John Trotter Brockett
Encyclopedia
John Trotter Brockett was a British attorney
, antiquarian
, numismatist, and philologist.
Brockett was born at Witton Gilbert, co. Durham. In his early youth his parents removed to Gateshead
, and he was educated under the care of the Rev. William Turner of Newcastle
. The law having been selected as his profession, he was, after the usual course of study, admitted an attorney, and practiced for many years at Newcastle, where he was respected as an able and eloquent advocate in the mayor's and sheriff's courts, and a sound lawyer in the branches of his profession which deal with tenures
and conveyancing
.
He was a man of refined tastes, and a close student of numismatics
and of English antiquities
and philology
. He made considerable collections of books and coins and medals, in 1823-1824 the choice library and cabinets which he had formed up to that time were dispersed by auction at Sotheby's
, the sale of the latter occupying ten days, and that of the former fourteen days.
In 1818 he published 'Hints on the Propriety of establishing a Typographical Society in Newcastle' (8vo, pp. 8), which led to the foundation of such a society, and gave an impulse to the production of an interesting series of privately printed tracts
at Newcastle. To that series he himself contributed several works, including:
Also reprints of tracts on Henry III
; on Robert, Earl of Salisbury
; and of three accounts of the siege of Newcastle.
In 1818 he published an 'Enquiry into the Question whether the Freeholders of the Town and County of Newcastle-upon-Tyne are entitled to vote for Members of Parliament for the County of Northumberland,' and in 1825 the first edition of his 'Glossary of North Country Words in Use' (Newcastle-on-Tyne, 8vo). The manuscript collections for this valuable work were not originally intended for publication, and they passed into the library of Mr. John George Lambton, afterwards Lord Durham, but that gentleman surrendered them for the public service. A second edition, to a large extent rewritten, was published in 1829; and a third was in preparation at the time of the author's death, and was published, under the editorship of W. E. Brockett, in 1846 (2 vols. 8vo). He also contributed papers to the first three volumes of 'Archæologia Æliana.' In 1882 a 'Glossographia Anglicana,' from a manuscript left by Brockett, was privately printed by the society, called 'The sette of odd volumes,' with a biographical sketch of the author by Frederick B. Coomer of Newcastle, who names one or two tracts by Brockett not noted above, and memoirs by him of Thomas and John Bewick, prefixed to the 1820 edition of Bewick's 'Select Fables.'
Brockett was a member of the Society of Antiquaries, a secretary of the Newcastle Literary and Philosophical Society, and one of the council of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle-on-Tyne. He died at Albion Place, Newcastle, on 12 Oct. 1842, aged 54.
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, antiquarian
Antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
, numismatist, and philologist.
Brockett was born at Witton Gilbert, co. Durham. In his early youth his parents removed to Gateshead
Gateshead
Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England and is the main settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. Historically a part of County Durham, it lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne and together they form the urban core of Tyneside...
, and he was educated under the care of the Rev. William Turner of Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
. The law having been selected as his profession, he was, after the usual course of study, admitted an attorney, and practiced for many years at Newcastle, where he was respected as an able and eloquent advocate in the mayor's and sheriff's courts, and a sound lawyer in the branches of his profession which deal with tenures
Land tenure
Land tenure is the name given, particularly in common law systems, to the legal regime in which land is owned by an individual, who is said to "hold" the land . The sovereign monarch, known as The Crown, held land in its own right. All private owners are either its tenants or sub-tenants...
and conveyancing
Conveyancing
In law, conveyancing is the transfer of legal title of property from one person to another, or the granting of an encumbrance such as a mortgage or a lien....
.
He was a man of refined tastes, and a close student of numismatics
Numismatics
Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, and related objects. While numismatists are often characterized as students or collectors of coins, the discipline also includes the broader study of money and other payment media used to resolve debts and the...
and of English antiquities
Antiquities
Antiquities, nearly always used in the plural in this sense, is a term for objects from Antiquity, especially the civilizations of the Mediterranean: the Classical antiquity of Greece and Rome, Ancient Egypt and the other Ancient Near Eastern cultures...
and philology
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
. He made considerable collections of books and coins and medals, in 1823-1824 the choice library and cabinets which he had formed up to that time were dispersed by auction at Sotheby's
Sotheby's
Sotheby's is the world's fourth oldest auction house in continuous operation.-History:The oldest auction house in operation is the Stockholms Auktionsverk founded in 1674, the second oldest is Göteborgs Auktionsverk founded in 1681 and third oldest being founded in 1731, all Swedish...
, the sale of the latter occupying ten days, and that of the former fourteen days.
In 1818 he published 'Hints on the Propriety of establishing a Typographical Society in Newcastle' (8vo, pp. 8), which led to the foundation of such a society, and gave an impulse to the production of an interesting series of privately printed tracts
Tract (literature)
A tract is a literary work, and in current usage, usually religious in nature. The notion of what constitutes a tract has changed over time. By the early part of the 21st century, these meant small pamphlets used for religious and political purposes, though far more often the former. They are...
at Newcastle. To that series he himself contributed several works, including:
- 'A Catalogue of Books and Tracts printed at the private press of George Allan, Esq., at Darlington,' 1818; relates to George AllanGeorge Allan (antiquary)George Allan was an English antiquary and attorney at Darlington.Allan spent much of his youth in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, where he was educated at the all-boys Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield....
. - 'Bartlet's Episcopal Coins of Durham,' &c., new edition by J. T. B., 1817.
- 'Beauvais' Essay on the means of distinguishing Antique from Counterfeit Coins and Medals,' translated and edited by J. T. B., 1819.
- 'Selecta Numismata Aurea Imperatorum Romanorum e Museo J. T. B.,' 1822.
Also reprints of tracts on Henry III
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
; on Robert, Earl of Salisbury
Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury
Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, KG, PC was an English administrator and politician.-Life:He was the son of William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley and Mildred Cooke...
; and of three accounts of the siege of Newcastle.
In 1818 he published an 'Enquiry into the Question whether the Freeholders of the Town and County of Newcastle-upon-Tyne are entitled to vote for Members of Parliament for the County of Northumberland,' and in 1825 the first edition of his 'Glossary of North Country Words in Use' (Newcastle-on-Tyne, 8vo). The manuscript collections for this valuable work were not originally intended for publication, and they passed into the library of Mr. John George Lambton, afterwards Lord Durham, but that gentleman surrendered them for the public service. A second edition, to a large extent rewritten, was published in 1829; and a third was in preparation at the time of the author's death, and was published, under the editorship of W. E. Brockett, in 1846 (2 vols. 8vo). He also contributed papers to the first three volumes of 'Archæologia Æliana.' In 1882 a 'Glossographia Anglicana,' from a manuscript left by Brockett, was privately printed by the society, called 'The sette of odd volumes,' with a biographical sketch of the author by Frederick B. Coomer of Newcastle, who names one or two tracts by Brockett not noted above, and memoirs by him of Thomas and John Bewick, prefixed to the 1820 edition of Bewick's 'Select Fables.'
Brockett was a member of the Society of Antiquaries, a secretary of the Newcastle Literary and Philosophical Society, and one of the council of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle-on-Tyne. He died at Albion Place, Newcastle, on 12 Oct. 1842, aged 54.