John Hatchard (1769–1849) was an English publisher and bookseller, in Piccadilly, London. The

Hatchards Hatchards claims to be the oldest bookshop in the United Kingdom, founded on Piccadilly in 1797 by John Hatchard. After one move, it has been at the same location on Piccadilly next to Fortnum & Mason since 1801, and the two stores are also nei ...

bookshop there is still in business.

Early life

Hatchard had a trial at the works of the printer

Thomas Bensley Thomas Bensley (1759–1835) was an English printer known for fine work, and as a collaborator of Friedrich Koenig. He was an innovator in the fields of steam-powered printing presses, and lithography for book illustration. Life Bensley, the son o ...

. He then served on apprenticeship, with John Ginger of College Street, Westminster. He later became an assistant to Thomas Payne of Mews Gate, and went into business on his own account taking over the bookshop at 173 Piccadilly, London formerly run by Richard White. where he also became a distributor for the Cheap Repository Tracts. Starting there in 1797, he had the largest business in the retail book trade in London after four years. In 1801 Hatchard moved from 173 Piccadilly to No. 189–190; in 1820 that number was changed to 187. The original shop at 173 was demolished in 1810, replaced by the

Egyptian Hall The Egyptian Hall in Piccadilly, London, was an exhibition hall built in the ancient Egyptian style in 1812, to the designs of Peter Frederick Robinson. The Hall was a considerable success, with exhibitions of artwork and of Napoleonic era re ...

Bookseller and publisher

The publication of a pamphlet ''Reform or Ruin: Take your Choice'' (1797), by John Bowdler in 1797 was the start of a long publishing career. Hatchard's views were conservative and

evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual expe ...

, and he became the main publisher for works associated with the

Clapham Sect The Clapham Sect, or Clapham Saints, were a group of social reformers associated with Clapham in the period from the 1780s to the 1840s. Despite the label "sect", most members remained in the established (and dominant) Church of England, which ...

. Rivington's, London publishers with a hold on

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...

-related trade, had set their face against the rise of Methodist and evangelical views; Hatchard gained both in terms of publishing work, and also with his shop becoming a social centre. William Connor Sydney wrote:

William Wilberforce William Wilberforce (24 August 175929 July 1833) was a British politician, philanthropist and leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade. A native of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, he began his political career in 1780, eventually becom ...
,
Samuel Rogers Samuel Rogers (30 July 1763 – 18 December 1855) was an English poet, during his lifetime one of the most celebrated, although his fame has long since been eclipsed by his Romantic colleagues and friends Wordsworth, Coleridge and Byron. ...
,
Clayton Mordaunt Cracherode Clayton Mordaunt Cracherode (1730–1799) was an English book and old master print collector, and a major benefactor of the British Museum. Life His father, Colonel Mordaunt Cracherode, later a general, had command of the marines in George Anso ...
,
Sir Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy' ...
,
Sir John Hawkins Sir John Hawkins (also spelled Hawkyns) (1532 – 12 November 1595) was a pioneering English naval commander, naval administrator and privateer. He pioneered, and was an early promoter of, English involvement in the Atlantic slave trade. Hawk ...
, Porson,
Steevens Steevens is an English surname, and may refer to: * Charles Steevens (?–1761), British naval officer in the Siege of Pondicherry * George Steevens (1736–1800), English Shakespearean commentator * G. W. Steevens George Warrington " ...
, Lord Spencer,
Malone Malone is an Irish surname. From the Irish "''Mael Eóin''", the name means a servant or a disciple of Saint John. People * Gilla Críst Ua Máel Eóin (died 1127), historian and Abbot of Clonmacnoise, Ó Maoil Eoin * Adrian Malone (1937–2 ...
, Windham,
Hannah More Hannah More (2 February 1745 – 7 September 1833) was an English religious writer, philanthropist, poet and playwright in the circle of Johnson, Reynolds and Garrick, who wrote on moral and religious subjects. Born in Bristol, she taught at a ...
,
George Crabbe George Crabbe ( ; 24 December 1754 – 3 February 1832) was an English poet, surgeon and clergyman. He is best known for his early use of the realistic narrative form and his descriptions of middle and working-class life and people. In the 177 ...
, were among those who frequented Hatchard's back parlour.
Sydney Smith Sydney Smith (3 June 1771 – 22 February 1845) was an English wit, writer, and Anglican cleric. Early life and education Born in Woodford, Essex, England, Smith was the son of merchant Robert Smith (1739–1827) and Maria Olier (1750–1801) ...
writing in the '' Edinburgh Review'' in 1810, described Hatchard's visitors as "a set of well-dressed, prosperous gentlemen, assembling daily at the shop well in with the people in power, delighted with every existing institution and with every existing circumstance."

