Andrew Millar
Andrew Millar | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1705 Scotland |
| Died | 1768-06-08 Kew Green, near London, England |
| Occupation(s) | Publisher, bookseller |
| Years active | 1725–1768 |
| Known for | Prominent British publisher; financier of Johnson's Dictionary; publisher of works by Thomson, Fielding, Robertson, Hume; plaintiff in Millar v Taylor copyright case |
Andrew Millar (1705 – 8 June 1768) was a prominent British publisher during the eighteenth century.
Biography
At the age of twenty in 1725, Millar circumvented Edinburgh's printing regulations by producing works in Leith, which lay beyond the city's legal reach. Shortly thereafter, he assumed control of his master's printing establishment in London and actively challenged the authorities in Edinburgh.
By approximately 1729, Millar had established his bookselling and publishing enterprise on the Strand in London. Although he lacked deep literary expertise, he relied on knowledgeable advisors and was willing to invest substantial sums to acquire high-quality manuscripts. In 1755, Dr Johnson remarked, "I respect Millar, sir... he has raised the price of literature." Millar compensated James Thomson £105 for The Seasons, while paying Henry Fielding £700 for Tom Jones and £1000 for Amelia.
Millar participated as a financier in the production of Johnson's Dictionary of the English Language (1755) and managed its publication process. That same year, he issued the inaugural edition of the Mitchell Map. His publishing list also featured historical works by William Robertson and David Hume, along with John Jones's Free and Candid Disquisitions.
In 1769, Millar was the plaintiff in the case Millar v Taylor, which affirmed perpetual common law copyright rights for authors and publishers—a ruling that was later reversed in the 1774 landmark case Donaldson v Beckett, involving Millar's apprentice Thomas Becket.
Millar passed away at his residence in Kew Green near London on 8 June 1768.
References
Further reading
- Felicity Loughlin, Adam Budd, ed., "Circulating Enlightenment: The Career and Correspondence of Andrew Millar, 1725–68", Scottish Historical Review 102.1 (2023): 176-178.
External links
- Andrew Millar Project, University of Edinburgh.