M. J. B. Baddeley

1895 edition of the Thorough Guide to North Wales

Mountford John Byrde Baddeley (1843–1906) was a distinguished English guidebook writer of the late 19th and early 20th century. His guides appeared in the 'Thorough Guide' series, edited by Baddeley and his colleague, Charles Slegg Ward,[1] and included guides to Scotland (parts I to III: The Highlands; Northern Highlands; The Lowlands; and Orkney & Shetland), Devon and Cornwall (north, and south), the Peak District of Derbyshire, the Eastern Counties, Wales (north Wales, parts I & II; south Wales), Ireland (part I: northern division; part II: southern division), Surrey & Sussex, Yorkshire (parts I & II: East; West), Bath and Bristol and 40 miles round, Isle of Wight. (These volumes were numbered I - XIX and had appeared by 1908. They included "maps by Bartholomew" and were published by Thomas Nelson & Sons, London.)[2]

Biographical summary

Baddeley was born in Rocester, Staffordshire in 1843, the son of a solicitor. He was educated at King Edwards School, Birmingham and Clare College, Cambridge. He then worked as a classics master at Somersetshire College, Bath and Sheffield Grammar School (1880-1884) before retiring from teaching and moving to the Lake District, first to Windermere and then Bowness-on-Windermere.[3] As well as writing guide books, he was an active member of the Lake District Association.[4] He married Millicent Satterthwaite Yeates in 1891. There were no children. .

Lake District guide

His Lake District guide (entitled 'Thorough Guide to the English Lake District', first edition, Dulau & Co, 1880) was particularly highly thought of. It continued to be revised and reissued, and remained in print into at least a 26th edition (1978, edited by R. J. W. Hammond).

The guidebook was largely text-based, with maps by John Bartholomew. Compared with later photographic volumes directed mainly at rock-climbers and hill-walkers, produced by the Abraham Brothers and by W. A. Poucher, and the highly detailed hand-illustrated guides of Alfred Wainwright, Baddeley's guide was more general, giving motoring and accommodation advice and low-level walks as well as outline guides to walks on the fells.

Other works

Baddeley also wrote a Latin coursebook for schools entitled Auxilia Latina (1875).

Legacy

Baddeley is commemorated by the 'Baddeley clock' in Windermere

References

  1. ↑ Baddeley held a B.A. degree and Ward an M.A.
  2. ↑ Ward, C. S. & Baddeley, M. J. B. (1908) South Devon ... and South Cornwall ...; 7th ed. London: Nelson
  3. ↑ Cambridge University Alumni
  4. ↑ various records in British Newspaper Archive

Further reading

List of Thorough Guides

Edited by Badderly and C.S. Ward

England

Ireland

Scotland

Wales


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