his family, 

 but his intellectual powers remained unimpaired until the period of his 

 death, which was occasioned by the consecutive fever of cholera, on 

 the 23rd of September 1854, in the eighty-second year of his age; he 

 having filled his official position for nearly twenty-nine years, and 

 been actively engaged in the pursuits of historical and descriptive 

 literature for about fifty-six years. Mr. Brayley became a Fellow of 

 the Society of Antiquaries on the 19th of June 1823. His wife had 

 predeceased him a few years : their surviving children are the eldest 

 son and daughter. Of the former some account is given below. 



The following is a list of Mr. Brayley's principal works and con- 

 tributions to literature : 



'A Picturesque Tour through the Principal Parts of Yorkshire and 

 Derbyshire, by the late Mr. Edward Dayes ; with Illustrative Notes by 

 E. W. Brayley,' 1805 : second edition, with additional notes, 1825. 

 'Views illustrative of the Works of Robert Bloomfield, accompanied 

 with Descriptions ; to which is added a Memoir of the Poet's Lite,' 



1806. 'Cowper : illustrated by a Series of Views; accompanied with 

 Copious Descriptions, and a Brief Sketch of the Poet's Life,' 1810. 

 ' Descriptions of Places represented in Mid'liman's Vi-!ws and Anti- 

 quities of Great Britain,' 4to, 1813. ' Popular Pastimes : a selection 

 of Picturesque Representations, accompanied with Historic-*! Descrip- 

 tions,' 1816. 'Delineations. Historical and Topographical, of the Isle 

 of Thanet and the Cinque Ports,' 1817. ' History and Antiquities of 

 the Abbey Church of St. Peter, Westminster; including Notices and 

 Biographical Memoirs of the Abbots and Deans of that Foundation,' 

 181823. 'The Ambulator, or Pocket Companion for the Tour of 

 London and its Environs : twelfth edition, with an Appendix contain- 

 ing Lists of Pictures in all the Royal Palaces and principal Mansions 

 round London,' 1819. 'A Series of Views in Islington and Penton- 

 ville, by A. Pugin ; with a Description of each subject, by E. W. 

 Brayley,' 1819. 'Topographical Sketches of Brighthelmstone and its 

 Neighbourhood,' 1825. 'An Enquiry into the Genuineness of Prynne's 

 Defence of Stago Plays, &c , to.-ether with a reprint of the said Tract, 

 and also of Prynue's Vindication,' 8vo, 1825. ' The History and Anti- 

 quities of the Cathedral Church of Exeter,' 1826-27 (in Brition's 

 ' Cathedral Antiquities '). ' Historical and Descriptive Accounts of 

 the Theatres of London,' 1827. ' Londiniaua ; or Reminiscences 

 of the British Metropolis,' 1829, 4 vols. ' Devonshire Illustrated, 

 in a Series of Views of Towns, Docks, Churches, Antiquities, 

 Abbeys, Picturesque Scenery, Castles, Seats of the Nobility, &c., &c.,' 

 1829. 'The Antiquities of the Priory of Christ's Church, Hants; 

 accompanied by Historical and Descriptive Accounts of the Priory 

 Church; together with some General Particulars of the Castle and 

 Borough,' 1834. ' The Graphic and Historical Illustrator: an Original 

 Miscellany of Literary, Antiquarian, and Topographical Information,' 



1834. * A Journal of the Plague Year ; by Daniel L)e Foe : a new 

 edition, attentively revised and illustrated with Historical Notes,' 



1835. 'Illustrations of Her Majesty's Palace at Brighton, formerly 

 the Pavilion ; executed under" the Superintendence of John Nash, 

 Architect : to which is prefixed a History of the Palace by E. W. 

 Brayley,' 1828. ' The Topographical History of Surrey,' 5 vols., 

 1841-48 : the names of Mr. Britton and Mr. Brayley, jun., are inserted 

 in the title-pages, but neither took any part in the work. The article 

 ' Enamelling ' in ' Rees's Cyclopaedia,' vol. xiii.; published before 1811. 



' The Antiquarian and Topographical Cabinet,' a very popular and 

 successful work, published by the well-known engravers Messrs. Storer 

 and Greig, was designed by Mr. Brayley, and the first number or two 

 written by him, and produced under his direction. 



In conjunction with J. Britton : ' The Beauties of England and 

 Wales ; or Original Delineations, Topographical, Historical, and 

 descriptive, of each County,' 1810-14. 'The British Atlas; com- 

 prising a series of Maps of all the English and Welsh Counties ; alao 

 Plans of Cities and Principal Towns,' 1810. 'Memoirs of the Tower 

 of London,' 1830. ' The History of the Ancient Palace and late 

 Houses of Parliament at Westminster,' 1836. 



In conjunction with William Herb rt: 'A Concise Account, Histo- 

 rical and Descriptive, of Lambeth Palace,' 1806. 



* BBAYLEY, EDWARD WILLIAM, F.R.S. (known for some years 

 as E. W. Brayley, jun.), is joint librarian of the London Insti- 

 tution, Finsbury Circus. On the abolition, some years since, of the 

 office of principal librarian, which had been held in succession by 

 Professor Person [PoRSON, RICHARD] and the late eminent scholar 

 William Maltby, Mr. Brayley, jun., and Mr. Richard Thomson (the 

 author of ' An Historical Essay on Magna Charta,' ' Chronicles of 

 London Bridge,' ' Tales of an Antiquary,' &c.), were appointed 

 librarians of equal rank and duties, though taking special charge 

 respectively, from the different nature of their pursuits, of different 

 portions of the collection Mr. Brayley directing his particular 

 attention to the scientific classes of books. He was a pupil both of 

 the London and of the lioyal Institution (in chemistry, of Professor 

 Brando), but had given some attention to topographical literature, 

 which however at an early age he relinquished for the pursuits of 

 scientific literature and of science itself, including both the public and 

 private teaching of several branches of natural knowledge. From 

 1822 to 1845 he was, either in succession or at the same time, one of 

 the editors of the 'Annals of Philosophy,' the 'Zoological' Journal,' 

 and the ' Philosophical Magazine.' To-all these, in addition to reviews 

 and other editorial articles and notes, he contributed original papers 

 and notices, chiefly on subjects of mineralogical chemistry, geology, 

 and.zoology, together with special communications on Igneous Meteors 

 and Meteorites, and a few articles of scientific biography. In 1829 

 and 1830 he was engaged by Mr. Rowland Hill (now Secretary to 

 the Post-Office) [HiLL, ROWLAND], and the father and brother of that 

 gentleman, to take charge, as lecturer and tutor, of a department 

 of instruction in physical science which they were desirous of making 

 a permanent part of the system of education cirried on in their 

 schools of Hazelwood, near Birmingham, and Bruce Castle, Totten- 

 ham, near London. But the scheme was not adequately encouraged 

 by the public, who have even yet scarcely recognised the importance 

 of such instruction being made a part of elementary education. The 

 original views on this subject of the Messrs. Hill and of Mr. Brayley 

 were explained and advocated by him in a work, published in 1831, 

 entitled ' The Utility of the Knowledge of Nature considered, with 

 reference to the General Education of Youth.' 



