1758-Jonathan Taylor1, Esq. 1760 Nathaniel Cole 2, Esq. 1769 Richard Manby 3, Esq. 1772 Richard Brooke 4, Esq. 1772 Mrs. Hannah Knaplock 5. 1777 Sir Stephen Theodore Janssen 6, Bart. 1777 William Fenner, Esq. 'Mr. Taylor had been formerly a Stationer in London; but had retired from business to Lyme Regis in Dorsetshire, where he died Dec. 16, 1758. His name is here inserted, as a compliment to his intentions. He left to Christ's, Devon and Exeter, and Bath Hospitals, and to the Society for Propagating the Gospel, 100l. each; the interest of 1007, to be divided every Christmas amongst ten poor widows of the Stationers Company; the interest of 70l. for two boys to be taught navigation at Weymouth; to the Mayor and Corporation of Dover, a silver punch-bowl, of 200 ounces, in commemoration of his recovery from a dangerous fit of sickness gained in France; and if a County Hospital be erected at Dorchester within seven years, 100%. and interest at 4 per cent. But, from some informality in his will, the legacies were set aside by the Lord Chancellor. This respectable gentleman was Solicitor to the East India Company; and in 1726 had been elected Clerk to the Company of Stationers, which office he resigned in Nov. 6, 1759; and was on that day elected into the Court of Assistants; but died on the 4th of December following. He gave to the Company 100%.; out of which 40s. to be annually added to Cater's dinner, and 100%. more "to buy silver candlesticks with, for their table on public days." 3 Mr. Manby was a bookseller of great eminence on Ludgatehill. He fined for the office of Sheriff; was Master of the Stationers Company in 1765; and died at Walthamstow, April 13, 1769. He gave 100l. to the poor.-Thomas Manby, esq. died there in 1762; and William Manby, esq. in 1790. Mr. Brooke was Master of the Company in 1764. He died in 1772; and gave 31. a year towards Cater's dinner. 5 Mrs. Knaplock died Nov. 29, 1772; and gave 200l. to the poor. Sir Stephen Theodore Janssen became a Liveryman of the Company in 1723.--He gave 30l. in 1774, as a present to the poor; and 501. more in 1775. In 1776, he gave 1007. half to the poor, and half to purchase a piece of plate with his arms on it (with which a handsome epergne was purchased). He added in 1779 a legacy of 50l. In 1754, when he was Lord Mayor, the arms now in the Hall were painted; Mr. Samuel Richardson being then Master, John March and Thomas Wotton, Wardens. See Memoirs of him, p. 406. 7 Mr. Fenner's father, who was a Printer in Lombard-street, died young; and his mother was re-married to Mr. James Waugh, an apothecary, but continued to carry on the business of a Printer till her death. The son was for some time her assistant and partner; and afterwards, for a short period, followed the profes sion of a Bookseller in Paternoster-row; but, marrying early, and 1777 William Bowyer1, Esq. 1778 Mrs. Beata Wilkins 2. 1778 John Nichols 3, Esq. and satisfied with a very moderate competence, he retired from the bustle of trade, in the prime of life; and, for more than 40 years, prolonged a life devoted to acts of kindness and philanthropy. Possessing a strong mind, improved by habits of early industry, and gifted by Nature with a fine manly form, improved by polished manners, his conversation was always pleasing; his friendship was very generally courted; and his advice was frequently requested in cases of difficulty, and always given freely and judiciously. He died Oct. 30, 1809, in his 83d year, at his house in Addington-place, Camberwell. He had been twice married; and the second wife survived him; but he left no child. At the time of his death he was Father of the Company of Stationers, of which he had been Master in 1786; and to whom in 1777 he had given a large silver coffee-urn, with a set of tea-spoons, &c.; and, by his last will, left a Reversionary Legacy of 2500l. Three per cent. Consols to the Company; the interest of which (751.) to be thus applied: 501. in annuities of 50s. each to ten poor freemen, and ten widows; 201. for a dinner for the Court of Assistants, who are to attend divine service, on the 29th of July, at St. Martin's church; 20s. to the Clerk of the Company; 30s. to the Rector, for a Sermon; 208. to the Curate, for reading Prayers; 5s. each to the Clerk, Organist, and Sexton; and 5s. each to the Beadle, Porter, and Housekeeper of the Company. Mr. Bowyer gave to the Company 180l. a year for specific charitable purposes; and 250l. to the Court of Assistants, for their trouble in selecting the Annuitants. He gave also a small silver cup. See his Will at large, p. 270. "Item, I give the Interest and produce of all the money arising for my Forty Pounds share in the Stock in the Stationers Company, which is computed at Three Hundred and Twenty Pounds, to the Master, Wardens, and Court of Assistants of the said Company for the time being, and their successors for ever, in trust that the Interest thereof be by them distributed annually amongst Six poor men and Six poor Widows, not Pensioners to the said Company; which Principal Money I desire may be by them placed at Interest, and such Interest is to be by them paid in the month of December, before Christmas every year, at the time when the Company pay their Pensioners, and equally divided between the said poor Men and poor Widows, as they the said Master, Wardens, and Court of Assistants, shall in their discretion think proper. This Sum was laid out in the purchase of 358l. 11s. 4d. Five per Cent. Navy Annuities, and from the yearly dividends twelve persons receive yearly 30s. each."-See before, p. 584. 