318:, the publisher, had a share in the management. Its "unqualified and audacious attacks on all private characters" were at the start "smiled at for their quaintness, then tolerated for their absurdity", and ultimately repudiated with disgust. In it appeared accounts of "elopements, divorces, and suicides, tricked out in all the elegancies of Mr. Topham's phraseology". It was in this paper that the fantastic productions of the
429:. It was rumoured that he intended to spend the rest of his days in farming some hundreds of acres of land and in writing the history of his own life. His kennels were considered the best in England, and his greyhound "Snowball" was praised as "one of the best and fleetest greyhounds that ever ran", and "his breed all most excellent". In 1801, he was offering a reward of Five Guineas on conviction of those poaching hares.
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405:, iv. 126–30). By the autumn of 1790, he and Este had separated in anger. The latter had acquired a fourth share in the paper, but had surrendered it from 25 December 1788, conditionally, on the payment of an annuity to him. Topham claimed that its payment was dependent on the existence of the paper, and Este thereupon "opened a literary battery against him in the
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fell at around three o'clock on the afternoon of Sunday, 13 December 1795, within two fields of his house. In a letter dated 8 February 1796 and published in the press he states it fell on Sunday 20 December and immediately on being dug up, warm and smoking, weighed 3 stone 13 pounds, it had buried
220:. He brought his regiment to a high state of efficiency, for which he received the thanks of the King and figured in the press as "the tip-top adjutant". In 1803, he was made a Captain in The Yorkshire Wolds Gentlemen and Yeomanry Cavalry.
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to enliven the characters in his comedies. Meanwhile, Topham's talent as a writer of prologues and epilogues introduced him to the leading actors of the day, and led to his first appearance as a playwright. An epilogue, spoken by
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Topham soon became known in London's fashionable society for his original style of dress and the ease and elegance of his manners. His personal and sartorial peculiarities were copied by his friend
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on 23 October 1769, but he left without taking a degree. On leaving the university, Topham travelled on the continent and spent six months in
Scotland, publishing on his return in 1776 a volume of
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on 26 April 1820, aged 68. He was for many years an acting magistrate for the North and East
Ridings. He had three daughters, who were reckoned "the best horsewomen in Yorkshire".
389:. The proprietor was found guilty. Counsel moved for an arrest of judgment on the ground of the misdirection of the judge to the jury. It was argued at great length before the
188:(1731–1774), and remained there for eleven years. While at school he dabbled in poetry and was one of the leaders in the rebellion against Foster's rule. He was admitted at
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342:) passed through seven editions during 1790, and in 1805 reached a twelfth edition, "corrected and enlarged, and with a new appendix". A German translation was published at
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After five years, Topham disposed of his paper, abandoned Mary Wells for someone else, and retired with his three surviving daughters to Wold
Cottage, about two miles from
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was established by Topham (partly with the object of promoting Mary Wells) on 1 January 1787. Two of his principal colleagues in its direction were
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of it in 1798, and in 1799 erected a column on the spot. The stone was "in breadth 28 inches, in length 36 inches, and its weight was 56 pounds"
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Letters from
Edinburgh, 1774 and 1775, containing some Observations on the Diversions, Customs, Manners, and Laws of the Scotch Nation
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338:(1790) made its first appearance in its columns. This memoir of the miser (sometimes credited with being the inspiration for
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385:, who pronounced the articles to have been published with intent to throw scandal on the peer's family and as tending to a
277:, and printed in 1786, with a dedication to Mrs. Wells, owing to whose admirable portrayal of "Laura" it was well received.
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considered it "one of the most amusing anecdotal books in the
English language". It is said to have raised the sale of
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Memoirs of the life of Mrs. Sumbel, late Wells; of the
Theatres-Royal, Drury-Lane, Covent-Garden, and Haymarket...
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itself through 12 inches of soil and in six inches of solid chalk rock. Part of it was exhibited at the museum of
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dwelling for the most part at
Florence, made their appearance. Topham contributed articles under the title of
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460:, by Edward Topham, Esq. late Captain in the Horse Guards (11th Ed), was published in 1815. Topham died in
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204:. He next came to London and purchased a commission in the First Regiment of Lifeguards. By 1777, he was "
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377:, Third Earl Cowper, died in Florence on 22 December 1789, his character was assailed with virulence in
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by a thousand copies a day; but an even better hit was made by the correspondence between the rival
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He was the son of
Francis Topham, LL.D. (d. 15 October 1770), Master of Faculties and judge of the
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delivered on 29 January 1791 the judgment of the court in favour of Topham (Charles
Durnford and
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resented this production and came to the theatre in force to prevent it from being heard.
