Place Name
Daniel Lysons (April 28, 1762 – 1834) who was known by the nickname Stumpity Stump was curate of Putney about 1790. Lysons was an influential antiquarian and topographer, known for his detailed surveys of the London area and other counties. He was born in Gloucestershire, the son of Reverend Samuel Lysons, and was educated at Bath Grammar School. After leaving St Mary Hall, Oxford, he became curate at Mortlake, then a village on the south bank of the Thames, moving shortly from that parish to Putney, a few miles along the river. It was while serving in Putney that Lysons began his landmark work The Environs of London, a four-volume survey (1792 – 1796) documenting the towns, villages, and hamlets within 12 miles of the capital. Encouraged by prominent figures like Horace Walpole, who appointed him his chaplain, Lysons meticulously described the local history, architecture, and notable residents of these areas. Lysons also worked closely with his brother, Samuel Lysons, on Magna Britannia, a topographical survey of several English counties. Though they completed six volumes together, covering counties such as Bedfordshire, Berkshire, and Devon, the project was halted after Samuel’s death in 1819. In 1800, he inherited the family estates at Hempsted, near Gloucester, from his uncle Daniel Lysons. Lysons Walk is part of a small group of streets on the Doverhouse Estate that are named after writers connected to Putney.
