# Nicholas Harris Nicolas

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English antiquary (1799–1848)

**Sir (Nicholas) Harris Nicolas** [GCMG](/source/GCMG) [KH](/source/Royal_Guelphic_Order) (10 March 1799 – 3 August 1848) was an [English](/source/England) [antiquary](/source/Antiquary).

## Life

The fourth son of Commander John Harris Nicolas [RN](/source/Royal_Navy) (1758–1844) and Margaret (née Blake), he was born at [Dartmouth](/source/Dartmouth%2C_England). He was the brother of Rear Admiral [John Toup Nicolas](/source/John_Toup_Nicolas) RN CB KH; 1st Lt [Paul Harris Nicolas](/source/Paul_Harris_Nicolas) [RM](/source/Royal_Marines); and Lt Keigwin Nicholas RN.[1]

Having served in the navy from 1812 to 1816, he studied law and was called to the bar at the [Inner Temple](/source/Inner_Temple) in 1825. His work as a [barrister](/source/Barrister) was confined principally to [peerage](/source/Peerage) cases before the [House of Lords](/source/House_of_Lords), and he devoted the rest of his time to the study of [genealogy](/source/Genealogy) and history.[2]

In 1831, he was made a [knight](/source/Knight) of the [Royal Guelphic Order](/source/Royal_Guelphic_Order), and, in 1832, chancellor and Knight Commander of the [Order of St Michael and St George](/source/Order_of_St_Michael_and_St_George) (KCMG), being advanced to Grand Cross of the order in 1840. He became a member of the council of the [Society of Antiquaries](/source/Society_of_Antiquaries_of_London) in 1826, but soon began to criticise the management of the Society's affairs, and withdrew in 1828.[2] He was elected a member of the [American Antiquarian Society](/source/American_Antiquarian_Society) in 1838.[3]

He criticised the [Record Commission](/source/Record_Commission), which he regarded as too expensive. These attacks, which brought him into controversy with [Francis Palgrave](/source/Francis_Palgrave), led in 1836 to the appointment of a select committee to inquire into the public records. Nicolas was also responsible for several reforms at the [British Museum](/source/British_Museum).[2]

In 1822, he married Sarah (d. 1867), daughter of John Davison of [Loughton](/source/Loughton), Essex, a reputed descendant of the Tudor statesman [William Davison](/source/William_Davison_(diplomat)). They had two sons and six daughters. Financial difficulties compelled Nicolas to leave England, and he died near [Boulogne](/source/Boulogne-sur-Mer).[2]

## Works

The most important of Nicolas' works is his *History of the Orders of Knighthood of the British Empire; of the Order of the Guelphs; and of Medals, Clasps, &c., for Naval and Military Services* (London, 1841–1842),[2] which was the first attempt to write a general history of the British honours.[4] Among his numerous other writings are:

- [*The Chronology of History*](https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/006510806) (London, 1833)

- *Life of [William Davison](/source/William_Davison_(diplomat))* (London, 1823); [Nicholas Harris Nicolas, *Life of William Davison: Secretary of State and Privy Counsellor to Queen Elizabeth*, Nichols (1823)](https://archive.org/details/lifeofwilliamdav01nico)

- *Synopsis of the Peerage of England* (London, 1825)

- *Life and Times of Sir [Christopher Hatton](/source/Christopher_Hatton)* (London, 1847)

- an uncompleted [*History of the Royal Navy*](https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/000272051) (London, 1847).

