Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Walford, Edward

by Edward Irving Carlyle

WALFORD, EDWARD (1823–1897), compiler, born on 3 Feb. 1823, at Hatfield Place, near Chelmsford, was the eldest son of William Walford (d. 1855) of Hatfield Peverell, rector of St. Runwald's, Colchester, by his wife Mary Anne, daughter of Henry Hutton, rector of Beaumont, Essex, and chaplain of Guy's Hospital, and granddaughter of Sir William Pepperell [q. v.], ‘the hero of Louisburg.’

Edward was educated first at Hackney church of England school, under Edward Churton [q. v.] (afterwards archdeacon of Cleveland), and afterwards at Charterhouse under Augustus Page Saunders (afterwards dean of Peterborough). He matriculated from Balliol College, Oxford, on 28 Nov. 1840, and was elected to an open scholarship in 1841. In 1843 he gained the chancellor's prize for Latin verse, and in 1844 he was ‘proxime’ for the Ireland scholarship, John Conington [q. v.] being the successful candidate. Walford graduated B.A. in 1845 and M.A. in 1847. He was ordained deacon in 1846 and priest in the year following. In 1847 and 1848 he gained the Denyer theological prizes. In 1846 he became assistant-master at Tonbridge school, and from 1847 to 1850 he employed himself in Clifton and London in preparing private pupils for Oxford. Before 1853 he joined the Roman catholic communion as a lay member, returned to the English church in 1860, and was again admitted to the church of Rome in 1871. He returned to the church of England about a year before his death. In June 1858 Walford became editor of the ‘Court Circular,’ withdrawing in June 1859 after losing 500l. in the venture. From 1859 to 1865 he was connected with ‘Once a Week,’ first as sub-editor and afterwards as editor. He was editor of the ‘Gentleman's Magazine’ from January 1866 till May 1868, when it passed under the management of Joseph Hatton with an entire change of character. From June to December 1869 he edited the ‘Register and Magazine of Biography,’ a work which had been started at the commencement of the year with the view of supplying the place of the ‘Gentleman's Magazine’ as a biographical record. It was discontinued at the close of the year.

During his editorial labours Walford was also engaged in the publication of a series of biographical and genealogical works of reference. In 1855 appeared ‘Hardwicke's Shilling Baronetage and Knightage,’ ‘Hardwicke's Shilling House of Commons,’ and ‘Hardwicke's Shilling Peerage,’ works which have since been issued annually. These were followed by other works of a similar character. The most notable were the ‘County Families of Great Britain,’ issued in 1860, and the ‘Windsor Peerage,’ issued in 1890. He edited ‘Men of the Time’ in 1862.

Walford was an antiquary of some reputation. In 1880 he edited the ‘Antiquary.’ and in the following year, after relinquishing his appointment, he started a new periodical, entitled ‘The Antiquarian Magazine and Bibliographer,’ which he continued to edit till the close of 1886. From 1880 to 1881 he was a member of the Archæological Association. He was also a member of the Royal Archæological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland. He was on the council of the Society for Preserving the Memorials of the Dead, was one of the founders of the ‘Salon,’ and a frequent contributor to ‘Notes and Queries.’ He died at Ventnor in the Isle of Wight on 20 Nov. 1897. He married, first, on 3 Aug. 1847, Mary Holmes, daughter of John Gray, at Clifton. By her he had one daughter, Mary Louisa, married to Colin Campbell Wyllie. He married, secondly, on 3 Feb. 1852, Julia Mary Christina, daughter of Admiral Sir John Talbot [q. v.] By her he left three sons and two daughters.

Besides the works already mentioned, Walford's chief publications were:

1. ‘A Handbook of the Greek Drama,’ London, 1856, 8vo.
2. ‘Records of the Great and Noble,’ London, 1857, 16mo.
3. ‘Life of the Prince Consort,’ London, 1861, 12mo.
4. With George Walter Thornbury [q. v.], ‘Old and New London,’ London, 1872–8, 6 vols. 8vo; Walford's share being the last four volumes.
5. ‘Louis Napoleon: a Biography,’ London, 1873, 12mo. 6. ‘Tales of our Great Families,’ London, 1877, 2 vols. 8vo; new edit. 1890.
6. ‘Pleasant Days in Pleasant Places,’ London, 1878, 8vo; 3rd edit. 1885.
7. ‘Londoniana,’ London, 1879, 2 vols. 8vo.
8. ‘Life of Beaconsfield,’ London, 1881, 12mo.
9. ‘Greater London: a Narrative of its History, its People, and its Places,’ London, 1883–4, 2 vols. 8vo.
10. ‘The Pilgrim at Home,’ London, 1886, 12mo.
11. ‘Chapters from Family Chests,’ London, 1886, 8vo.
12. ‘Edge Hill: the Battle and Battlefield,’ Banbury, 1886, 8vo.
13. ‘The Jubilee Memoir of Queen Victoria,’ London, 1887, 8vo.
14. ‘William Pitt: a Biography,’ London, 1890, 8vo.
15. ‘Patient Griselda, and other Poems,’ London, 1894, 8vo.

He also edited:

1. ‘Butler's Analogy and Sermons’ (Bohn's Standard Libr.).
2. ‘
   Politics and Economics of Aristotle,’ a new translation (Bohn's Classical Libr.).
   3. ‘Ecclesiastical History of Socrates,’ revised translation (Bohn's Eccles. Libr.).
   4. ‘Ecclesiastical History of Sozomen and the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius,’ revised translation (Bohn's Eccles. Libr.).
   5. ‘Ecclesiastical History of Theodoret and Evagrius,’ revised translation (Bohn's Eccles. Libr.).
   6. ‘Poetical Works of Robert Herrick, with a Memoir,’ London, 1859, 8vo.
   7. ‘Juvenal’ (‘Ancient Classics for English Readers’), London, 1870, 8vo.
   8. ‘Speeches of Lord Erskine, with Life,’ London, 1870, 2 vols. 8vo.

   [Biograph, 1879, i. 436; Camden Pratt's People of the Period; Times, 22 and 23 Nov. 1897; Daily Chronicle, 23 Nov. 1897; Notes and Queries, 8th ser. xii. 440.]

   E. I. C.