William Thomas Beckford

He was born in Fonthill, Wiltshire, in the manor house owned by his father, former Lord Mayor of London William Beckford. From him, William Jr. inherited, at the age of ten, a large fortune consisting of £1 million in cash, land, and several sugar plantations in Jamacia, which allowed him to indulge his interest in art and architecture, not to mention writing.

Three years later he married the fourth Earl of Aboyne's daughter, Lady Margaret Gordon on May 5th, 1783. Having studied under Sir William Chambers and William Cozens, he travelled in Italy in 1782 and promptly wrote a book on the subject: Dreams, Waking Thoughts and Incidents (1783). Shortly afterwards came his best-known work, the fantasy novel Vathek, an Arabian Tale (1786). In 1793 he visited Portugal, where he lived for a while.

The opportunity of purchasing the complete library of Edward Gibbon gave Beckford the basis of his own library, and James Wyatt built Fonthill Abbey, in which this and the owner's art collection would be housed; it was completed in 1807. He entered parliament as member for Wells and later for Hindon, but mostly lived in seclusion, spending most of his father's wealth without adding to it, so that the great house he had built became a ruin. In 1822 he sold it and moved to Lansdowne Hill, where he built Lansdown Tower.

He had a seat in parliament from 1784 to 1793, and again from 1806 to 1820.

He died on May 2, 1844, at his residence, Lansdown Crescent, age 84. He left one son and two daughters. The eldest daughter was married to the 10th duke of Hamilton.

He is buried in Salisbury Cathedral.

Other Works

• Biographical Memoirs of Extraordinary Painters (1824)
• Recollections of the Monasteries of Alcobaca and Batalha (1835)

External Links

• Beckfordiana: The William Beckford Website
• His Obiturary from the Bath and Cheltenham Gazette, p. 3

Referenced By