Talk:Thomas Malton

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Date of birth

Latest comment: 9 months ago1 comment1 person in discussion

O'Donoghue in the Dictionary of National Biography (1893) gives Malton's date of birth as "1748, probably in London", which seems still to be followed by most online sources.

However, AHRnet (Art History Research net) gives his year of birth as 1751 (, via ArtUK); ODNB says 1751/2; and while Craig (1995) (JSTOR 20492822) says he "was actually born, as Howard Colvin established from the Royal Academy Admissions register, on 22 August 1752". Jheald (talk) 12:16, 13 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

Wooden leg ?

Latest comment: 9 months ago2 comments1 person in discussion

According to the memoirist William Hickey Thomas Malton had a wooden leg:

"The eldest son (about sixteen) when an infant had the misfortune to fracture his leg so badly as to make amputation of the broken limb necessary. He, however, recovered, using the wooden substitute with wonderful dexterity and agility, running up and down stairs faster than I could with my legs perfect. This mutilated boy possessed as extraordinary genius as his father, and was one of the best draftsmen in England. He afterwards executed and published many works that deservedly gained him both profit and credit."

-- Alfred Spencer (ed.), Memoirs of William Hickey vol 1 (1913), p. 281.

Malton's wooden leg is also noted (without sourcing) in an article in the Irish Builder and Engineer (1922) , Anthony Bailey's biography of Turner (2013) , and in a description of a print of Bath, .

But there may be a problem. The description occurs in the context of Hickey taking drawing lessons from Thomas Malton Sr. in 1772 -- when Thomas would have been 24 (or 20 if the dob in the ODNB is correct) -- but Hickey talks of the eldest son being 16 (and the eldest daughter being 13).

In 1775 Hickey went to lodge in the Malton household (p. 326). This time he describes Ann as having just turned sixteen, and the "already mentioned" Thomas as being a year younger.

On the other hand, the ODNB gives Malton's address from 1774 as in Poland Street -- the same as his father -- so it would seem possible that both were under the same roof at this time.

So: do we think Hickey's statements about Malton's leg can be relied on, and should go into the article?

Or do the date issues (and, for whatever reason, the ODNB not mentioning Hickey at all) cast too much potential uncertainty on it ? -- Jheald (talk) 19:06, 12 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

Have added, with the thoughts of Craig (1995) on the reliability of Hickey. Jheald (talk) 12:18, 13 October 2025 (UTC)Reply