He edited *Proceedings and Ordinances of the Privy Council of England, 1386–1542* (London, 1834–1837), and (with the help of [Nelson](/source/Horatio_Nelson%2C_1st_Viscount_Nelson)'s daughter [Horatia](/source/Horatia_Nelson)) *Dispatches and Letters of Lord Nelson* (London, 1844–1846); wrote lives of [Geoffrey Chaucer](/source/Geoffrey_Chaucer),[5] [Robert Burns](/source/Robert_Burns), [William Cowper](/source/William_Cowper), [William Collins](/source/William_Collins_(poet)), Henry Kirke White and others for Pickering's [Aldine Press](/source/Aldine_Press) edition of the poets; lives of [Izaak Walton](/source/Izaak_Walton) and [Charles Cotton](/source/Charles_Cotton) for an edition of *[The Compleat Angler](/source/The_Compleat_Angler)* illustrated by [James Inskipp](/source/James_Inskipp);[6] and several elaborate works on genealogical and kindred subjects printed for private circulation only.[2]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [O'Byrne, William Richard](/source/William_Richard_O'Byrne) (1849). ["Nicolas, John Toup"](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/A_Naval_Biographical_Dictionary/Nicolas,_John_Toup). *[A Naval Biographical Dictionary](/source/A_Naval_Biographical_Dictionary)*. Vol. 15.3. pp. 814–816.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-EB1911_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-EB1911_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-EB1911_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-EB1911_2-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-EB1911_2-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-EB1911_2-5) One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the [public domain](/source/Public_domain): [Chisholm, Hugh](/source/Hugh_Chisholm), ed. (1911). "[Nicolas, Sir Nicholas Harris](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Nicolas,_Sir_Nicholas_Harris)". *[Encyclopædia Britannica](/source/Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica_Eleventh_Edition)*. Vol. 19 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 662.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [American Antiquarian Society Members Directory](http://www.americanantiquarian.org/memberlistn), americanantiquarian.org. Accessed 26 January 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Matikkala, Antti (2008). [*The Orders of Knighthood and the Formation of the British Honours System, 1660–1760*](https://books.google.com/books?id=5FiStjP2VXgC). Boydell & Brewer Ltd. p. 19. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781843834236](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781843834236). Retrieved 20 August 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Nicolas, Nicholas Harris, Sir (1843). [*Life of Geoffrey Chaucer*](https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/008967723). London: William Pickering.{{[cite book](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_book)}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_multiple_names:_authors_list))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** L. H. Cust, 'Inskipp, James (1790–1868)', rev. Chloe Johnson, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [accessed 8 Sept 2013](http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/14433,)

## External links

- [Works by Nicholas Harris Nicolas](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/32389) at [Project Gutenberg](/source/Project_Gutenberg)

- [Works by or about Nicholas Harris Nicolas](https://archive.org/search.php?query=%28%28subject%3A%22Nicolas%2C%20Nicholas%20Harris%22%20OR%20subject%3A%22Nicolas%2C%20Nicholas%20H%2E%22%20OR%20subject%3A%22Nicolas%2C%20N%2E%20H%2E%22%20OR%20subject%3A%22Nicholas%20Harris%20Nicolas%22%20OR%20subject%3A%22Nicholas%20H%2E%20Nicolas%22%20OR%20subject%3A%22N%2E%20H%2E%20Nicolas%22%20OR%20subject%3A%22Nicolas%2C%20Nicholas%22%20OR%20subject%3A%22Nicholas%20Nicolas%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22Nicholas%20Harris%20Nicolas%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22Nicholas%20H%2E%20Nicolas%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22N%2E%20H%2E%20Nicolas%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22N%2E%20Harris%20Nicolas%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22Nicolas%2C%20Nicholas%20Harris%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22Nicolas%2C%20Nicholas%20H%2E%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22Nicolas%2C%20N%2E%20H%2E%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22Nicolas%2C%20N%2E%20Harris%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22Nicholas%20Nicolas%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22Nicolas%2C%20Nicholas%22%20OR%20title%3A%22Nicholas%20Harris%20Nicolas%22%20OR%20title%3A%22Nicholas%20H%2E%20Nicolas%22%20OR%20title%3A%22N%2E%20H%2E%20Nicolas%22%20OR%20title%3A%22Nicholas%20Nicolas%22%20OR%20description%3A%22Nicholas%20Harris%20Nicolas%22%20OR%20description%3A%22Nicholas%20H%2E%20Nicolas%22%20OR%20description%3A%22N%2E%20H%2E%20Nicolas%22%20OR%20description%3A%22Nicolas%2C%20Nicholas%20Harris%22%20OR%20description%3A%22Nicolas%2C%20Nicholas%20H%2E%22%20OR%20description%3A%22Nicholas%20Nicolas%22%20OR%20description%3A%22Nicolas%2C%20Nicholas%22%29%20OR%20%28%221799-1848%22%20AND%20Nicolas%29%29%20AND%20%28-mediatype:software%29) at the [Internet Archive](/source/Internet_Archive)

- [Works by Nicholas Harris Nicolas](https://librivox.org/author/16287) at [LibriVox](/source/LibriVox) (public domain audiobooks)

- [O'Byrne, William Richard](/source/William_Richard_O'Byrne) (1849). ["Nicolas, Nicholas Harris"](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/A_Naval_Biographical_Dictionary/Nicolas,_Nicholas_Harris). *[A Naval Biographical Dictionary](/source/A_Naval_Biographical_Dictionary)*. Vol. 15.3. pp. 814–816.

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