Thomas Faulkner

Thomas Faulkner (10 April 1777 – 26 May 1855) was an English bookseller and topographer of West London. He is known for three principal works that were to become standard 19th-century references for the localities of Chelsea, Fulham and Kensington. Faulkner was a member of the Société des Antiquaires de Normandie.

Early life Faulkner was born on 10 April 1777 in Fulham, London, to John Falkner, involved in the building trade in West London, and Elizabeth Charlotte Faulkner.

He branched out of the family business and, for many years, kept a small bookseller's and stationer's shop at the corner of Paradise Row, at the western end of the footpath running past Chelsea Hospital.

Without much formal education, he was an autodidact and acquired sufficient knowledge of French and Spanish to obtain employment as a translator.

Literary career His literary career began in October or November 1797 with pieces for the Gentleman's Magazine, to which he was to be an occasional contributor for over half a century. He was also a contributor to the series of the New Monthly Magazine.

In 1839 Faulkner published his History and Antiquities of Hammersmith, dedicated to Queen Victoria. In 1845, he followed this with his History and Antiquities of Brentford, Chiswick, and Ealing. Both these works contain biographical accounts of local notabilities of the three preceding centuries. His obituary notice in the Gentleman's Magazine for June 1855 contains a complete list of Faulkner's works, including several minor publications not in the British Museum Catalogue of Printed Books.

Death Faulkner died on 26 May 1855 aged 78 on Smith Street, Chelsea.

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