Eighteenth Century Colour Prints  

WOLD  COTTAGE  METEORITE  OF  1795 
AND  MAJOR  EDWARD  TOPHAM 

  

Written from personal research

first published 13 December 2015 by George W. Randall, 

with updated material added June 2021.  

Copyright  ©

The engraving left by Peltro William Tomkins 

is after the original 1788 work by

John Russell, Royal Academy, 
of Major Edward Topham

which appears in a folio edition of 

Eighteenth Century Colour Prints  by Julia Frankau
in the Library at Kinloch Castle, Scotland.

Research of Major Topham, who moved in the very highest circles of Georgian Society and the landing 
of a meteorite on his Yorkshire property in 1795, proved

 far more fascinating than I ever imagined.

The purpose of this Blog is to bring together in  one place the scattered published fragments relating to Major Topham and the meteorite available in books and many internet web sites.

The author first visited the meteorite landing site in April 2009 

and stayed at Wold Cottage, he visited the site again in October 2019.

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The story of two prints in Eighteenth Century Colour Prints*  by Julia Frankau.
(* Very rare First Edition edition published 1900  -  Only Two Hundred Copies Printed.)

>  *  <

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George Randall revisited the monument in September 2019. 

This is the mark of master mason, David Mooney who restored and cleaned  the monument in 1998.

^D   1998   ^M

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All Saints Church, Wold Newton, Yorkshire. 

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The Treasurer’s House was the childhood home of Edward Topham, born in 1751, his father,

Dr. Francis Topham. was the leading ecclesiastical lawyer of the York Diocese.
The original property, built directly over a first century Roman road, has undergone numerous transformations. It was restored to its present state by British industrialist, Frank Green
between 1897 and 1898. Today it is in the ownership of the National Trust.

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Painted by J. Rafael, Crayon Painter to His Majesty. (King George III)
Engraved by Peltro W. Tomkins late pupil to Francesco Bartolozzi
and His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales (Later King George IV)
London. Published as the Act directs 28 February 1790
by J. F. Tomkins. No. 18 New Bond Street.
after John Russell.

Edward Topham's childhood home, The Treasurer's House, York.
(Photograph by Penny Caster - 4 October 2019)

ORIGINALLY POSTED 30 JUNE 2017
    (From the original manuscript published 13 December 2015 by the author.)

OSIRIS-Rex UPDATE

UPDATED MATERIAL 5 DECEMBER 2024