Anne (Barnes) Dodd (''c.'' 1685–1739) was the most famous

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

news seller and pamphlet shop proprietor in the 18th century. In 1708, she married a Nathaniel Dodd, who had purchased a stationer's license. Nathaniel and Anne set up their shop at the sign of the Peacock outside Temple Bar in late 1711, and the shop would operate successfully for nearly half a century afterward. Nathaniel was the ''de jure'' owner of the business, but Anne's was the only name to appear on the imprints for the

wholesale Wholesaling or distributing is the sale of goods or merchandise to retailers; to industrial, commercial, institutional or other professional business users; or to other wholesalers (wholesale businesses) and related subordinated services. In ...

and retail sale of newspapers and pamphlets. Nathaniel would purchase newspapers and pamphlets in bulk from printers and then sell them to the street hawkers as well as offer them to public sale in the shop at the Peacock. In October 1723, Nathaniel died, and Anne became the legal as well as effective owner of the business. During this period, printers and book sellers, as well as authors, were prosecuted for dissemination of politically vexatious works. The government summoned Nathaniel Dodd twice, once in connection with

Nathaniel Mist Nathaniel Mist (died 30 September 1737) was an 18th-century British printer and journalist whose ''Mist's Weekly Journal'' was the central, most visible, and most explicit opposition newspaper to the whig administrations of Robert Walpole. Whe ...

's ''Mist's Weekly Journal,'' and Anne Dodd was similarly prosecuted. She was imprisoned in 1728 for selling anti-ministry pamphlets, and she made the plea at the time that she carried and sold many more pro-ministry papers than anti-ministry ones and that she was merely selling what the people wanted. Also in 1728,

Alexander Pope Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 O.S. – 30 May 1744) was an English poet, translator, and satirist of the Enlightenment era who is considered one of the most prominent English poets of the early 18th century. An exponent of Augustan literature, ...

feigned the imprint of Anne Dodd for the early versions of ''

The Dunciad ''The Dunciad'' is a landmark, mock-heroic, narrative poem by Alexander Pope published in three different versions at different times from 1728 to 1743. The poem celebrates a goddess Dulness and the progress of her chosen agents as they bri ...

,'' probably as an extension of the poem's

parody A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its sub ...

of the emerging culture of hack-written political papers rather than as a satire on Mrs. Dodd herself. When she died in October 1739, she left very generous sums to her three daughters. To her eldest daughter, already married, she left £500, and she left her two younger daughters £600 each, as well as her jewels and the shop lease. Her youngest daughter, also named Anne, continued operating the shop, and

Henry Fielding Henry Fielding (22 April 1707 – 8 October 1754) was an English novelist, irony writer, and dramatist known for earthy humour and satire. His comic novel ''Tom Jones'' is still widely appreciated. He and Samuel Richardson are seen as founders ...

refers to the impressive array of dour looking newspapers stacked in the racks of Anne Dodd's shop in '' The Covent Garden Journal'' in 1752.

References

* Treadwell, Michael. "Anne Dodd". In Matthew, H.C.G. and Brian Harrison, eds. ''

The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

.'' vol. 16, 387. London:

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dodd, Anne 1720s 18th-century British newspaper publishers (people) 1685 births 1739 deaths 18th-century English businesswomen 18th-century English businesspeople

See also

References

External links