EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.
761
1787, May 24. Ditd, Habris Habt, printeT, of Cnme-coutt, Fleet-street, London. He was a yeiy worthy and industrious man ; commenced business in Poppin's-court, Fleet-street, and lemoved a few years before his death to Crane- court, to the house which had been occupied by Dryden Leach.
1787. The first English work in which a series of fac-fiimilies of autographs* appeared, was sir John Fenn's Original Letters from the Archives of the Patton Family ; followed by British auto- graphy, a collection of fac-similies of the hand- writing of royal and illustrious personages, with their authentic portraits, by John Thane, 3 vols. 4to. 1789. But the most extensive and correct work on autographs, is that of John Gough Nichols, folio. London, 1829.
1787, May 22. A foigedgazette extraordinary circulated, with a view to stock-jobbing; the author never discovered.
1787, Sept. A patent was granted to Mr. Hooper, of London, for a new method of manu- facturing printing paper, particularly for copper- plate printing.
1787, Jan. 2. The Busy Body, No. 1.
1787, Jan. The County Magazine, No. 1. 4to.
1787, Jan. The Hwnoriit'i Magazine, No. 1.
1787, May 27. Hull Packet, No. 1.
1787, June. The Sheffield Register, No. 1. This newspaper was established by Joseph Gales (son of Thomas Gales,t bookseller, of Sheffield), who in 1794 went to America, and settled at Raleigh, in North Carolina, and afterwards at Waslung^n, where, in 1814, his printing office was destroyed by the victorious British army. The Register became the property of James Montgomery, who changed the name into the Sheffield Iris, under whose management it be- came one of the most popularjpapers of the day.
1788, Jan. I. Died, Mr. Heath, some years a bookseller at Nottingham. He had been at the Methodist meeting the last night of the year, where he staid till past twelve. On his return home he found Mrs. Heath in bed, and, after informing her that the clock had struck twelve, and wishing her many happy new years, he fell back upon the floor and died without a groan.
1788. Jan. 10. The printing office of Mr. Rickaby, in Bow-street, London, with several premises, destroyed by fire.
1788, Jan. 14. Died, Thomas Smith, printer and bookseller, at Canterbury ; many years an al- derman of that city.
1788, March 2. Died, Solomon Gesner, the celebrated author of the Death of Abel, and of many other producUons written in a similar style, that rank high in the literature of his native
- The earliest Kntoftraph in EnglBDd now known, is the
small figure of the croas, made by the hand of king: Willi- am Rnfns, in the centre of a charter by which the manor of Lambeth was granted to the cboich of Rochester, now in the Britiih musenm. Weread of thesigDlngof magna charta, which really means the sealing; a B)]^atare at that period was not the anthentic attestation of an instm- meet, or even of a letter. — See Introdaction to this work.
t Mi. Thomas Galea was also the father of the Misses Gales, booksellers, Sheffield. He died at Eckington, near Sheffield, Sept. ii, 1809, in his seventy-third year.
country, carried on the business of a bookseller, at Zurich, in Switzerland, and was a member of the legislative council of his native city. His father was also a bookseller in the same place. He attained an elegant taste and skill in paint- ing and engraving, and his works were not only in general published by himself, but often em- bellished with engravings by his own hand, from his own designs. Among the testimonies of afiection and respect which he received from his foreign admirers, he was presented with a gold medal by the empress Catherine of Russia. He died of an attack of apoplexy, in the 58th year of his age. Gesner declared that whatever were his talents, the person who had most con> tributed to develope tliem was his wife. She is unknown to the public ; but the history of the mind of such a woman can only be truly dis- covered in the Letters of Gesner and his Family.* 1788, May. Died, William Richardson, printer, who succeeded his uncle Samuel. His widow obtained the situation of housekeeper, at stationers' hall. In a fragment of Mr. Richard Cough's memoirs, is the following letter:
"June 1, 1786. When a man has laid in a fund of knowledge, in any branch, from books, or other means of attainment, it is not to be wondered that the itch for scribbling seizes himi My authorship was fixed to the line of antiquity. Wliile at college, I had begun to make additions to the list of writers on the topography of Great Britain and Ireland, prefixed to Gibson's Cam- den. I inserted these in Rawlinson's English Topographer, till I fancied I might commence topographer myself. I formed a quarto volume; and it was printed, 1768, at Mr. Richardson's press — on credit : my allowance not permitting any advance of money before publication. Mr. Richardson refused interest on his labour. The sale was rapid beyond expectation ; and I was, on the balance between me and honest Tom Payne, gainer of seven pounds."
1788, May 28. Died, Thomas Bowles, many years a considerable stationer, in Newgate- street. He was one of the gentlemen nominated in 1787, as a proper person to serve the office of sheriff of London; and paid the fine to be excused. His strong natural abilities, a lively ima^nation, sound judgment, and a most ex- tensive memory, aided by a classical education, rendered him a most entertaining and pleasing companion; learned without pedantry, and in- structive without affectation. His death was sincerely lamented by all who had the happiness of his acquaintance. He died at Blackheath, agfed about fifty years.
1788, May 31. The Trijler. This periodical collection professes to have emanated from St. Peter's college, Westminster, and to have been written solety by the scholars. Considered in this light, as the production of the Westminster
• John Oesner, born at Zurich. March 18, 17I9> died May 8, 1700; canon of Zurich. Coniad Oesner, died at Zuiicb, December 13, I7fi6. John Matthias Gesner, died at Oottlngen, August 3, I7<3.
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