Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Price, John (1773-1801)
PRICE, JOHN (1773–1801), topographer, was born at Leominster, Herefordshire, in 1773. He gave lessons there in French, Latin, Italian, and Spanish. Subsequently he became a bookseller at Hereford, but finally settled at Worcester. He occasionally made pedestrian tours on the continent. In 1795 he published ‘An Historical and Topographical Account of Leominster and its Vicinity,’ illustrated by seven prints. This was followed in 1796 by ‘An Historical Account of the City of Hereford, with some Remarks on the River Wye, and the natural and artificial beauties contiguous to its banks from Brobery to Wilton,’ with eight maps and prints. This ‘very respectable performance’ was founded on collections given to the writer by John Lodge, author of ‘Introductory Sketches towards a Topographical History of Herefordshire,’ 1793. In 1797 Price published ‘The Ludlow Guide, comprising an Historical Account of the Castle and Town, with a Survey of the various Seats, Views, &c., in that Neighbourhood.’ A plate of the castle forms the frontispiece. A fourth edition, enlarged, appeared in 1801. In 1799 appeared a similar ‘Worcester Guide,’ from which, says Chambers, much of the matter of subsequent histories of the place was borrowed without acknowledgment. Price was also author of ‘The Seaman's Return, or the Unexpected Marriage,’ an operatic farce, partly from the German, in three acts, published in 1795 and acted at Worcester, Shrewsbury, Ludlow, and Wolverhampton. His last publication was ‘The Englishman's Manual; containing a General View of the Constitution, Laws, Government, &c., of England, designed as an Introduction to the Knowledge of those Important Studies,’ 1797, 12mo. Price died at Worcester on 5 April 1801.
[Chambers's Biogr. Illustrations of Worcestershire, p. 575; Gent. Mag. 1801, i. 577; Allen's Bibliotheca Herefordiensis, Introd. and pp. 16, 38; Baker's Biogr. Dramatica, i. 583, ii. 250; Price's Works; Brit. Mus. Cat.; Lit. Mem. of Living Authors, 1798; Biog. Dict. of Living Authors, 1816, the compiler of which was under the impression that Price was still alive.]