Westwood, Thomas

(1814-1888)

   Born in Enfield, Middlesex, the son of Thomas Westwood, a respected businessman and a friend of Charles Lamb (see entry), who introduced Thomas to many of his literary friends. From 1844, Westwood lived and worked in Belgium as director and secretary of the Tournay railway, spending leisure and money to the collection of a splendid library of works on angling. He was recognized in England as an authority, probably without rival, and published several major works on the subject. He died in Belgium. Some of his poetry publications: Poems, 1840. Beads from a Rosary, 1843. The Burden of the Bell, 1850. Berries and Blossoms, 1855. Fishing Gossip, 1865. Foxglove Bells: A Book of Sonnets, 1856. The Sword of Kingship, 1866. The Quest of Sancgreall, 1868 (the Holy Grail). Gathered in the Gloaming, 1881. Twelve Sonnets and an Epilogue, 1884. Some of his poems: "A Fireside Story," "Earth," "Little Bell," "Mine Host of The Golden Apple," "Night of Spring," "The Grief of the Loving," "The Quest of the Sancgreall," "The Voices at the Throne," "Under My Window."

   Sources: Dictionary of National Biography. Electronic Edition 1.1. Oxford University Press, 1997. English Poetry: Author Search. Chadwyck-Healey Ltd., 1995 (http://www. lib.utexas.edu:8080/search/epoetry/author.html). Golden Numbers. Kate Douglas Wiggin and Nora Archibald Smith, eds. Doubleday, Doran, 1902. King Arthur: History and Link. (http://www.library.rochester.edu/camelot/arthmenu.htm). Our Holidays in Poetry. Mildred P. Harrington and Josephine H. Thomas, eds. H.W. Wilson, 1929. Sound and Sense: An Introduction to Poetry. 6th edition. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1982. The Columbia Granger's Index to Poetry. 11th ed. The Columbia Granger's World of Poetry, Columbia University Press, 2005 (http://www.columbiagrangers.org). The Home Book of Verse for Young Folks. Burton Egbert Stevenson, ed. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1929. Victorian Verse. George MacBeth, ed. Penguin Books, 1986.