Wilkinson

Submitted by edpope on

Wilkinson 2.1.1798 at Joseph Johnson's with Carlisle & Combe (in Godwin's 1796 list at beginning of 1798) / 20.4.1798 at (Samuel) Lister's (New Inn) Jos Wilkinson with Wordsworth, Lawson, Hammond, (James) M(arshall) Jo(seph) G(odwin) & another / 10.5.1798 at Sadler's Wells Wilkinson & co / 14.11.1806 at Westminster Hall with Nicholson, Hayward, Fletcher / 9.2.1834 at T Campbell's with J Russell, Williams & A Campbell adv Williams Chronicle

The first three entries above were probably three different Wilkinsons, although they all occurred within four months and then only two more Wilkinson entries in four decades. The Sadlers Wells entry was probably Frederick Wilkinson (fl. 1758-1800 Highfill, Burnim & Langhans) who was advertised on 7.5.1798 and on 12.5.1798 as Mr Wilkinson performing on the slack wire at Sadlers Wells. He came from a family of slack wire performers, began as a child, and apparently could sit in a chair on the slack wire playing the violin with a table in front of him with a bottle of wine, glasses and candlesticks. Not related to the theatre manager Tate Wilkinson. The Jos Wilkinson entry is very likely Joshua Lucock Wilkinson (DNB 1769-1802+?) who was a colleague as attorney of Richard Wordsworth's (the poet's brother). The Wordsworth on this occasion was not William the poet who was then at Alfoxden (Wordsworth Chronology) nor was the Lister Godwin's friend Dr William Lister but another attorney, Samuel Lister, and Lawson and Hammond may well have been attorneys too (see their entries). The use of the forename Jos further suggests that the first Wilkinson entry was not Joshua, and in the company of (Anthony) Carlisle the surgeon and (Dr Charles) Combe (see his entry) it may well have been Dr John Wilkinson (will PCC 1818 Southampton St Russell Sq) according to his newspaper obituary died 20.8.1818 in 89th year MD FRS FAS corresponding member of Royal Society at Gottingen, formerly of Woodford Essex - or equally likely C H Wilkinson lecturer in experimental philosophy at St Bartholomews Hospital and member of the Philosophical society of Manchester. He was the author of several books in the late 1790s, none published by Joseph Johnson, and although he was named Charles Henry Wilkinson in some dictionaries of authors, only his initials were given on the title pages of his books and he was probably the Charles Hunnings Wilkinson MD who died at Bath in 1850 in his 87th year (will PCC 1850). There was also Dr Abraham Wilkinson (MD Edinburgh 1783) whose will was proved PCC 1840 of Enfield. There were also several surgeons named Wilkinson who left PCC wills, Samuel 1804, Edward 1809, Joseph 1820, Daniel 1825, Robert Everitt 1829, Barton Reeves 1833 and John William 1844. Of the medical Wilkinsons, C H Wilkinson seems the the most likely, because of his lectures, to have earned a place in Godwin's 1796 list, but given that Joshua Lucock Wilkinson is the only one to have since earned a place in the DNB, and had previously published works of his travels on foot in Europe which might have appealed to Godwin, it's possible that the Wilkinson of 2.1.1798 was him despite the use of Jos in the entry of 20.4.1798