Benjamin Guild

Benjamin Guild
Born	1749 Boston, Massachusetts
Died	1792
Occupation(s)	Bookseller, librarian
Years active	1780s–1792
Known for	Managing the Boston Book Store and a subscription-based circulating library in Boston

Benjamin Guild (1749–1792) was a distinguished bookseller based in Boston, Massachusetts, during the latter part of the 18th century. He managed the "Boston Book Store" along with a subscription-based circulating library throughout the 1780s and 1790s, located at no.59 Cornhill, close to the Old-Brick Meeting-House.

Biography

Benjamin Guild was born in 1749 to parents Benjamin Guild and Abigail Graves. He completed his studies at Harvard College in 1769, graduating alongside prominent figures such as Theophilus Parsons and William Tudor. Between 1776 and 1780, he held a position as a tutor at Harvard and also spent time traveling overseas. In 1784, he married Betsey Quincy (1757–1825), daughter of Josiah Quincy I. Guild was among the founding members and officers of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and played a role on the editorial board of the Boston Magazine.

Initially, around 1785, Guild operated his bookshop at no.8 State Street before moving his business to Cornhill from 1786 until his death in 1792. His circulating library was one of the earliest established in Boston following the American Revolution, containing several thousand volumes. A notice from 1787 emphasized its wide-ranging appeal to readers interested in politics, professional subjects, or leisure. Membership fees were set at eight dollars annually or two dollars quarterly, granting subscribers the ability to borrow two books simultaneously with monthly returns required. Guild maintained strict regulations concerning lost or damaged materials to safeguard his collection. After his passing in 1792, William P. Blake assumed control of both the bookstore and library.

Among the notable works available in Guild's circulating library in 1789 were:

• Addison's Works
• Algerine Spy in Pennsylvania
• Robert Bage's Barham Downs
• Countess de Genlis' Adelaide and Theodore
• Madame de Lafayette's Zayde
• Raynal's Revolution in America
• John Rice's Art of Reading
• Robin's New Travels in America
• Baron de Tott's memoirs on the Turkish Empire
• Nathaniel Wanley's Wonders
• Wraxall's Tour
• Wyld's Practical Surveyor
• Wynne's History of America
• Yorrick's Sentimental Journey
• Zimmerman's Political Survey of Europe

See also

• List of booksellers in Boston