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HISTORY OF PRINTING.
ten; and if he did not enrich them bv the accumulation of very great wealth, he no aoubt, from his large concerns, realized a comfortable independency, and for the rest, bequeathed them a good name, and the respect of all.
1831, Jan. 1. The Voice of the People, No. 1, printed by John Uampson, Manchester, for the proprietors.
1831, Jan. 29. The Sunderland and Durham General Shipping Gazette and Mercantile Ad- vertiser, No, 1, printed and published by William Gracie. It was discontinued after a few months.
1831, May 28. The Sunderland Herald, Shields and Stockton Observer, and General Advertiser, No. 1. printed and published by Thomas Marwood, and Co. at Sunderland.
\83l,Aug. 16. The Northumberland Adver- tiser, and Agricultural, Shipping, and Commer. euxl Journal, No. 1 , printed and published by William Fordvce, Newcastle. It was discon- tinued after a few months.
1831. ITie Metropolitan Magazine.
1831. Sydney Herald, (Australia) conducted by Messrs. Ward, Stephens, and F. R. Stokes.
1832, Feb. 4. Chambers's Edinburgh Journal, No. 1, price three-halfpence, conducted by Wil- liam and Robert Chambeis. Whatever honours may be thought due to the discoverer of a mode of circulating useful knowledge on so vast a seale, must fall' indisputably to the originators of the above journal. In the twentieth number, June 16, the proprietors informed their readers (hat the sale nf their Journal amounted to 60,000 copies weekly! It subsequently reached A higher circulation, and still, after seven yearsj labour, holds on its way undiminished in public favour.
1832, Feb. 24. Died, James Robinson, prin- ter, aged sixty years. This worthy man was apprenticed as a compositor to Mr. Nichols, of Ked-lion-court, Fleet-street, London in whose office, and that of his son and successor, he worked, nmch respected and beloved by his em- ployers and fellow-workmen, for the long period of forty-nine years. He was nominated by Mr. Nichols for one of the annuities for compositors, ibunded by himself, in the gift of the stationers' oompany.
1832, April 1. The Penny Magazine com- menced under the superintendence of the society for the diffusion of useful knowledge, printed by William Clowes, and published by Charles Knight, London. In the first article it is stated that, " We consider it the duty of every man to make himself acquainted with the events that are passing in the world ; — with the progress of legislation, and the adminstration of the laws ; for every man is deeply interested in all the great questions of government!" From No. 1 to 106, there were sold of this periodical, twenty million copies, consuming more than one hun- dred and sixty double reams of paper per month, with a tax of threepence per pound upon fire thousand six hundred pounds, amounting to £70 per month, and selling about two hundred thousand copies, either in single numbers or in
parts, monthly. Edmund Burke, about 1780, presumed that there were in England eightj thousand readers. It may be fairly calculated, that the readers of the Penny Magazine alone, amounted to one million. To shew the effect of machinery and stereotype plates, in producing cheap literature, it may be stated, that from two sets of plates, by machines made by Applegath and Cowper, the same quantity of press work may be performed in ten days, as would take two men, by the old mode, producing one thou- sand perfect copies each day, one hundred and sixty days) or more than five calendar months. The average number printed by the machine, from two sets of plates, is sixteen thousand, on both sides.*
1832, April 7. Died, John M'Cbeert, printer, of Tooice's-court, Fleet-street, London. He was a native of Ireland, and first com- menced business in Liverpool, where he published the following work. The Press, a poem. Pub- lished as a specimen of typography. Liverpool : printed by J. M'Creery, Houghlon-street; and sold by Cadell and Davis, Strand, London. 1803. Demy 4to. Mr. John M'Creery obtained the patronage of some x>{ the most eminent literati of the day — and, on his removal to London, was considered one of the first practical printers of the metropolis. He there published Tlie Press, a poem. Part the second. By John M'Creery. London: printed by J. M'Creery, published by T. Cadell, in the Strand ; and W. Simpkiu and T. Marshall, Stationers' hall-court. 1827. Demy 4to. Preface dated "London, Dec. 31, 1825." The Press is written in the heroic couplet, and is characterized by consider- able taste, a smoothness and sweetness of rera- fication, a general chastenessof language, anda glowing love of freedom. " The liberty of the press" says this eminent typographer, " is so intimately connected with the permanent repose and happiness of society, that its preservation becomes our first duty; it is the anchor which can alone save the ark of our liberties, when the political horizon is overcast, when the hurri- cane assails us, and the thunders roar around." He died of the cholera, at Paris,aged 64 yeais.t
- To give some idea of the extent of printing peifonned
in the office of William Clowes, in Dulic-Btreet, Lambetli, at this time, it may be stated that there were,— type, foanders employed, 30; stereotype foaDders, 6; men em- ployed damping paper, 7; compositors, I6u. The piindpil case-room, where the types are set, is 270 feet lonjr. and is filled from ezid to end with a doable row of frames. Two steam engines are employed in driving: the priDtiag- maclunes, of wtiich there are 19, that can throw olT from 700 to 1,000 impressions each per hour. There are U common printing presses, for performing the finest woflc, and 6 hydraulic presses, of 200 tons power each, for press- ing paper. There are in the establishment abont I fits works, in stereotype, of which abont 75 are bibles. The first cost of the plates for these wonld amount to jff400,000; the weight is about 3,000 tons ; and, if melted and sold u old metal, they would be worth ;^0,000, The avenn quantity of paper printed amounts; weekly, to the astooish- ing quantity of about 2,000 reams. When the paper- makers and other tradesmen are taken into account, tile men for whom this establishment gives employment most amount to Severn tboosands.
t The father of Mr. M'Creery died at London, Angnst 9, 181 1, aged sixty-six yean.
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