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141:(1751–1820) was an English journalist and playwright, who publicized the
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712: This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
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The plays produced by Topham during this period of his life were:
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381:. Topham was indicted for libel, and the case was tried before
249:, was equally popular. He wrote an epilogue for the benefit of
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484:. York Press, pp. 256–60. reissued by the Nabu Press (2012)
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for several nights. Another, on a recent tragedy, spoken by
409:". The printed letters are appended to a copy of Este's
647:"Particulars respecting wood cottage phaenomenon".
46:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
458:The Life of John Elwes, Esq., M.P. For Berkshire
780:18th-century English dramatists and playwrights
731:. Vol. 57. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
291:Bonds without Judgment, or the Loves of Bengal
310:and the Rev. Charles Este (died London 1828)
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437:While Topham was living at Wold Cottage, a
541:Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts
106:Learn how and when to remove this message
216:", and for about seven years he was the
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770:English male dramatists and playwrights
517:The Life and Times of Frederic Reynolds
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7:
760:Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge
273:, a farce in two acts, performed at
44:adding citations to reliable sources
281:Small Talk, or the Westminster Boy
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531:C. Chapple (1811), i. 56, &c.
728:Dictionary of National Biography
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677:Salisbury and Winchester Journal
427:Thwing, East Riding of Yorkshire
175:The History of a Warm Watch Coat
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755:People educated at Eton College
679:. 18 September 1815. p. 4.
618:Alexander Mackintosh (d.1829),
393:, and after a protracted delay
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608:. 25 November 1820. p. 1.
448:Natural History Museum, London
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651:. 8 February 1796. p. 3.
636:. 10 October 1801. p. 1.
519:, H. Colburn (1826) ii. 25–46
506:. 24 October 1803. p. 2.
149:Education and military career
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482:The Works of Laurence Sterne
446:, London, and is now in the
145:which fell on his property.
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675:"The Life of John Elwes".
593:. 10 July 1790. p. 1.
190:Trinity College, Cambridge
322:, a small set of English
196:on 22 April 1767, and as
765:British male journalists
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649:Staffordshire Advertiser
622:(1806, self-published?)
375:George Nassau Clavering
180:Edward was educated at
143:Wold Cottage meteorite
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543:14th Rep. i. 368, 378
480:Cadell & Davies,
391:Court of King's Bench
302:A daily paper called
214:Troop of Horse-guards
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665:, ii. 3*–7*, 18*–19*
620:The Driffield Angler
40:improve this article
450:. Topham published
403:Reports of Cases...
387:breach of the peace
308:Miles Peter Andrews
224:Fashionable society
663:British Mineralogy
241:character, filled
237:in imitation of a
230:Frederick Reynolds
161:, whose feud with
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775:Writers from York
606:Yorkshire Gazette
589:"Sunday's Post".
359:Richard Humphries
332:Life of the Late
235:Charles Lee Lewes
155:Prerogative Court
124:Edward Topham by
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750:1820 deaths
745:1751 births
719:Lee, Sidney
703:Attribution
634:York Herald
573:Hannah More
411:My Own Life
399:Edward East
328:The Schools
261:Deaf Indeed
247:Miss Farren
133: 1795
739:Categories
632:"Thwing".
561:The Mæviad
557:The Baviad
468:References
452:An Account
421:Retirement
334:John Elwes
324:poetasters
298:Journalism
251:Mary Wells
243:Drury Lane
212:'s second
210:George III
66:newspapers
462:Doncaster
379:The World
356:pugilists
352:The World
346:in 1791.
336:, Esquire
316:John Bell
304:The World
194:pensioner
167:lampooned
96:July 2018
690:"Died".
579:, ii. 77
271:The Fool
218:adjutant
208:of King
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577:Memoirs
413:at the
239:Molière
80:scholar
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407:Oracle
395:Kenyon
383:Buller
344:Danzig
206:cornet
184:under
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373:When
265:farce
192:, as
87:JSTOR
73:books
559:and
486:ISBN
361:and
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159:York
59:news
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