Sir, Francis Nichols would have been delighted to know that his obituary (Aug 27) had appeared in The Times. He was a direct descendant of John Nichols (1745-1826), the printer and antiquary who, as editor of The Gentleman’s Magazine, is widely regarded as being the father of the modern obituary. Francis was justly proud of his ancestor’s literary and antiquarian achievements and generously supported The John Nichols Prize, annually awarded by the University of Leicester for essays making a significant contribution to English local history.
Julian Pooley
Kingston upon Thames