The Abbey of Saint Alban
Some Extracts from its Early History and a Description of its Conventual Church
Rev H J B Nicholson
8th Edition 1887
This would appear to be the standard guide to the Abbey through much of the Victorian period. The 1st edition was published in 1851. The 2nd edition was published in 1856, and included the engraving of the exterior of the Abbey, from the Illustrated London News [see below]. The Rev Nicholson had prepared a much extended edition at the time of his death and this was published as the 3rd edition in 1850. Later editions were published in 1874 (4th), 1876 (5th), 1879 (6th), 1882 (7th) and 1887 (8th). The copy of the 8th edition I have included an amendment slip explaining that it didn't deal with the recent restorations. In 1898 William Page wrote St Alban's Cathedral and Abbey Church "together with some extracts from the History of the Abbey by J B Nicholson". New editions of this guide appeared in 1903 and 1911.
For extracts from the book see:
St Albans Abbey Plan circa 1850
St Albans
Abbey - Wall Paintings
St Albans - View
from the Abbey Tower
In January 2008 Cristina Watson (alandcristy
@t telus.net) wrote
from British Columbia, Canada, to say that Henry Joseph Boone Nicholson was
her great, great, great grandfather.
There is a web page for
St Albans