Thomas Salmon (historian)

Thomas Salmon (1679–1767) was an English historical and geographical writer.

Born at Meppershall in Bedfordshire, and baptised there on 2 February 1679, was son of Thomas Salmon, by his wife Katherine, daughter of John Bradshaw; Nathanael Salmon was his elder brother. William Cole wrote that he wrote much of his work in Cambridge, where he ran a coffee house, and then moved to London. He told Cole that he had spent time at sea, and in both the East and West Indies for some time. He also travelled in Europe.

In 1739–40 Salmon accompanied George Anson on his voyage round the world. He died on 20 January 1767.

Salmon's works were:

Salmon also, in 1725, brought out an edition of his father's Historical Collections of Great Britain. To it he prefixed a preface commenting on the partisan approaches of Paul de Rapin de Thoyras and other historians.

Salmon is now credited as the initial editor of the State Trials, the collection of reports on significant trials, mostly on treason charges, that had editions well into the 19th century. Sollom Emlyn continued his five volumes, which were reprinted whole in 1730, with two more in 1735. Francis Hargrave, in a preface to the 4th edition, was explicit about Salmon's involvement in the 1738 Critical Review of the Trials. He deduced that Salmon was editor of the first edition, in 1719. He commented also on the effect of Salmon's Tory politics on the work; and (positively) on the sourcing he provided for some of the material. This identification of Salmon as original editor is now accepted. He was working for the printer John Darby the younger (died 1733) from about 1716, on materials Darby provided. His initial shaping of the collection persisted across numerous later editions.

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Lee, Sidney, ed. (1897). "". Dictionary of National Biography. 50. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 

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