William West (antiquary)
William West | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Whaddon, Croydon, Surrey, England |
| Died | November 17, 1854 (aged 84) |
| Occupation(s) | Antiquarian, bookseller |
William West (23 October 1770 – 17 November 1854) was a distinguished English antiquarian and bookseller.
Biography
Born in Whaddon, Croydon, Surrey, West abandoned farming at the age of fourteen and journeyed on foot to London alongside his brother. There, he commenced an apprenticeship with Robert Colley of the Stationers' Company before transferring to Thomas Evans, a bookseller based in Paternoster Row. Prior to completing his apprenticeship, West married and fathered three children. By the time he was eighteen, he had assumed management of Evans’s enterprise, eventually taking full control after Evans’s son absconded abroad.
In 1808, West resided in Cork where he issued a guidebook to the city. He stayed there until 1830 and authored his work titled ‘Recollections’ during this period. Subsequently, he relocated to Birmingham to dedicate himself to producing topographical literature. Later in life, West returned to London, engaging as an assistant in a bookselling establishment and undertaking literary assignments. His final years were spent at the Charterhouse, where he passed away in 1854.
West fathered a sizable family; notably, his daughter wed Frederick Calvert, who provided illustrations for one of West’s publications. His son Samuel pursued portrait painting and created a lithographic likeness of West that appeared within the ‘Recollections.’
Among his significant contributions are: 1. ‘’Tavern Anecdotes and Reminiscences’’ (1825), which investigates the origins of signs, clubs, coffee houses, and various city institutions. 2. ‘’Fifty Years' Recollections of an Old Bookseller’’ (1830), containing stories about authors, artists, actors, and the periodical press spanning fifty years; a second edition incorporated sketches of Captain Grose. 3. ‘’The History, Topography, and Directory of Warwickshire’’ (1830), merging historical narratives with local directories and cartographic material. 4. ‘’Picturesque Views and Descriptions’’ (1830–31), a two-volume set focusing on Staffordshire and Shropshire, featuring illustrations by Calvert. 5. ‘’Three Hundred and Fifty Years' Retrospection of an old Bookseller’’ (1835), which supplements his earlier memoirs by including insights into printing history. 6. ‘’Description of some of the principal Paintings, Machinery, Models… at the Leeds Public Exhibition’’ (1839), co-written with E. Baines Jr. 7. Editor of ‘’The Aldine Magazine’’ (1838–39), contributing letters that provide perspectives on contemporary bookselling practices.
West’s body of work demonstrates a deliberate emphasis on regional topography combined with antiquarian book trade expertise, utilizing familial artistic resources alongside his extensive professional background to cater to specialized historical and bibliographic readerships.