Hatchard was appointed bookseller to

Queen Charlotte Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Sophia Charlotte; 19 May 1744 – 17 November 1818) was Queen of Great Britain and of Ireland as the wife of King George III from their marriage on 8 September 1761 until the union of the two kingdoms ...

and other members of the royal family. He published the ''

Christian Observer The ''Christian Observer'' was a London evangelical periodical, serving a readership in the Church of England. It appeared from 1802 to 1874. History The ''Christian Observer'' was founded by William Hey "in response to the dissenters' ''Leeds ...

'' from the first number in 1802 to 1845, when he retired from business. He also issued the publications of the Society for Bettering the Condition of the Poor, a venture of William Wilberforce,

Sir Thomas Bernard, 3rd Baronet Sir Thomas Bernard, 3rd Baronet (27 April 17501 July 1818) was an English social reformer whose father, as governor of the Province of New Jersey (1758-1760) and Province of Massachusetts Bay (1760–1770), played a responsible part in directing ...

and

Edward James Eliot Edward James Eliot (24 August 1758 – 20 September 1797) was an English Member of Parliament. Life Eliot was born in Cornwall, the son of Catherine (''c''.1735–1804), daughter and heir of Edward Elliston of Gestingthorpe, Essex, an East India ...

. He was one of the specialist publishers of the "evangelical novel".

Later life

In 1817 Hatchard was taken to court in a libel case, and fined £100. He was publisher of a Report of the

African Institution The African Institution was founded in 1807 after British abolitionists succeeded in ending the slave trade based in the United Kingdom. The Institution was formed to succeed where the former Sierra Leone Company had failed—to create a viabl ...

, which contained a story of a whipping of a pregnant slave on Antigua, which was found to be a fabrication. It reflected on the aides of Sir James Leith, the Governor of the Leeward Islands. Hatchard was defended by James Scarlett. Hatchard died at

Clapham Common Clapham Common is a large triangular urban park in Clapham, south London, England. Originally common land for the parishes of Battersea and Clapham, it was converted to parkland under the terms of the Metropolitan Commons Act 1878. It is of g ...

, 21 June 1849, aged 80. A memorial to Hatchard is located inside St Paul's Church, Clapham

Family

Hatchard married Elizabeth Lambert in 1790. They had two sons and three daughters. The elder son, John Hatchard, was vicar of

St. Andrew's, Plymouth The Minster Church of St Andrew, also known as St Andrew's Church, Plymouth is an Anglican church in Plymouth. It is the original parish church of Sutton, one of the three towns which were later combined to form the city of Plymouth. The church i ...

, and the second son, Thomas succeeded as head of the house of Hatchard & Son, booksellers and publishers, 187 Piccadilly. Their daughter Charlotte married the printer George Josiah Palmer, and was mother of George Josiah Palmer (1828–1892) of the ''

Church Times The ''Church Times'' is an independent Anglican weekly newspaper based in London and published in the United Kingdom on Fridays. History The ''Church Times'' was founded on 7 February 1863 by George Josiah Palmer, a printer. It fought for the ...

''. Of the two other daughters, Sophia married J. R. P. Bright, and Frances died unmarried aged 19, in 1831.

Notes

Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Hatchard, John 1769 births 1849 deaths English booksellers Publishers (people) from London English evangelicals People from the City of Westminster