author
Thomas Bailey
1785–1856
A self-taught Nottingham writer with a strong local voice, he moved from the silk trade into journalism, topography, and political commentary. His work is closely tied to the life and history of his city, giving it a vivid sense of place.
1 Audiobook
Ireton, a Poem
by Thomas Bailey
About the author
Thomas Bailey was an English topographer and miscellaneous writer born in Nottingham on July 31, 1785. He was educated partly in Nottingham and partly at a boarding school in Yorkshire, and he later worked for a time as a silk hosier before turning more fully toward literary and public life.
He became known for writing about Nottingham and its surroundings, and he was also active in journalism and civic affairs. Sources describe him as a proprietor and editor of the Nottingham Mercury, and as someone deeply engaged with local politics and reform-minded causes.
Bailey died on October 23, 1856, at Basford, near Nottingham. He is also remembered as the father of the poet Philip James Bailey, but his own writing remains notable for its connection to local history, landscape, and public life in nineteenth-century England.