784
HISTORY OF PRINTING.
1795, Jan. Died, Richabd Johnson, son of Mr. Richaid Johnson, editor of the Baronetage, and who was a verv useful corrector of the press, and occasional editor to the booksellers. The son was for some years principal clerk to Thomas Curtis, esq. (a worthy member of the court of assistants,) in which station he saved a consider- able sum of money. He became a lireiymon in 1786, and was bnned with his father in Hendon church yard. In his last will, dated January 3, 1795, he says : " I give and bequeath all the remainder of my property whatever, to the wor- shipful company of stationers, upon the following conditions : That they will allow my sister, Mary Johnson, fifty pounds per annum, to be paid half-yearly to her only; and ten pounds per an- nnm to my uncle Lockington Johnson, or to his wife Elizabeth Johnson, during their natural Kves; so that after the deaths of mv sister Mary Johnson, my uncle Lockington Jonnsou, or his wife Elizabeth Johnson, all my whole property to be divided half-yearly, viz. the interest as the dividends shall become due (after deducting one ffttinea for an annual sermon at Hendon, and uiiee guineas for a dinner for the master and wardens when they hear the sermon and visit his grave) among ' ive very poor widows who have seen better days, above the age of sixty, whose husbands were Uverymen, and in a good way of business, were either stationers, printen, book- sellers, or l^inders;' the choice of these objects to be left to the master, wardens, and court of assistants of the company of stationers. — N.B. To avoid any dispute, in case my uncle and aunt outlive my sister, the fifty not to go to them, but to be divided amongst the five widows." [Besides the sum of JCIOOO four percent, bank annuities, found in the testator's name, the execu- tors, with his other property, purchased £800 like annuities ; the whole of which has been transferred to, and stands in the name of the cor- poration, with a balance in cash of £42 10s. lOd. paid over by the executors to the master and wardens. Since which, the sum of £50 like annuities has from a surplus of cash been pur- chased, and stands in the name of the corpora- tion. There is also a snm of £50 five per cent, bank annuities, in the name of the testator's father, which cannot be transferred until the event of the testator's sister either marrying or arriving at the age of forty; but the dividends of it are received by the company. — The half- yearly dividend on the whole £1900 being £38 5s.]
1795. Dr. John Wolcot, better known by the name of Peter Piniar, fitom the prodigious sale of his early pieces, became a desirable ob- ject of bookselling speculation ; and in this year, Robinson and Walker, booksellers, entered into a treaty to grant him an annuity for his published works, and, on certain conditions, for his unpub- lished ones. While this treaty was pending, Wolcot had an attack of asthma, which he did not conceal or palliate, but, at meetings of the parties, his asthma always interrupted the busi- ness. A fatal result was of course anticipated,
and instead of a sum of money, an annuity of £250 a-year was preferred. Soon after the bond was signed, the doctor went into Cornwall, were he recovered his health and returned to London without any cough, which was far from bring a pleasing sight to the persons who had to pay his annuity. One day he called upon Mr. Walker, the manager for the parties, who, sur>'eying him with a scrutinizing eye, asked him how he did. " Much better, thank you," said Wolcot ; " I have taken measure of my asthma ; the fellow is troublesome, but I know his strength, and am his master." — " Oh !" said Mr. Walker, gravely, and turning into an adjoining room, where Mrs. Walker, a prudent woman, had been listening to the conversation. Wolcot, aware of the feeling, paid a keen attention to the husband and wife, and heard the latter exclaim, " There now, didn't I tell you he wouldn't die ? fool that you've been ! I knew he wouldn't die." A plea was then set up that the agreement extended to all future pieces as well as to the past; and on this ground an action was commenced which in a short time was compromised. Wolcot enjoyed the joke, and outlived both the parties.
1795, Jan. 17. Died, John Egebton, (of the firm of Thomas and John Egerton) a bookseller of great eminence in Whitehall, (successor to John Millan.*) To the literati he was a usefnl man ; he knew books well ; and his memory, unconmionly retentive, was seldom at a loss through the varieties of dates, prices, and sizes. In the sale-room he was conspicuously clever, and put the excellencies of an article very for- cibly to the bidders. In private life his charac- ter and conduct were very exemplary ; and his zeal and activity in business few have exceeded. He married one of the daughters of Lockyer Davis, noticed at page 772, ante.
1795, Jan. 25. Died, Charles Rathband, who for some years followed the occupation of a printer, having been bred in the old school of typography, under Watts, Bowyer, and other eminent artists, and was himself no mean pro- ficient in that noble art He was a native of Ireland, and possessed of strong mental abilities, improved by an excellent education ; and was a
- Of John Millan, noticed at page 7S0 laUt, tiiere ia a
portrait, (an etching by Harris, from a painting bj Roberta.) "17BO, aged 80;** and conseqnenUy he waa S4 years of age at bis deatb. The following picture of his shop was delineated March &, 1773 ; **In mj return from. Westminster last nig:ht, I penetrated the utmost re. cesses of Millan's shop ; which if I may borrow an idea from natural history, is incmsted with liteiatiue and ca- 1 riosities like so many stalactltical exudations. Ilitoagb a \ nairowaDey, lietween pUes <rf books, I leaehed a ceil, or adgtwm, whose sides were so completely cased wiUi the samesi^el^, that the flre-place waa literally enchamee dam la mwraUlt. In this cell sat the deity of the place, at the head of awhist party, whidi was interrupted by my inquiries after DiUeniua iii sheets. Tlie answer was, ** he had none in sheets or blankets;** hut only io the state of this I send, which I think is in a rich coverlid or counter* pane ; and, as it has an index at spedes referring to Uie plates, you will not have the trouble of interleaving or writing in it. I emerged ftom this shop, which I consider as a future Heicalaneuni, where we shall hereafter root out many scarce thinga now rotting on the floor, coo- siderably sunk below the level at the new pavement.
" B. GoDsa.'*
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