[1] In 1828, John went to the boarding school of Thomas Rossell Potter, the historian of Charnwood Forest at Wymeswold in Leicestershire, and in 1833 to the Rev.

[2] He became the faithful chronicler of the seasons, and recorded all the facts and occurrences coming within his observation during at least thirty years.

His notes in the Zoologist, Critic, Reliquary, Sun, Derby Reporter, and Leicestershire Guardian (edited by his old schoolmaster, Mr. Potter), were full of picturesque descriptions of nature and sketches of places and objects in the Midland counties of archaeological and antiquarian interest.

Shortly before his death he had retired upon an ample competency, but his health failed, and he died at the place of his birth on 23 March 1876, leaving a widow, a son, and three daughters.

Besides these works and the unpublished observations on natural history, Briggs had been for many years collecting materials for a book to be entitled The Worthies of Derbyshire, for which we believe he had notes for at least 700 memoirs.