774
HISTORY OF PRINTING.
presented it to his master, expecting to be re- warded for his ingenuity ; but the premium he received was a severe blow, with a threat that he should be sent to Bridewell if he again made a similar attempt. This circumstance being taken in dudgeon, his mother bought him what tools were necessary, and he improved himself at her house whenever he had an opportunity. He continued to work for Mr. Caslon after he had served his term of apprenticeship, until a quarrel arose in the foundry about the price of work, which terminated in favour of the workmen, who had caused a memorial to be sent to the elder Caslon, then a commissioner of the peace, and residing at Betbnal-green. However, young Jackson and Mr. Cotterell, being supposed to have acted as ringleaders in this affair, were dis- charged. Compelled thus to seek employment, they united their slender stock in a partnership, and went on prosperously till Jackson's mother dying, he entered, in 1759, en board the Minerva frigate as armourer; and, in May 1761, he was removed in the same situation into the Aurora, where he was somewhat more successful, having about £40 of prize money to receive at the peace of 1763. On his return to London, he worked for some time under Mr. Cotterell, who was a private in the regiment of life-guards ; a situa- tion which in those days was esteemed very respectable, and sought for by even substantial master tradesmen. At length, Jackson was en- couraged in a determination to adventure in business for himself by two of his fellow-work- men, Robinson and 'Hickson, who were also privates in the life-guards, who engaged to allow him jC62 8s. per annum for conducting Uie business under this partnership, and to supply monev for carrying on the trade for two years. For the purpose of carrying this arrangement into effect, a small house m Cock-lane was taken, and Mr. Jackson soon satisfied his partners that the business would be productive before the time promised. When he had pursued his labours about six months, Mr. Bowyer accidentally call- ing to inspect some of his punches (for he had no specimen), approved of them so much that he promised to employ him ; adding " My father was the means of old Mr. Caslon riding in his coach, bow do you know but I mar be the means of your doing the same ?" A short time after this he put out a small specimen of one fount, which his former young master carried to Bethnal Green with an air of contempt. The good old justice treated it otherwise ; and desired his son " to take it home and preserve it ; and whenever he went to cutting again, to look well at it." — It is but justice to uie third William Caslon to add, that he always acknowledged the abilities of Jackson ; and though rivals in an art which requires the greatest exertions of inge- nuity, they lived in habits of reciprocal friend- ship. Business rapidly increasing, Mr. Jackson removed to Dorset-street for a more capacious workshop. He was applied to by the late duke of Norfolk to make a mould to cast a hollow square. Telling the duke that " he diought it
practicable;" his grace observed, "that he had applied to all the skilful mechanics of LondoD, Mr. Caslon not excepted, who declared it im- possible." He soon convinced the duke of his abilities : for in the course of three months he produced what his grace had been years in search of; and was ever after held in great esti- mation by the duke, who considered him the first mechanic in the kingdom. In 1784 he mar- ried the widow of Mr. Pasham, a printer, which materially assisted him in the means of carrying on business. In 1790 his foundry was destioyea by fire, and his moulds and matrices much damaged. He felt this calamity so severely as never to recover his health, or his usual energies for business. The foundry was rebuilt ; but the chief materials above-named were not wholly restored (though much had been done towards it) at the time of his death. To particularize the articles of his foundry which were most reputed for their excellence, when all were highly meritorious, would be a boundless task. Let it suffice to mention, as matters of difficulty and curiosity, the fac-simile types which he cut for the Doonuday-hook ; and an Alexandrian Grtdt, under the direction of Dr. Woide, upon which the New Tettammt was printed. The matrices were afterwards deposited in the British museum. 1792, Feb. 16. Died, John Rivington, a bookseller of considerable eminence, in St. Paul's church-yard, where he carried on business, universally esteemed, for more than half a cen- tury ; and enjoyed the especial patronage of the clergy, particularly those of the higher order. He was many years bookseller to the society for promoting cnristian knowledge; a governor of most of the royal hospitals, a member of the court of lieutenancy, and of the common coun- cil ; a director of tlie amicable society in Ser- jeant's inn, and of the union fire office ; and an ancient member of the company of stationers, of which he was master in 1775 ; and where at one period his two brothers, James and Charles, and four sons, were liverymen . He was in the seventy- third year of his age at the time of his decease. 17^. The Critit ; consisting of forty-one essays, by lord Mountmorres, which originally appeared in a London newspaper, during the years 1792 and 1793, was afterwards reprinted in 1794. As a patriot and philosopher, lord Mountmorres was highly esteemed, and the objects of his labours in the Crist* accord with the character which he maintained. Toleration, public credit, the emancipation of the Irish catholics, and the French revolution, are among the leading subjects of this paper.
1792. The Patriot; consisting of essays on moral, political, and philosophical subjects, written and selected by a society of gentlemen, in London, and published every other Tuesday. 1792. The Holy Bible, called the Self Inter- preting Bible ; London, two vols. 4to. Brown, the author of the notes, was minister of Had- dington, in Scotland, and author of several esteemed pieces of Calvinistical divinity, a Dic- tionary of the Bible, &c.
