Eric Tonks
English historian (1914–1994)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Eric Tonks (17 July 1914[1] – 26 December 1994[2]) was an English writer and historian of British industrial railways. He is regarded as one of the pioneers of the industrial archaeology of railways and quarrying.[2] He was also a noted jazz discographer.
Eric Tonks | |
|---|---|
| Born | 17 July 1914 Birmingham, England |
| Died | 26 December 1994 (aged 80) Birmingham, England |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Children | 2 |
| Writing career | |
| Period | 1943–1992 |
| Genres | Industrial history, Jazz |
| Subjects | Railways, quarrying, industrial history, jazz |
| Notable work | The Ironstone Quarries of the Midlands |
| Notable awards | MSc, FRIC, Dip Maths |
Industrial railways
In 1949, Tonks was one of the founders of the Birmingham Locomotive Club and he was the club's president for 25 years.[2] He also set up the club's Industrial Locomotive Section, which later became the Industrial Railway Society.[3] He compiled a well-regarded study of the development of British preserved railways.[4]
Author
Tonks was a prolific author on the related subjects of industrial history and industrial railways. He began his writing career with a book on the Edge Hill Light Railway, and he was an acknowledged expert in the history of that railway.[5]
He is particularly known for his "magnum opus"[2] nine-volume series of books on the ironstone industry of the Midlands, which is considered the standard work on the subject.[6][7] Tonks began work on this series with the publication of a single volume in 1959.[8] This was expanded into nine volumes in the 1980s and 1990s. These books are acknowledged, as a "great work...on industrial infrastructure"[9] and the 1959 edition was one of the first books to integrate the study of industrial railway history with the wider historical and social aspects of the industries they served.[10]
Other interests
Tonks was a founding member of the Motor Registration Circuit, a club based in the Midlands for car license plate-spotting enthusiasts.[1] He was considered an expert in this field.[11] He was also a well-known jazz aficionado,[12] who wrote a regular column for Discography magazine[13] and was considered an expert in the field of jazz discographies.[14]
Works
Ironstone Quarries
Originally published as:
- Tonks, Eric (1959). The Ironstone Railways and Tramways of the Midlands.
Full series:
- Tonks, Eric (April 1988). The Ironstone Quarries of the Midlands Part 1: Introduction. Cheltenham: Runpast Publishing. ISBN 1-870-754-018.
- Tonks, Eric (April 1988). The Ironstone Quarries of the Midlands Part 2: The Oxfordshire Field. Cheltenham: Runpast Publishing. ISBN 1-870-754-026.
- Tonks, Eric (April 1989). The Ironstone Quarries of the Midlands Part 3: The Northampton Area. Cheltenham: Runpast Publishing. ISBN 1-870-754-034.
- Tonks, Eric (May 1990). The Ironstone Quarries of the Midlands Part 4: The Wellingborough Area. Cheltenham: Runpast Publishing. ISBN 1-870-754-042.
- Tonks, Eric (1991). The Ironstone Quarries of the Midlands Part 5: The Kettering Area. Cheltenham: Runpast Publishing. ISBN 1-870-754-050.
- Tonks, Eric (1992). The Ironstone Quarries of the Midlands Part 6: The Corby Area. Cheltenham: Runpast Publishing. ISBN 1-870-754-069.
- Tonks, Eric (October 1989). The Ironstone Quarries of the Midlands Part 7: Rutland. Cheltenham: Runpast Publishing. ISBN 1-870-754-077.
- Tonks, Eric (1991). The Ironstone Quarries of the Midlands Part 8: South Lincolnshire. Cheltenham: Runpast Publishing. ISBN 1-870-754-093.
- Tonks, Eric (1992). The Ironstone Quarries of the Midlands Part 9: Leicestershire. Cheltenham: Runpast Publishing. ISBN 1-870-754-085.
Other books
- Tonks, Eric (1948). The Edge Hill Light Railway.
- Tonks, Eric (1950). The Southwold Railway. Birmingham Locomotive Club.
- Tonks, Eric (1972). The Shropshire & Montgomeryshire Railway. Industrial Railway Society.
- Tonks, Eric (1962). The Industrial Locomotive of the North Riding of Yorkshire. Birmingham Locomotive Club.
- Tonks, Eric (1962). Light & Miniature Locomotives of Great Britain. Birmingham Locomotive Club.
- Taylor, Alan; Tonks, Eric (1965). The Southwold Railway. Ian Allan Publishing.
- Tonks, Eric (1974). The Snailbeach District Railways. Industrial Railway Society.
- Tonks, Eric (1985). Railway Preservation in Britain: 1950–1984.