Simpkin & Marshall
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Bookselling, publishing, wholesaling |
| Founded | 1819 |
| Founder | William Simpkin, Richard Marshall |
| Defunct | 1954 |
| Fate | Bankruptcy; assets acquired by Hatchards |
| Headquarters | London , United Kingdom |
| Products | Books (fiction and nonfiction), yellowbacks, paperbacks |
| Owner | Robert Maxwell (early 1950s until bankruptcy) |
Simpkin & Marshall was a prominent British bookseller, wholesaler, and publisher established in 1819, continuing operations until the 1940s. For many years, it stood as the largest book wholesaler in the United Kingdom and was recognized as a reputable family-run business. The company eventually came under the ownership of media magnate Robert Maxwell, before collapsing into bankruptcy in 1954—an incident which, as noted by Lionel Leventhal, served as a cautionary tale regarding Captain Robert Maxwell's business practices.
19th century
Prior to 1814, Benjamin Crosby, along with his associates William Simpkin (whose daughter later wed publisher Henry George Bohn) and Richard Marshall, managed a firm that supplied books to provincial booksellers and acted as agents. Following Crosby’s paralysis in 1814, the enterprise was rebranded as Simpkin and Marshall.
By 1828, the company adopted the name Simpkin, Marshall & Co., and by 1837 had established its headquarters at Stationers' Hall Court in London, becoming the foremost book wholesaler in Britain.
In 1889, Simpkin, Marshall & Co. combined forces with Hamilton, Adams & Co. and W. Kent & Co., resulting in the formation of Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Co., though it remained commonly referred to simply as Simpkin & Marshall. Approaching the turn of the century, it had achieved an almost monopolistic position within the book wholesale market.
As a publisher, Simpkin & Marshall offered an extensive selection of fiction and nonfiction works. During the late 1800s, it released numerous yellowback and paperback editions, including series such as "The Run and Read Library," "Bristol Library," and nearly all novels authored by popular Victorian writer Mary E. Braddon.
Acquisition by Robert Maxwell
In the early 1950s, burdened by debts totaling $A575,000, Simpkin Marshall was purchased by Robert Maxwell for $A115,000. Maxwell integrated it into his corporate holdings as a publishing warehouse and wholesale book distributor. He leveraged the company to generate capital by paying interest while simultaneously extending interest-free loans to his personal enterprises. Within four years, he had effectively depleted the company's resources. As described by Edward Pearce, Maxwell capitalized on "the esteemed reputation of this traditional family firm" to secure aggressive credit terms. The company was declared insolvent in 1954; its assets and goodwill were subsequently acquired by Hatchards.
Book series
Both Simpkin & Marshall and Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Co. were responsible for publishing a variety of book series, including:
- The Abbey Classics
- The Analytical Series of Greek and Latin Classics
- Beacon Library
- The Beechwood Books
- Breare Vocal Series
- The Bygone Series
- Clark's College Series of Text-Books
- Curtis's Educational Series
- The Devotional Series
- Edinburgh Series of Monographs on Art
- Evergreen Library Series
- Gill's School Series
- Historic Houses in Bath and Their Associations
- Irish Texts Society
- Library Association Series
- Medieval Studies
- Popular Edition
- Popular Music Series
- Popular School Books Series
- Railroadiana
- Rosemary Booklets
- The Run and Read Library
- Simpkin's Thin-paper Classics
- Tales of a Grandfather: Being Stories Taken from Scottish History
- The Waverley Novels
- The Women of The Poets
Collaborative Series Released with Other Publishers
- Illustrated Guide Books by Abel Heywood & Sons (in partnership with Abel Heywood & Sons)
- Alembic Club Reprint Collection (in collaboration with William F. Clay)
- Bristol Library Series by Arrowsmith (produced alongside J. W. Arrowsmith and Kent & Co. Limited)
- Arrowsmith's Three & Sixpenny Series (also known as Arrowsmith's 3/6 Series) (co-issued with J. W. Arrowsmith)
- The Botanic Garden (Maund's Botanic Garden) (jointly published with Baldwin and Cradock)
- Chronicles of the Canongate (in association with Cadell and Co.)
- Coles' and Tomlin's School Series (published in conjunction with various publishers)
- Traveller's Handbooks by Cook (partnering with Thomas Cook & Son)
- Edinburgh Cabinet Library (collaborated with Oliver & Boyd)
- Oliver and Boyd's "Continuous" Readers Series (produced with Oliver & Boyd)
- Popular Tales and Romances of the Northern Nations (co-published with John Henry Bohte, London, and J. Anderson, Edinburgh)
- The Vellum-Parchment Shilling Series of Miscellaneous Literature (in cooperation with Field and Tuer)
- Welsh Lyrics from the Nineteenth Century (published alongside Jarvis & Foster)