Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 34.djvu/192

 nual catalogue was made up, the first appearing in 1839. Upon these annual catalogues Low based his ‘British Catalogue,’ the first volume of which, containing titles under authors' names of all books issued between 1837 and 1852, was published in 1853; it was continued as the ‘English Catalogue,’ of which vol. i. (1835–63) appeared in 1864; vol. ii. (1863–72) in 1873; vol. iii. (1872–1880) in 1882. Subject indexes were issued in 1858, covering from 1837 to 1857; and in 1876 (covering from 1856 to 1876). Low was also manager of a society for the protection of retail booksellers against undersellers until the dissolution of the society in 1852. In 1848 he, in conjunction with his eldest son, opened a publishing office at the corner of Red Lion Court, Fleet Street. In 1852 they removed to 47 (and later to 14) Ludgate Hill, where, with the aid of David Bogue, an American department was opened. In 1856 Mr. Edward Marston became a partner, and Bogue retired. The firm removed in 1867 to 188 Fleet Street, in 1887 to St. Dunstan's House, Fetter Lane.

Low found time for aiding many philanthropic undertakings. With his son he was mainly instrumental in establishing in 1843 the Royal Society for the Protection of Life from Fire, and gave it careful attendance till 1867, when it was taken over by the Metropolitan Board of Works. From its foundation in 1837 he took the deepest interest in the Booksellers' Provident Institution, serving on the committee and acting as a vice-president. About 1844 he made the acquaintance of Fletcher Harper of New York, and became his literary agent and correspondent, and one of the chief American booksellers in London. He retired from business in 1875, and died at 41 Mecklenburgh Square on 16 April 1886, being buried in Highgate cemetery on 22 April. His wife, Mary, died 26 May 1881, in her eighty-fourth year. Of his sons, Sampson Low, jun., born in London on 6 July 1822, although a great invalid, took a considerable share in the business. He compiled a work entitled ‘The Charities of London, comprehending the Benevolent, Educational, and Religious Institutions, their Origin and Design, Progress, and Present Position,’ 1850, of which corrected editions appeared in 1854, 1862, 1863, and 1870. He died at 41 Mecklenburgh Square 5 March 1871 (Publishers' Circular. 16 March 1871, p. 175). Low's second son, William Henry Low, after the death of his brother, took an active share in the publishing business; he died 25 Sept. 1881.

Sampson Low the elder was the author, compiler, and editor of the following works: 1. ‘Low's Comparative Register of the House of Commons 1827 to 1841,’ 1841. 2. ‘Low's Comparative and Historical Register of the House of Commons 1841 to 1847,’ 1847. 3. ‘Index to Current Literature, comprising a Reference to every Book in the English Language as published, and to original Literary Articles,’ 1859–60 (eight numbers only). 4. ‘Low's Literary Almanack and Illustrated Souvenir for 1873,’ 1873.

[Publishers' Circular, 16 May 1879, No. 100, 1 June 1881 p. 435, 1 Oct. 1881 p. 763, 1 May 1866 pp. 431–3, with portrait; Bookseller, 3 May 1886, pp. 418–20; Times, 21 April 1886, p. 9.]  LOW, WILLIAM (1814–1886), civil engineer, born at Rothesay, Bute, 11 Dec. 1814. After serving a regular pupilage under Peter Macquiston, civil engineer and surveyor, Glasgow, he was engaged under Brunel in the construction of the Great Western Railway. Upon the completion of that work he returned to Glasgow, and entered into partnership with his former master, which continued until the death of the latter about 1847. Low then started in business on his own account at Wrexham, where he had a large practice as a colliery engineer. For many years he had charge of the Vron colliery, near Cefn, Denbighshire, and he was also a colliery proprietor in South Wales. He was greatly interested in the Channel tunnel, and in 1867 he had an interview with the Emperor Napoleon, shortly after which a company was formed, of which Lord Richard Grosvenor was chairman. Sir John Hawkshaw and Mr. James Brunlees were afterwards associated with Low in the engineering department, but the outbreak of the Franco-German war put an end to the scheme for a time. It was resumed in 1882 by Sir Edward Watkin. Low was elected a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers in December 1867, and in 1873 he contributed the results of his investigations on the subject of the Channel tunnel in the course of a discussion on Prestwich's paper on the geological aspects of the question (Proc. Inst. Civ. Eng. xxxvii. 147). In the same year he published a tract ‘On the Ventilation of the Channel Tunnel after completion.’ He gave much attention to the question of railway communication with India, and in conjunction with George Thomas he published in 1871 a tract, ‘The proposed England and India Railway,’ and in 1876 ‘Considerations respecting the Regeneration of Turkey,’ which contained a proposal for a railway from Constantinople to Kurachee. He was also the author of ‘A Letter to Lord John Russell explanatory of a Financial Scheme for ex-