NINETEENTH CENTURY.
047
AS,49fl,207, being an increase upon the year 1836 of 18,000,000. The number of periodicals taking out stamps for 1837 was eighty-five, be- ing an increase upon the preceding year of four- teen. The total number of newspapers which passed through all the post-offices in the United Kingdom, in 1837, was 42,000,000.
Since the reduction of the stamp duty. Sept 15, 1836, there were published one daily news- paper,* one twice a week, twenty-three weekly, one fortnightly, and one occasional newspaper, in London ; of which, eight were discontinued, and two incorporated with other papers. Within the same period, thirty-five weekly newspapers, and one three time8-a-week,f were established in the country, of which, six are now discontinued or incorporated with other papers^
1837, April 7. Died, William Eusebius Andrews, printer and bookseller, Duke-street, Little Britain, London ; editor of the Orthodox Journal and other works. He was born in the city of Norwich, Dec. 16, 1773, and served an apprenticeship to the printing business in the office of the Norfolk Chronicle, published in his native city. Having conducted himself with such perseverance and integrity, he was, when out of bis time, speedily chosen by his employers to superintend their newspaper, the arduous and responsible duties of which he discharged for the period of fourteen years, when he commenced business on his own account in Norwich, but in a short time, being encouraged to seek a wider field of action, he removed to London. Mr. An- drews was the third of the London Catholic book- sellers who had died within six weeks. He was succeeded in his business by his son and daugh- ter, Peter Paul Andrews and Mary.
1837, May 22. Died, James Rusher, who had been in business as a bookseller, at Reading, Berkshire, for upwards of forty years, and was much and deservedly esteemed by all who knew him. He was exceedingly charitable, and had for many years devoted a large portion of his income to alleviating the necessities of the poor. He left about £1 ,000 in legacies to various chari- table societies, and his servants and the poor. He died at Reading, after a few hours' illness, aged sixty-six years, leaving a widow, a son (Joseph Rusher, of Kingsdown, Bristol) and two daughters.
- The CorutitHtionat,
t The l4tKTpool Mall.
t Shenstone, the poet, divides the readers of a newspaper Into seven classes. He says —
1. The illnatiired look at the list of bankrapts. S. The poor to the price of bread.
3. The stockjobber to the lies of the day.
4. The old maid to marriages.
t. The prodigal son to the deaths.
5. The monopoUzen to the hopes of a wet harvest.
J. The boarding-school and all other young misses, to all matters relative to Qretna Green.
An old pensioned marine, one who was present at tbe battle of Bunker's Hill, a second Corpora] Trim, was Tcry fond of reading the newspapers when he could get them. When repeatedly annoyed by inquiries as to his appetite on tliis subject, he once replied,—" Why, to tell yea the tmth, when I was in the corps, a goat was kept in the banacks, which was In the habit of eating the papers, and being killed, I was asked to partake of It.— I can give no other reason."
1837, Junt 28. Died, Henrt Fisher, senior partner in the firm of Fisher, Son, and Co. pub- lishers, booksellers, and printers, Newgate-street, London, and Quai de 1 Ecole, Paris. He was the son of Thomas Fisher, a timber merchant, at Preston, in Lancashire ; and having lost his father at an early age, was placed at the free school of bis native town, under the care of Mr. Shepherd, where he acquired all the education with which he beg^n an active life of business. At the age of thirteen, he was articled to Mrs. Sergeant, who carried on the bookbinding, printing, stationary, &c. businesses. Here Henry Fisher acquired those habits of industry, regularity, and thoughtfulness, which accom- panied him through life. Mrs. Sergeant allowed her apprentices task work, that is, to retain for themselves all they could earn above a certain stipulated amount. Henry Fisher exerted him- self so assiduously, devoting only a few minutes to bis meals, that his mistress objected to pay him the large sums he was entitled to, and said be must be tasked much higher than the other lads of a similar age — to this he peremptorily objected — and his mistress having ofiered them, he took his indentures, and quitted : — their friendship, however, was renewed in after life, and sincerely continued till her death. On leaving Mrs. Sergeant, after four years' service, Henry Fisher articled himself for the residue of bis apprenticeship to Messrs. Hemingway and Nuttall, printers at Blackburn. At this period, when but seventeen years of age, he entered into the bonds of marriage, relying upon his in- defatigable industry for the maintenance out of his overeamings of a wife and family. A disso- lution of partnership taking place between Messrs. Hemingway and Nuttall,* the latter removed to Liverpool, where young Fisher went with him, and having suggested the establish- ment of depots in the principal towns of the kingdom, for the more effectual extension of the sale of standard works in numbers, was himself appointed to the management of a station at Bristol. Here he passed three years with so much benefit to bis employer and credit to him- self, that he was, without solicitation, admitted to a shaie of the business, on conditions equally honourable to both ; and so essential were his services soon found, that he was, independently of his share as a partner, allowed a salary of £900 per annum, for conducting the business. Thus, m his twenty-fourth year, Mr. Fisher found himself placed in a situation of responsibility and considerable emolument, for which he was solely indebted to his activity, his integrity, and his ability. During this ardent promotion of know- ledge by the novel and unique busiuess of num- ber publishing— (a system that has proved of the highest intellectual and moral advantages to the poorer classes of society, by enabling them to purchase various works by small periodical pay-
- Jonas Nuttall, the original founder of the Coxton
press, at Liverpool, was a native of Blackburn, and served his apprenticeship with Mr. John Ferguson, printer, Liverpool. He died Septcmlier, 18^17, at bis seat, at Nat- grove, near Ptcscot, Lancashire, which he had erected.
VjOOQ IC
