Stephen Jones (1763–1827) was an English

literary editor A literary editor is an editor in a newspaper, magazine or similar publication who deals with aspects concerning literature and books, especially reviews.

, best known for his revision of the '' Biographia Dramatica''.

Life

Eldest son of Giles Jones, secretary to the York Buildings Water Company, and nephew of Griffith Jones (1722–1786), he was born in London in 1763, and admitted to

St Paul's School, London (''By Faith and By Learning'') , established = , closed = , type = Independent school Public school , religion = Church of England , president = , he ...

on 24 April 1775. He was first placed under a sculptor, but afterwards apprenticed to a printer in

Fetter Lane Fetter Lane is a street in the ward of Farringdon Without in the City of London. It forms part of the A4 road and runs between Fleet Street at its southern end and Holborn. History The street was originally called Faytor or Faiter Lane, then Fe ...

. On the expiration of his indentures he became a corrector for the press. He was employed by William Strahan for four years, and afterwards by Thomas Wright in Peterborough Court. On Wright's death, in March 1797, he undertook the editorship of the ''

Whitehall Evening Post The ''Whitehall Evening Post'' was a London newspaper, founded in September 1718 by Daniel Defoe. The newspaper was initially published on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Defoe left it in June 1720, but it continued to exist until the end of ...

''; with the decline of that journal he was appointed to the management, and became part proprietor, of the ''General Evening Post''; which also declined in circulation, and was ultimately merged in the ''St. James's Chronicle.'' From 1797 to 1814 he compiled from the newspapers and other periodicals an amusing annual volume entitled ‘The Spirit of the Public Journals,’ of which a new series, with illustrations by

George Cruikshank George Cruikshank (27 September 1792 – 1 February 1878) was a British caricaturist and book illustrator, praised as the "modern Hogarth" during his life. His book illustrations for his friend Charles Dickens, and many other authors, reached ...

, appeared in 1823–5. On the death of

Isaac Reed Isaac Reed (1 January 1742 – 5 January 1807) was an English Shakespearean editor. Biography The son of a baker, he was born in London. He was articled to a solicitor, and eventually set up as a conveyancer at Staple Inn, where he had a large p ...

, in 1807, he became editor of the ''

European Magazine ''The European Magazine'' (sometimes referred to as ''European Magazine'') was a monthly magazine published in London. Eighty-nine semi-annual volumes were published from 1782 until 1826. It was launched as the ''European Magazine, and London Re ...

''; a committed

freemason Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

, for some years he ran the ''Freemasons' Magazine''. In the end he had little literary employment. He died in Upper King Street, now

Southampton Row The A4200 is a major thoroughfare in central London. It runs between the A4 at Aldwych, to the A400 Hampstead Road/ Camden High Street, at Mornington Crescent tube station. Kingsway Kingsway is a major road in central London, desig ...

, Holborn, on 20 Dec. 1827. He married his first cousin, Christian, daughter of his uncle Griffith Jones.

Works

His main publications are: * ''Monthly Beauties'', 1793. * ''The History of Poland'', 1795. * ''A new Biographical Dictionary in Miniature'', 2nd edit., London, 1796; 3rd edit., 1799; 4th edit., 1802; 5th edit., 1805; 6th edit., 1811; 8th edit., 1840. * ''Masonic Miscellanies, in poetry and prose'', London, 1797. * ''Sheridan Improved. A general Pronouncing and Explanatory Dictionary of the English Language'', London, 1798; 9th edit., London, 1804; stereotype edit., revised, London, 1816. * ''Gray's Poetical Works, with illustrations'', 1800. * ''The Life and Adventures of a Fly'' 800? * ''Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy'', an edition in 2 vols., 1800. * ''Dr. John Blair's Chronology, continued to 1802'', London, 1803. * A new edition of Thomas Davies's ''Life of Garrick'', with additions, 2 vols., 1808. * ''Biographia Dramatica; or a Companion to the Playhouse: containing Historical and Critical Memoirs and Original Anecdotes of British and Irish Dramatic Writers. … Originally compiled to the year 1764 by David Erskine Baker, continued thence to 1782 by

, and brought down to the end of November 1811, with very considerable Additions and Improvements throughout, by Stephen Jones'', 3 vols. in 4, London, 1812. This edition superseded the former editions of 1764 and 1782. It was criticised by Octavius Gilchrist in the ''

Quarterly Review The ''Quarterly Review'' was a literary and political periodical founded in March 1809 by London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River ...

'', and the attack elicited from Jones a pamphlet entitled ''Hypercriticism Exposed'' (1812). * ''A Vindication of Masonry from a charge of having given rise to the French Revolution'', in George Oliver's ''Golden Remains of the early Masonic Writers'', London, 1847, iii. 246.

References

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Stephen 1763 births 1827 deaths Writers from London British literary editors