1804, June 21. Died, John Marsh, printer, at George Town, near Washington, North America, aged fifty years. Mr. Marsh had been a bookseller and printer at Yarmouth and Norwich, and left England for North America, where he probably fell a sacrifice to the climate, from not being more early inured to it. As a man of honourable conduct and great urbanity, he was regretted by all who knew him in this country.
1804, July 10. Died, Francis Ambrose Didot, a very celebrated printer at Paris, in the seventy-fifth year of his age. He was the son of a printer and bookseller at Paris, in which city he was born in the year 1730, and received an excellent classical education. Full of enthusiasm for the advancement of the art of printing, young Didot determined to rival those celebrated printers, Joachim Ibarra, of Spain; Nisselins, of Leyden; [1] and Baskerville, of England, and he lived to surpass them all. He brought his press to a state of excellence unattained by any of his cotemporaries. He constructed mills for making fine paper; invented a press upon a large scale; and was the inventor of many other machines and instruments now commonly used in printing offices, all which have powerfully contributed to the modern advancement of the typographic art. The elegant editions published by order of Louis XVI. for the education of the dauphin, were the production of M. Didot's press, as well as the Theatrical Selections by Corneille, the works of Racine, Telemachus, Tasso's Jerusalem, two superb bibles, and a multiplicity of other inestimable works; each of which, on its publication, has emanated fresh beauties, and made nearer approaches to perfection. Didot sedulously endeavoured to unite in his family every talent auxiliary to the printing art: one of his sons became a celebrated type founder; and the voice of fame announces the superior rank which they both deservedly hold among the printers of the age. The life of Didot was the life of honour; his abilities were universally known and respected; but too strict an application to business and to study accelerated the death of this eminent man. At the age of seventy-three he read over five times, and carefully corrected every sheet of the stereotype edition of Montaigne, printed by his sons. He had likewise projected, and partly executed an index to that writer. His two sons, Peter and Firmin Didot, were the successors to his business and his fame, and to which they have added fresh laurels, by their typographic skill. Peter Francis Didot, brother of Francis Ambrose, died in 1795.
1804, July 25. Died, Thomas Miller, a very worthy and intelligent bookseller, and well known to men of literary curiosity for upwards of half a century, at his residence at Bungay, in Suffolk. He was born at Norwich, August 14, 1732. His father was by trade a pavier, and apprenticed him to a grocer; but his fondness for reading induced him to commence business as a bookseller, and for many years he enlarged his stock so as to make it an object of importance with collectors in all parts of the kingdom, who were not more pleased with his judicions selection of copies, than the integrity with which he transacted business. About 1782 he published a catalogue of his collection of books, engraved portraits, and coins, which for interest and value exceeded at that time any other country collection, except, perhaps, that of Mr. Edwards of Halifax. Mr. Miller was a great reader, and possessing an excellent memory, he acquired that fund of general knowledge, particularly of literary history, which rendered him an instructive and entertaining companion. In 1799 he became quite blind, but continued in business till his death. His son, William, was an eminent bookseller in Albemarle-street, London, who, on his retiring from business, in 1812, with an easy competence, acquired by habits of industry and polite attention, carried with him the high esteem and respect of his numerous friends and brethren. In 1795, when the fashion was very general for tradesmen to circulate provincial halfpennies, Mr. Miller sen. had a die cast, but an accident happening to one of the blocks when only twenty-three pieces were struck off, he, like a true antiquary, declined having a fresh one made. This coin, which is very finely engraved, and bears a strong profile likeness of himself, is known to collectors by the name of the Miller Halfpenny. He was extremely careful into whose hands the impressions went; and, when sold, fetches from three to five guineas. Had Mr. Miller, when a young man, settled in the metropolis, there is no doubt but his extensive knowledge in books, and natural unwearied industry, would have led to greater pecuniary advantages. Of Mr. Miller there is a good portrait.
1804. Died, William Johnson, a bookseller of long established reputation in Ludgate-street. He relinquished the business to his son, about the year 1770, and was afterwards appointed stationer to the board of ordnance. He died at a very advanced age. His son, Mr. Edward Johnson, who inherited a good fortune from his maternal grandfather, Mr. Edward Owen, printer of the Gazette, died in Dublin, in 1796.
1804, Sept. 19. Died, John Woodyer, many years partner with Mr. Thurlbourn, a respectable bookseller at Cambridge; after whose death Mr. Woodyer carried on the business alone, but was ultimately not successful. He was a man of extensive knowledge, placid disposition, and great probity. He was in the eighty-fifth year of his age, being at that time one of the oldest livery-men of the stationers' company.
1804, Sept. 19. Died, James Matthews, a very respectable bookseller and vender of medicines, at No. 18, in the Strand, London, successor to Samuel Leigh. He was a lay preacher in a chapel of his own at Whetstone. It is recorded that no man knew better how to make a bishop
- ↑ John George Nisselius, a learned printer at Leyden, a German, born in the palatinate, was well versed in the oriental languages; and printed besides an Hebrew Bible, 1662, 8vo. many parts of the scriptures in the Ethiopic and Arabic languages. He died in 1663, before the Hebrew Bible was completed. As well as his own press he employed the Elzevirs to print for him.
