George Bayntun
George Bayntun | |
|---|---|
| Born | Error: Invalid birth date for calculating age Bath, Somerset, England |
| Died | September 4, 1940 (aged 67) Bath, Somerset, England |
| Occupation(s) | Bookseller, bookbinder, collector |
Charles Edwin George Bayntun, commonly referred to as George Bayntun (4 August 1873 – 4 September 1940), was a distinguished English bookseller, bookbinder, and collector.
Early life
Bayntun was born in Bath, Somerset, to Constantia Amelia Bayntun (1836–1921) and an unidentified father. He descended from Wilmot Robert Bayntun Power, who was himself an illegitimate offspring of Sir Andrew Bayntun-Rolt, 2nd Baronet. After completing an apprenticeship in bookbinding, he established his own binding enterprise in Northumberland Place in 1894.
Career
George Bayntun enhanced the quality of his craft by recruiting expert binders from London and expanded his operations by moving to more spacious premises on Walcot Street in Bath. In 1920, he purchased the bindery owned by George Gregory, and in 1939 he consolidated the Bayntun and Rivière binderies into newly acquired facilities on Manvers Street, where the business remains active today.
He remained devoted to traditional bookbinding methods and cultivated robust relationships with American booksellers such as Arthur Brentano of Brentano's, Maurice Inman, and Nat Ladden. His esteemed reputation led to a luncheon invitation from A. S. W. Rosenbach during a visit to New York in 1936.
The firm received royal endorsement when Queen Mary, who was residing near Bath during the Second World War, awarded the company the royal warrant as Bookseller to Her Majesty in 1950.
Family
In 1901, Bayntun wed Fanny Louise (Louie) Shearn; together they had one daughter, Constance Louise Muriel Bayntun (1902–1989). He passed away in Bath at the age of 67 in 1940.
Legacy
After George Bayntun’s passing in 1940, leadership of the company was maintained by several successors, including his sole child Constance, who ensured its ongoing operation. Her son, Hylton Henry Bayntun-Coward (1932–2000), joined the business in 1953 and assumed control in 1954. Hylton held the presidency of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association twice and served as High Sheriff of Avon. His widow Charlotte managed the George Gregory bindery until her death in 2016.
Currently, ownership rests with Edward Bayntun-Coward (born 1966), George Bayntun’s great-grandson. Educated at Marlborough College and University College, Oxford, Edward gained five years’ experience at Maggs Bros Ltd in London. He has chaired the Bath Preservation Trust and was appointed High Sheriff of Somerset in 2016.