Travels in Town

Born in 1802 in Elgin James Grant first established himself as a reporter and then as a leading newspaper editor in Victorian London heading the Morning Chronicle for two decades before moving on to the Christian Standard. His 1839 Travels in Town was designed as a companion piece to his earlier reflections on London The Great Metropolis (1838) and Sketches in London (1838). This two-volume work reflects Grant''s enthusiasm for ''this modern Babylon'' and his lively interest in the intricacies of everyday life there. Interweaving general descriptions with specific local information Volume 2 describes the post office and bookselling in Paternoster Row before turning its attention to the city''s various religious denominations. Grant an ardent Calvinist concludes with reflections on London''s moral state.