John Nourse (baptised 8 July 1705, in

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

– 24 April 1780, in London) was an English bookseller and book publisher noted for his publication of scientific books. He had dealings with a number of notable people including

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading inte ...

Education

He was the son of a surgeon and was educated at John Roysse's Free School, in Abingdon (now

Abingdon School Abingdon School is a day and boarding independent school for boys in Abingdon-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England. The twentieth oldest independent British school, it celebrated its 750th anniversary in 2006. The school was described as "highly ...

). He later became a Steward of the OA Club in 1747.

Career

Nourse became apprenticed to William Mears as a bookseller. His brother, the surgeon Charles Nourse took over the business when he died. His premises were at the

Old King's Arms The Old King's Arms was a tavern in the Strand, London, which was noted for hosting a masonic lodge which was linked to the Grand Lodge. In the 1730s it was renowned as an Enlightenment Lodge, but subsequently evolved more into a dining club. Ma ...

opposite Catherine Street on the

Strand, London Strand (or the Strand) is a major thoroughfare in the City of Westminster, Central London. It runs just over from Trafalgar Square eastwards to Temple Bar, where the road becomes Fleet Street in the City of London, and is part of the A4 ...

. He was licensed to publish the first ''Nautical Almanac and Astronomical Ephemeris'', dated 1766, but actually appearing in 1767, as evinced by correspondence between Nevil Maskelyne and Nourse. He died in

Kensington Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West End of London, West of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up b ...

and was buried at the University Church of St Mary the Virgin, Oxford on 2 May 1780. His will is in

The National Archives National archives are central archives maintained by countries. This article contains a list of national archives. Among its more important tasks are to ensure the accessibility and preservation of the information produced by governments, both ...

Kew Kew () is a district in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Its population at the 2011 census was 11,436. Kew is the location of the Royal Botanic Gardens ("Kew Gardens"), now a World Heritage Site, which includes Kew Palace. Kew is a ...

Education

Career

See also

References

Further reading