William Blackwood
William Blackwood | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Died | September 16, 1834 (aged 57) |
| Occupation | Publisher |
| Known for | Founder of William Blackwood and Sons; publisher of Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine |
William Blackwood (20 November 1776 – 16 September 1834) was a Scottish publisher who established the renowned publishing company William Blackwood and Sons.
Life
Born in Edinburgh on 20 November 1776, Blackwood began his career at age 14 when he was apprenticed to a bookselling business. He gained experience working in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and London. In 1804, he returned to Edinburgh and launched a bookstore on South Bridge Street, focusing on rare and antiquarian books. Before founding his own publishing house, he served as the Scottish representative for London publishers such as John Murray. In 1816, he relocated his enterprise to Princes Street and secured Walter Scott as a client, publishing the next installment in Scott’s Tales of my Landlord series.
On 1 April 1817, Blackwood introduced the Edinburgh Monthly Magazine, which was renamed Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine by its seventh issue. Commonly called "Maga", it became the principal publication for the Scottish Tory faction and attracted many distinguished contributors. Significantly, it was the first British literary periodical to feature an American writer, John Neal, whose American Writers series (1824–25) was also published by Blackwood. In 1825, Blackwood released Neal’s lengthy novel Brother Jonathan, which resulted in considerable financial losses and ended their collaboration.
In 1829, Blackwood shifted his operations from Princes Street to 45 George Street, citing the increasing commercial prominence of George Street. His brother Thomas purchased the neighbouring property at 43 George Street, where architect Thomas Hamilton redesigned the facade for the Blackwood Brothers’ businesses; Thomas managed a silk merchant shop at this location.
At the time of his death in 1834, Blackwood lived at 3 Ainslie Place within Edinburgh’s Moray Estate, close to his George Street bookshop. He was laid to rest in an elaborate vault at Old Calton Burial Ground.
In fiction
The figure Oakstick in John Paterson's Mare, James Hogg’s allegorical satire on Edinburgh’s publishing world, is modeled after William Blackwood.
Family
On 29 October 1805, William Blackwood married Janet Steuart (1780–1849). Several of their sons became involved with his publishing firm:
- Alexander Blackwood (1806–1845)
- Robert Blackwood (1808–1852)
- Major William Blackwood (1810–1861), who joined publishing following a military career
- Isabella Blackwood (1812–1897)
- James Blackwood (1814–1871)
- Thomas Blackwood (1816–1855) (interred in Boulogne)
- John Blackwood (1819–1879), editor of Blackwood's Magazine (buried in Dean Cemetery)
- Colonel Archibald Blackwood (1821–1870), pursued a military path and died in Simla, India
- Janet Blackwood (1823–1870), married Archibald Smith and moved to London (buried in Kensal Green Cemetery)
The majority of the family members are buried alongside William Blackwood at Old Calton Burial Ground.
Further reading
- Finkelstein, David, The House of Blackwood: Author-Publisher Relations in the Victorian Era, Penn State Press, 2001; ISBN 0-271-02179-9
External links
- Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, January 1843 available at Project Gutenberg
- Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, February 1843 accessible via Project Gutenberg
- Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, March 1843 hosted on Project Gutenberg
- Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, April 1843 found at Project Gutenberg
- Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, May 1843 provided by Project Gutenberg
- Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, June 1843 available through Project Gutenberg
- Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, January 1844 accessible on Project Gutenberg
- Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, April 1844 hosted by Project Gutenberg
- Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, July 1844 available via Project Gutenberg