3 Mr. Nichols, in 1778, gave the portrait of Robert Nelson, esq. and of the elder Bowyer, with a bust of the younger Bowyer; to which, in 1798, he added those of Abp. Chichley, Sir Richard Steele, and Matthew Prior; with the quarto copper-plate (finely engraved by the Father of the present Mr. Basire), that an im pression 1801 Thomas Cadell', Esq. Alderman. ***The Company pay 51. annually to the Churchwardens of St. Mary at Hill, under the name of Mrs. Revell's gift [widow of John Revell]; but her name does not occur among the Benefactors. CLERKS OF THE COMPANY. 1578 Richard Collins; died 1613. 3 1696 Benjamin Tooke 4, pro tempore. TREASURERS. present Clerk. 1605 Nathaniel Butler; resigned 1606. • Mr. Alderman Cadell was Master of the Company in 1799. He gave the fine window which adorns the Hall. See before, p. 581; and memoirs of him in vol. VI. p. 441. 2 Mr. Dilly (who had been Master in 1802) gave 700l. Three per Cent. Annuities; the interest to be paid to two poor widows of Liverymen, 10 guineas to each. See vol. III. P. 190. * See among the Benefactors, p. 600. * See pp. 607. 626.—Mr. Tooke is also noticed in vol. I. pp. 107.115. 5 See among the Benefactors, p. 602. Mr. Partridge retired to Croydon, where he died March 3, 1809, at the advanced age of 90, having for several years before been totally blind. 7 Mr. Baldwin was many years Deputy Clerk of the Crown, and Registrar of the Amicable Society in Serjeant's Inn. He died universally respected, March 15, 1800, aged 75. 8 Youngest son of John Rivington, esq. Master in 1775; of whom see p. 400. 1610 Edward Weaver; resigned 1635. 1766 George Hawkins4; died 1780. 1780 John Wilkie 5; died 1785. 1785 Robert Horsfield; resigned 1797. * See p. 597. • See among the Benefactors, p. 594. 3 Mr. Hett had been for many years a Bookseller in the Poultry, of considerable reputation amongst the Dissenters. He died in 1780; leaving two sons, one of whom, Mr. Richard Hett, a man of mild and amiable manners, was a Printer of considerable business in Wild-court, Lincoln's-inn-fields, in the office which had formerly belonged to Mr. John Watts. He died May 9, 1805, leaving an only daughter.-The other son, Mr. Jolin Hett, was bred to the Law; and in 1775, became a Master in Chancery; which he resigned in 1792; and died soon after, paralytic, at Bath. His niece (the daughter of Richard) was married, Feb. 5, 1795, to John Mackintosh, esq. 4 Mr. Hawkins was many years a Bookseller in Fleet-street, near the Temple Gate. He died in 1780, at a very advanced age. 5 Mr. Wilkie was a Bookseller in St. Paul's Church-yard; and much respected for his pleasant and engaging manners. He died July 2, 1785; leaving two sons, now living, and very worthy Members of the Company.-The eldest, Mr. George Wilkie, has been already mentioned in p. 449. Mr. Thomas Wilkie, the younger son, is settled in Salisbury, of which City he has had the honour of being Chief Magistrate. • Mr. Horsfield died March 4, 1798, aged 75.— He had been for several years a Bookseller. in Ludgate-street; where he succeeded to the extensive business of Messrs. Knapton.—Mr. Jaines Knapton, Master of the Company in 1727,and again in 1728, died Nov. 24, 1736.—Mr. Paul Knapton married Feb. 14, 1741, Elizabeth Chilwell; and died June 12, 1755.- Mr. John Knapton, three times Master, 1742, 1743, and 1744, died in 1770. A younger son of Thomas Greenhill, esq. many years a wholesale Stationer in Gracechurch-street. He was Master of the Company in 1787; but, having retired from business, died at Watford, Herts, Jan. 16, 1798. No. No. XXI. PROGRESS OF SELLING BOOKS BY CATALOGues. If the circulation of Books be a mark of a learned age, no method has been thought of better adapted to that purpose, than by making what are commonly called Sale CATALOGUES of them. These are of two sorts; by auction and by hand. practice has now obtained considerably above a cen tury. The The oldest I have seen of the first class are those of Lazarus Seaman, D. D. 1676, by Will. Cooper, bookseller, Warwick-lane; and Mr. Kidner, rector of Hitchin, by the same, in Little Britain. And that these were the first in the kind, may be gathered from * First printed in the Gentleman's Magazine, vol. LVIII. 1066. + Maunsell's Catalogue of English printed Books, part I. inscribed" to the Queene's Most Sacred Majestie be continued the blessinge and protection of the Mighty God of Jacob;” and part II. dedicated to Robert Earl of Essex, &c. were both published in 1595, fol. This is rather analogous to the modern Catalogues of new publications. A Catalogue of the most vendible Books in England, digested under the heads of Divinity, History, Physick, &c. with School Books, Hebrew, Greek, and Latin; and an Introduction for the Use of Schools, by W. London," was published in 4to, Lond. 1658, with this motto, VARIETAS DELECTAT. "Clavel's General Catalogue of Books printed in England nce the dreadful Fire 1666, to the end of Trinity Term, 1676, was continued every Term until 1700.-" Mr. Robert Clavel is a great dealer, and has deservedly gained himself the reputation of a just man. Dr. Barlow, Bishop of Lincoln, used to call him the honest Bookseller. He has been Master of the Company of Stationers [1698 and 1699]; and perhaps the greatest unhappiness of life, was his being one of Alderman Cornish's Jury. He printed Dr. Comber's Works, &c." Dunton, p. 283. To this Catalogue is prefixed an Address to the Reader, wherein the custom of selling books by auction is mentioned as having been but of recent origin in our country. See some curious particulars concerning the sale, in Dibdin's Bibliomania, p. 402. the |