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 943

HISTORY OF PRINTING.

1836, Due. Died, Ma. Attwood, proprietor and printer of the Litenuy Tinui, which he had established two months before in London. Mr. Attwood's death was caused by his taking on ounce cf Pnuric acid, sufficient to hare caused the death of an elephant. Pecuniary embarrass- ment, it was said, led to the fatal catastrophe.

1836, Dee. 18. Died, Robert Bickerstaff, formerly a bookseller in the Strand, London. He was the younsest son of Mr. Edward Bicker- staff, who held a situation in the excise, and resided at Eastwick, in Hertfordshire. He was apprenticed to Mr. Macfarlane, bookbinder, in Snire-lane, London, and was afterwards assistant to Mr. W. Broome, bookseller, of the Strand, to whose business he succeeded, in April, 1797, and which he carried on for twenty years, with the highest credit and integrity. He retired from business in January, 1818, with a moderate for- tune, acquired by his own industry, a portion of which he inTested in a goTemment life annuity. Since that time his principal occupation and amusement was to collect prints to illustrate a copy of the GeiUUtnan'i Mogatiiu, from its commencement, in 1731 to 1830. By his will, after bequeathing legacies to the amount of about £2640 to several fnends, he left the residue of his property, amounting to near £5,000 to the six oenerolent institutions following, in equal proporUons: — Literary Fund, National Society for educating the poor, Asylum for female or- phans Lambeth, Philanthropic Society, Refuge for the destitute, and Society for the relief of Small Debtors. As Mr. Bickerstaff left no near relatives, we think he showed great judgment in heading his list of charities by the LiUrary Ftmd. As a hookteller he had obtained his fortune by the abilities of learned men ; and at his death he returned a portion of his substance to a society which, witn equal promptitude and delicacy administered to the necessities of the unfortimate scholar. Some of the brightest names in cotemporary literatttre have been beholden to the bounty of this praiseworthy institution, and in numerous instances its inter- ference has shielded friendless merit from utter ruin. The same grateful feelings for authors in distress seem to have actuated the minds of three eminent printers recently deceased: — Andrew Strahan gave to the Literary Fund, during his life-time, the munificent donation of £1000 three per cents.; and at his death £1000 sterling, free of legacy duty. Mr. Bulmer be- queathed to the society £60, and Mr. alder- man Crowder £37 5s. The company of station- ers also, as a body, contribute £20 annually to the Literary Funa. Mr, Bickerstaff died at his lodgings, in Great Ormond-street, aged 77 years, and his body was conveyed for interment to the grave of his parents, at Eastwick, Hertfordshire. 1835, Dec. 22. Died, Edmund Fry, M.D., the eminent type-founder, of London. This gentleman was one of the society of friends. He was originally bred to the medical profession ; but was more generally known as an eminent, and perhaps the most learned type-founder of

his time. His foundrf was in Typcstnet, Cb. well-street. The Enbetmctnre of the oulU. ment (as we team from a circnlar moei liyDi Fry, in 1826, on his making known hi> iri^ c retire from business,) was laid alwBt 1764; commencing with improved imituions of Be. kerville's founts, in aU sizes -, but tbey did m meet with enoonragement from the jntn. whose offices were generally stored whl tk Caslon founts, formed of the Dntcfa modek Di Fry, therefore, commenced bis iniitatian rf fc Chiswell-street foundry, established by tk( ale. brated WiUiam Caslon, which he compltiiii < a vast expense, and with a very sstis&ckn encouragement. But at this period, wiut^ doctor Mils " a rude, pemicions, and nml m. classical innovating system," wasconiiiKiMtd)i the introduction of various fanciful lettes. El imitation of the Baskerville and Caskm nps were, in consequence of this revolution, hij ti for ever ; but no instance occurred to the s!» tive observation of Dr. Fry, where axt foiBtsI book letter, on the present, have bea ixi equal in service, or nearly so agreetbk to t!t. reauier, as the true Caslon-shaped Elxertitr^ and in this sentiment, (says the editor of it Gentleman't Magazine, from which tlrii iitil is taken,) we coincide with Dr. Fit. WVsisI eminent printer, the late William Bowjei,^* instruction to Joseph Jackson to cut his Pica Greek, he used to say, ** Those is use, were no more Greek than they wereEssiiljR Were he now living, it is likely be wosU s|( have any reason to alter that opinion. !t Great ftimer script, which it must be adwl ledged is the ru phu ullra of eveir eioit of i letter-founder in imitation of vniting, wtsn for the proprietor by the celebrated Fmnin D« at Paris; the matrices are of steel, andlWJ pressions from the punches sunk in intuiit Dr. Fry retired from business with a verj do provision. He was an old member of tbc i doners' company. In 1799, he pnUiski work, in strict connexion with his piofas Pantoffraphia, containing copiet cfaUAth^ alphahett in the world, together icith e» En^ explanation of the peculiar form of ttek H to tahich are added, ipecimens of all the a^ eated oral languagei, forming a tttfrAa Digest of Phonology. 8vo. The work two hundred alphabets, amongst vhidi eighteen varieties of the Cfaaldee, and lu than thirty-two of the Greek.

1836, Jan. 1. The CoUmitt ; or, Vt Journal of politiet, commerce, agriedtmt, rature, science, and religion, for the evH[ New South Wales, No. 1. This neiw was established by John Dunmore Laing.D senior minister of the Scots church, m cipal of the Australian college, Sydney.*

1836, Jan. 7. The Watehvum, No. 1. L printed and published by William Gavtits^

• Tar a state of the press in that ooknr. At referred to An Hittorieai and StMtiatieml Aat^'r South Wale; bath at a Ptnul SMIemtmt, aimt» Cotonf, bv Dr. Lalng. Two vols. imo. !/■«■. '"- 1

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