This collection spans multiple generations of the Farington family. Reverend William Farington (c.1704-1767), the second son of William Farington of Worden and Shaw Hall, Leyland, was educated at Brasenose College, Oxford, where he matriculated on 11 February 1723. In 1733 he became vicar of Leigh, near Manchester, a post he held for thirty-four years, and in 1766 he became rector of Warrington (a living that belonged to his relatives, the Athertons) in Lancashire, England. A collection of his Sermons was posthumously published in 1769. Rev. William Farington's second of seven sons with his wife Esther (née Gilbody), Joseph Farington, was born November 21, 1747 at Leigh, Lancashire. Joseph became a pupil of landscape artist Richard Wilson in London in 1763 at the age of sixteen; the year after, 1764, as well as in 1765 and 1766, he gained a premium at the Society of Artists for landscape drawing. In 1765 was elected a member of the Society. He enrolled as a student at the newly established Royal Academy of Arts' (1768) school soon after it was established, though he still exhibited his work at the Society of Artists and became one of its directors in 1772 and 1773. Later, he became associated much more closely with the increasingly influential Royal Academy and eventually became an extremely active and influential member; he was elected A.R.A. (Associate of the Royal Academy) in 1783, and R.A. in 1785. Joseph Farington married Susan Mary Hammond (1750-1800) on March 19, 1776; their marriage was childless. In December 1780 Farington settled in London at 35 Upper Charlotte Street, Fitzroy Square. He produced his Views of the Lakes etc. in Cumberland and Westmorland in 1789, the first of a series of topographical works, followed by Views of Cities and Towns in England and Wales in 1790, and completed the illustrations to the two volumes of An History of the River Thames in 1794 and 1796. Joseph Farington was sent to the Netherlands by William Windham, M.P. for Norwich in 1793 to prepare illustrations of the siege of Valenciennes. He later travelled to Paris in 1802, and both trips contributed to his appreciation for continental art. Joseph Farington, R.A. is best known for two collections of engraved views of the English lakes; published Views of cities and Towns in England and Wales (1790) and 76 plates in History of the River Thames (1794). He wrote A memoir of Sir Joshua Reynolds for the fifth edition of Reynolds' literary works (1819); died December 30, 1821. Joseph Farington's younger brother, George Farington (1752-1788) was a history painter, who in 1773 was employed with his brother in recording the Walpole painting collection a Houghton Hall, Norfolk. George studied with Benjamin West, and became a student at the Royal Academy. He sailed for India in 1782 and died at Murishdabad in 1788. Many of Joseph's other brothers pursued naval careers. His older brother William and two of his younger brothers, Henry (1750-1827) and Richard Atherton (1755-1822) were all employed in the naval service of the East India Company. His fifth brother Edward (1758-1790) died of yellow fever early in a naval career and his sixth brother, Robert (1760-1841) pursued a career in the Church.
From the description of Correspondence, ca. 1702-1858. (University of California, Los Angeles). WorldCat record id: 40478093
