# Joseph Nightingale

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Joseph_Nightingale
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Joseph_Nightingale.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Nightingale
> Source revision: 1347041685
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

English writer and preacher

For the British politician, see [Joseph Gascoigne Nightingale](/source/Joseph_Gascoigne_Nightingale).

**Joseph Nightingale** (26 October 1775 – 9 August 1824) was a prolific English writer and preacher. He was particularly noted for his [topographic](/source/Topography) writing and his interest in [shorthand](/source/Shorthand).

## Life

He was born at Chowbent in [Atherton](/source/Atherton%2C_Greater_Manchester), Lancashire and became a [Wesleyan](/source/Wesleyanism) [Methodist](/source/Methodist) in 1796. He acted occasionally as a local preacher, but never entered the Methodist ministry, and ceased to be a member in 1804. For some time he was master of a school at [Macclesfield](/source/Macclesfield), Cheshire, but moved to London in 1805, at the suggestion of [William Smyth](/source/William_Smyth). By this time he was a [Unitarian](/source/Unitarianism). He became a Unitarian minister, preaching his first [sermon](/source/Sermon) on 8 June 1806 at Parliament Street Chapel, [Bishopsgate](/source/Bishopsgate), but he never held any pastoral charge, and supported himself chiefly by writing. He contributed frequently to early volumes of the *[Monthly Repository](/source/Monthly_Repository)*. After the publication of his *Portraiture of Methodism* (1807) he was exposed to much criticism.[1] An article in the *[New Annual Register](/source/New_Annual_Register)* for 1807 characterised him as "a knave" and he brought an action for [libel](/source/Libel) against [John Stockdale](/source/John_Stockdale), the publisher, recovering £200 in [damages](/source/Damages) on 11 March 1809.[2] In 1824 he was again received into membership by the Methodist body.[1]

## Private life

He married Margaret Goostry on 17 November 1799 and they had four children. His son, Joseph Sargent Nightingale, became an independent minister. In private life "he was of a kind disposition, lively imagination, and possessed a cheerfulness that never deserted him." He died in London and was buried at [Bunhill Fields](/source/Bunhill_Fields).[1]

## Works

Charles Sutton, the author of the [Dictionary of National Biography](/source/Dictionary_of_National_Biography) article on Nightingale, states that "His works extend to about fifty volumes; those on topography have much merit."[3] Among them are:

- Elagnitin, J. [J. Nightingale] (1822) *Mock Heroics on Snuff, Tobacco, and Gin*;

- Nightingale, J. (1797) *Elegiac Thoughts on the Death of Rev. David Simpson*, Manchester;

- — (1804) *The Election, a Satirical Drama*, Stockport;

- — (1807) *A Portraiture of Methodism*;

- — (1809) *Nightingale versus Stockdale*;

- — (1811a) *A Guide to the Watering Places*;

- — (1811b) *A Letter to a Friend, containing a Comparative View of the Two Systems of Shorthand, respectively invented by Mr. Byrom and Dr. Mavor*;

- — (1812) *A Portraiture of the Roman Catholic Religion*;

- — (1813) *Accounts of the Counties of Stafford, Somerset, and Salop*, 3 vols., forming a continuation of *[The Beauties of England and Wales](/source/The_Beauties_of_England_and_Wales)* by [Edward Wedlake Brayley](/source/Edward_Wedlake_Brayley);

- — (1814–1815) *Surveys of the City of London and the City of Westminster*, 4 vols - Joseph Nightingale (1815). [*London and Middlesex: v.3, part 2 ... History and Description of the City and Liberty of Westminster*](https://books.google.com/books?id=YZBCAAAAYAAJ). Beauties of England and Wales, v.10. London: J. Harris.

- — (1816a) *English Topography, consisting of Accounts of the several Counties of England and Wales*;

- — (1816b) *The Bazaar, its Origin, Nature, &c., considered as a Branch of Political Economy*;

- — (1818) *History and Antiquities of the Parochial Church of Saviour, Southwark*;

- — (1820–1822) *Memoirs of Caroline, Queen of England*, 3 vols;

- — (1821a) *An Historical Account of Kenilworth Castle*;

- — (1821b) *The Religions and Religious Ceremonies of all Nations faithfully and impartially described*;

- — (1822a) *Trial of Queen Caroline*, 3 vols;

- — (1822b) *An Impartial View of the Life and Administration of the late Marquis of Londonderry*;

- — (1822c) *The Ladies' Grammar*;

- — (1822c) *Rational Stenography, or Shorthand made Easy ... founded on ... Byrom,*;

- — *Historical Details and Tracts concerning the Storekeeper-General's Office*;

- — *The Portable Cyclopædia*;

- — *Report of the Trial of Thistlewood*;

- — *The Political Repository and Magazine*;

- — *A Natural History of British Singing Birds*;

- — *The Juvenile Muse, original Stories in Verse*;

- — *A Grammar of Christian Theology*.

## Notes

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-DNB_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-DNB_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-DNB_1-2) [Sutton 1895](#CITEREFSutton1895), p. 71

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Nightingale 1809](#CITEREFNightingale1809), [*[page needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources)*]

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTESutton189571,_72_3-0)** [Sutton 1895](#CITEREFSutton1895), pp. 71, 72.

## References

- Nightingale, Joseph (1809). *Nightingale versus Stockdale*. [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [506031932](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/506031932).

- Webb, R. K. (2004). ["Nightingale, Joseph (1775–1824)"](http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/20194). *[Oxford Dictionary of National Biography](/source/Oxford_Dictionary_of_National_Biography)*. Oxford University Press. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1093/ref:odnb/20194](https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fref%3Aodnb%2F20194). Retrieved 16 February 2008. (*(subscription, [Wikipedia Library](https://wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org/partners/88/) access or [UK public library membership](https://www.oxforddnb.com/help/subscribe#public) required)*)

**Attribution**

- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the [public domain](/source/Public_domain): Sutton, Charles William (1895). "[Nightingale, Joseph](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/Nightingale,_Joseph)". In [Lee, Sidney](/source/Sidney_Lee) (ed.). *[Dictionary of National Biography](/source/Dictionary_of_National_Biography)*. Vol. 41. London: [Smith, Elder & Co](/source/Smith%2C_Elder_%26_Co). pp. 71, 72.

Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF GND FAST WorldCat National United States People Trove Other Open Library SNAC Yale LUX

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Joseph Nightingale](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Nightingale) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Nightingale?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.