John Morphew (died 1720) was an English publisher. He was associated with significant literary and political publications of the early 18th century. At one point publishing for both Whig and

Tory A Tory () is a person who holds a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalism and conservatism, which upholds the supremacy of social order as it has evolved in the English culture throughout history. Th ...

factions, he later became identified with the Tories.

Life

Morphew as trade publisher (distributor) and

John Nutt John Nutt (before 1600 – after 1632) was an English pirate. He was one of the more notorious brigands of his time, raiding the coast of southern Canada and western England for over three years before his capture by Sir John Eliot in 1623. Hi ...

(printer) took over the business of Edward Jones when he died; this was in 1706. Previously Morphew had been a journeyman for Jones. At this period (i.e. from 1706) Morphew's name had replaced that of Nutt as imprint in most of

Jonathan Swift Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 – 19 October 1745) was an Anglo-Irish Satire, satirist, author, essayist, political pamphleteer (first for the Whig (British political party), Whigs, then for the Tories (British political party), Tories), poe ...

's works. In 1707 he began to publish periodicals. He also had a long working relationship with

Delarivier Manley Delarivier "Delia" Manley (1663 or c. 1670 – 24 July 1724) was an English author, playwright, and political pamphleteer. Manley is sometimes referred to, with Aphra Behn and Eliza Haywood, as one of "the fair triumvirate of wit", which is a la ...

In 1709 Morphew was arrested by the government, with John Barber, and the publisher John Woodward; the charge arose from the publication of the second volume of Manley's ''New Atalantis''. In 1710 he began publishing '' The Examiner'' for Swift. From 1710 also, Morphew, who was connected to the Tory administration, began working with

Edmund Curll Edmund Curll (''c.'' 1675 – 11 December 1747) was an English bookseller and publisher. His name has become synonymous, through the attacks on him by Alexander Pope, with unscrupulous publication and publicity. Curll rose from poverty to wealth ...

and producing political pamphlets.

George Sewell George Sewell (31 August 19242 April 2007) was an English actor, best known for his television roles, but also active on stage and in films. Early life and career The son of a Hoxton printer and a florist, Sewell left school at the age of 14 a ...

, who had worked for Morphew as a hack writer, left to work for Curll. He was also publisher of ''

The Tatler ''Tatler'' is a British magazine published by Condé Nast Publications focusing on fashion and lifestyle, as well as coverage of high society and politics. It is targeted towards the British upper-middle class and upper class, and those interes ...

'', the real person mentioned alongside the fictitious

Isaac Bickerstaff Isaac Bickerstaff Esq was a pseudonym used by Jonathan Swift as part of a hoax to predict the death of then famous Almanac–maker and astrologer John Partridge. “All Fools' Day” (now known as April Fools' Day which falls on 1 April) was Swif ...

. Morphew associated with the

Scriblerus Club The Scriblerus Club was an informal association of authors, based in London, that came together in the early 18th century. They were prominent figures in the Augustan Age of English letters. The nucleus of the club included the satirists Jonathan ...

, and had some status as printer to the Tory ministry of the last years of Queen Anne. He took on, at some point, the publication of Abel Roper's Tory paper the ''Post Boy'' (1714). Shortly after the

Hanoverian Succession The Act of Settlement is an Act of the Parliament of England that settled the succession to the English and Irish crowns to only Protestants, which passed in 1701. More specifically, anyone who became a Roman Catholic, or who married one, bec ...

in 1714 it gave offence to the government. At this juncture Roper denied active involvement; and Morphew backed him up by stating that for while he had not accounted for the ''Post Boys profits to Roper. Subsequently Morphew lost some of his predominance as trade publisher to James Roberts, who identified more with the Whig cause. Material published in the ''Post Boy'' in the sensitive area of Anglo-Swedish relations, after the 1716 Jacobite plotting, caused Morphew to be arrested again in February 1717.

Notes

External links

WorldCat page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morphew, John Year of birth missing 1720 deaths English publishers (people)