Abstract
William John Pinks had been buried for five years in Highgate Cemetery when his huge and ambitious History of Clerkenwell first appeared in book form. It is among the most impressive London parish histories of the Victorian era. The antiquarianism is tempered by contemporary anecdote and a keen social eye, and its 800 pages are enlivened by scores of engravings – among them one depicting the author's grave. Pinks was himself a Clerkenwellian, apprenticed as a bookbinder, and later a full-time contributor to the Clerkenwell News, the first and most successful of London's district papers. He died from TB at the age of thirty-one. When J. T. Pickburn, proprietor of the Clerkenwell News, published Pinks's local history in 1865, it was the high water mark of prosperous, industrious Clerkenwell. A second edition, in essence unchanged, appeared in 1880 – the format of the book, reflecting Clerkenwell's fortunes, a little more cramped and pinched in appearance. The Clerkenwell News had by then metamorphosed into the much grander Daily Chronicle which, as the News Chronicle, remained a leading national daily until 1960.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
