John Wood, the Elder (1704–1754) was an English architect and town planner, whose grandiose plans for the redevelopment of the city of Bath, although only partially realized, instigated the creation of the Georgian city and UNESCO World Heritage Site known today. He was also an antiquary and author, and his antiquarian theories, although largely absurd, profoundly influenced his work at Bath. Wood articulated this influence most clearly in his book An Essay Towards a Description of the City of Bath . Unfortunately, two eminent and widely cited nineteenth-century bibliographers, Upcott and Lowndes, put out a very misleading account of the bibliographical history of this important work. This note aims to clear up the confusion they caused.
M. Coppins (Wed,) studied this question.