John Dunton
John Dunton | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Graffham, Huntingdonshire, England |
| Died | 1733 |
| Occupation(s) | Bookseller, author |
| Known for | Establishing The Athenian Society; publishing The Athenian Mercury and The Ladies' Mercury |
John Dunton (4 May 1659 – 1733) was a prominent English bookseller and author. In 1691, he established The Athenian Society with the purpose of publishing The Athenian Mercury, recognized as England’s first widely circulated and diverse periodical. Two years later, the society briefly issued The Ladies' Mercury, notable as the inaugural periodical specifically designed for a female readership.
Early life
Dunton was born in Graffham, Huntingdonshire into a family with clerical roots. Shortly after his birth, his family relocated to Ireland when his father accepted a chaplaincy under Sir Henry Ingoldsby. At age fifteen, Dunton began an apprenticeship under London bookseller Thomas Parkhurst but initially fled before developing a lasting enthusiasm for the book trade.
In the years preceding the Glorious Revolution of 1688, Dunton acted as treasurer for the Whig apprentices. He later established himself as a bookseller near the Royal Exchange and married Elizabeth Annesley, linking him to influential literary circles. With his wife overseeing business operations, Dunton was free to pursue innovative publishing ventures. Early in his career, he published works by authors such as Thomas Doolittle, Stephen Jay, and John Shower.
In New England
In 1686, possibly due to his involvement in the Monmouth Rebellion, Dunton spent approximately eight months in New England engaged in book sales and cultural observation. Departing from Gravesend in late 1685, he arrived in Boston and conducted trade in towns including Cambridge and Roxbury—where he encountered missionary John Eliot—as well as Salem and Wenham. He returned to England during the autumn of 1686.
After assuming responsibility for his brother’s debts and facing creditor pressure, Dunton briefly moved to Holland before resuming his professional activities back in England.
Later life
Upon returning to England, Dunton opened a new bookstore in London’s Poultry district aiming for improved success. In 1691, he launched an innovative publication titled The Athenian Gazette (which was later renamed The Athenian Mercury), featuring anonymous questions and answers facilitated by his Athenian Society. Following the death of his first wife in 1697, he remarried but eventually separated from his second wife due to disputes over property. Struggling with personal management, Dunton spent his final years living in poverty.
In literature
Jonathan Swift offered a nuanced acknowledgment of Dunton in A Tale of A Tub (1704), recognizing Dunton’s dedicated efforts in compiling British oratory for print. Dunton expressed both admiration and criticism toward contemporary writer Ned Ward, appreciating Ward’s poetic abilities but condemning him as an audacious rake after misinterpreting Ward’s satire as a direct personal affront.
Works
Dunton chronicled his experiences in Ireland through Teague Land: or A Merry Ramble to the Wild Irish (1698), wherein he commended the erudition and bibliophilic tendencies of Irish legal figures like Sir Henry Echlin and Thomas Coote.
His body of work ranges from satirical pieces such as The Informer's Doom (1689) to humorous critiques like Bumography (1707). Although some critics viewed his writings unfavorably due to the intertwining of personal conflicts with professional matters, Dunton’s publications remain valuable resources for understanding 17th-century publishing dynamics and disputes within the book trade. Notable titles include Religio bibliopolae (1691), The Dublin Scuffle (1699), and his autobiography Life and Errors of John Dunton (1705). His correspondence from New England was released posthumously in America in 1867.
Dunton was also a trailblazer in producing periodicals and reference materials targeted at women, particularly through The Ladies' Mercury, which was modeled on his Athenian publication concept. Additionally, he primarily published The Ladies Dictionary (1694), recognized as the first English dictionary catering specifically to women.
Selected works:
- The Informer's Doom... (1683)
- The Amazement of Future Ages... (1684)
- Religio Bibliopolæ... (1691)
- The Ladies Dictionary... (1694)
- The Dublin Scuffle... (1699)
- The Art of Living Incognito... (1700)
- The Post-Angel, or Universal Entertainment, monthly journal (1701–1702)
- Life and Errors of John Dunton... (1705)
- Bumography... (1707)
- The Athenian Oracle, multiple editions between 1703–1728
References
- Berry, Helen M. (2003). Gender, Society, and Print Culture in Late Stuart England: the Cultural World of the Athenian Mercury. Ashgate Publishing; pp. 18-130 at Google Books
- Berry, Helen M. (2004). "Dunton, John (1659–1732)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press, September 2004; online edition, January 2008, Accessed 7 September 2008
- Dunton, John (1818 [1705]). The Life and Errors of John Dunton, Citizen of London (2 volumes). Reprinted 1818 edition (2 volumes in one) at Google Books (volume 1, pp. 187-197 detailing the Society's principal history)
- Tyerman, Luke (1866). The Life and Times of the Rev. Samuel Wesley, M.A., especially chapter VII "The Athenian Gazette", pp. 128-149, and chapter VIII, pp. 150-166 at Google Books
Further reading
- Gildon, Charles (1692). The history of the Athenian Society: for the resolving of all nice and curious questions. London: printed for James Dowley (). (A laudatory pamphlet.)
- McEwen, Gilbert D. (1972). The Oracle of the Coffee House: John Dunton's Athenian Mercury. San Marino, California: Huntington Library ().
- Parks, Stephen (1976). John Dunton and the English book trade: a study of his career with a checklist of his publications. Garland reference library of the humanities, volume 40. New York: Garland Publishing ().
External links
- Works authored by John Dunton available through Hathi Trust