''The Gentleman's Magazine'' was a monthly magazine founded in London, England, by

Edward Cave Edward Cave (27 February 1691 – 10 January 1754) was an English printer, editor and publisher. He coined the term "magazine" for a periodical, founding ''The Gentleman's Magazine'' in 1731, and was the first publisher to successfully fashio ...

in January 1731. It ran uninterrupted for almost 200 years, until 1922. It was the first to use the term ''

magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...

'' (from the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

''magazine'', meaning "storehouse") for a periodical.

Samuel Johnson Samuel Johnson (18 September 1709 – 13 December 1784), often called Dr Johnson, was an English writer who made lasting contributions as a poet, playwright, essayist, moralist, critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer. The ''Oxford ...

's first regular employment as a writer was with ''The Gentleman's Magazine''.

History

The original complete title was ''The Gentleman's Magazine: or, Trader's monthly intelligencer''. Cave's innovation was to create a monthly digest of news and commentary on any topic the educated public might be interested in, from commodity prices to Latin poetry. It carried original content from a stable of regular contributors, as well as extensive quotations and extracts from other periodicals and books. Cave, who edited ''The Gentleman's Magazine'' under the

pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...

"Sylvanus Urban", was the first to use the term ''

'' (meaning "storehouse") for a periodical. Contributions to the magazine frequently took the form of letters, addressed to "Mr. Urban". The iconic illustration of St. John's Gate on the front of each issue (occasionally updated over the years) depicted Cave's home, in effect, the magazine's "office". Before the founding of ''The Gentleman's Magazine'', there were specialised journals, but no such wide-ranging publications (although there had been attempts, such as ''The Gentleman's Journal'', which was edited by

Peter Motteux Peter Anthony Motteux (born Pierre Antoine Motteux ; 25 February 1663 – 18 February 1718) was a French-born English author, playwright, and translator. Motteux was a significant figure in the evolution of English journalism in his era, as the ...

and ran from 1692 to 1694).

's first regular employment as a writer was with ''The Gentleman's Magazine''. During a time when parliamentary reporting was banned, Johnson regularly contributed parliamentary reports as "Debates of the Senate of Magna Lilliputia". Though they reflected the positions of the participants, the words of the debates were mostly Johnson's own. The name "

Columbia Columbia may refer to: * Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region in ...

", a poetic name for America coined by Johnson, first appears in a 1738 weekly publication of the debates of the British Parliament in the magazine. A skilled businessman, Edward Cave developed an extensive distribution system for ''The Gentleman's Magazine''. It was read throughout the English-speaking world and continued to flourish through the 18th century and much of the 19th century under a series of different editors and publishers. It went into decline towards the end of the 19th century and finally ceased general publication in September 1907. However, issues consisting of four pages each were printed in very small editions between late 1907 and 1922 in order to keep the title formally "in print".

Series

Gentleman's Magazine Volume One, Number One

*1731–1735 ''The Gentleman's Magazine'' or ''Monthly Intelligencer'' *1736–1833 ''The Gentleman's Magazine'' and Historical Chronicle *1834–1856 (June) New Series: ''The Gentleman's Magazine'' *1856 (July)–1868 (May) New Series: ''The Gentleman's Magazine'' and Historical Review *1868 (June)–1922 Entirely New Series: ''The Gentleman's Magazine''

Indexes

In addition to an index for each year of ''The Gentleman's Magazine'', which was usually published with the December issue of the magazine, a full index was compiled by the College of Arms and typed by the Genealogical Society of Utah. This 75-volume index, covering the years 1731–1850, gives the full name and an abbreviated reference to the date, event, and any other person(s) in each entry. The index is available at the Family History Library (FHL) under the call number 942 B2g Index, and is also available on microfilm (#599738–#599761) or microfiche (#6026701). In addition to the index, the FHL also has the magazine itself available in various formats. An abstract of the "chief contents of ''The Gentleman’s Magazine'' from 1731 to 1868" was published by George L. Gomme in 1891. He describes it as "excerpts from the original publications containing local history and information, topographical details, and family history are presented here, organized into volumes by county". Gomme's work has been digitised and indexed by

Ancestry.com Ancestry.com LLC is an American genealogy company based in Lehi, Utah. The largest for-profit genealogy company in the world, it operates a network of genealogical, historical records, and related genetic genealogy websites. In November 2018, ...

and is available online to Ancestry subscribers or at subscribing libraries. A four-volume set of indexes was compiled by Samuel Ayscough (Assistant Librarian of the British Museum) with some assistance or later editing by John Nichols and by Gabriel Richard. The contents of these indexes are given as: *Volume 1 – 1731 – 1786 (published by Samuel Ayscough) **Index to the essays, dissertations and historical passages (494 pp.) **Index to poetry (62 pp.) **Index to names (239 pp.) **Index to plates (10 pp.) **Index to books (118 pp.) *Volume 2 – 1787 – 1818 (published by John Nichols) **Index to the essays, dissertations and historical passages (486 pp.) **Index to poetry (57 pp.) **Index to names (519 pp.) **Index to plates (17 pp.) **Index to books (103 pp.) **Index to books announced (13 pp.) **Index to musical publications (3 pp.) *Volume 3 – 1731 – 1818 (published by John Nichols) **Index to plates (239 pp.) *Volume 4 – 1731 – 1780 (published by the British Record Society) **Index to names and surnames (687 pp.) Volume 2 includes an "Index of Names to the Marriages, Births, Deaths, Promotions, &c." covering 1731–1786, and volume 4 contains an "Index of Names of Persons" covering 1731–1818. The indexes are by surname only and are available online for free through Google Books: *Ayscough, Samuel; Nichols, John. "General Index to the ''Gentleman's Magazine''" Nichols, 1789. Vol. 2. Free digital version at Google Books (follow link to page 64, which is followed by the index, which is numbered as page 1). Indexes names from Vol. 1 "To the End of the LVIth Volume of the ''Gentleman’s Magazine''" and covers 1731–1786. *Ayscough, Samuel; Nichols, John. (sometimes Richard, Gabriel) "General Index to the ''Gentleman's Magazine'' 1787–1818" Nichols, 1821. Vol. 3. Free digital version at Google Books David Dobson gleaned references to American births, marriages, and deaths from ''The Gentleman's Magazine'' and published it as ''American Vital Records from the Gentleman's Magazine, 1731–1868'' (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1987). A few partial indexes to genealogical events in ''The Gentleman's Magazine'' are also available: *Fry, Edward Alexander. "Index to the Marriages in the ''Gentleman's Magazine'', 1731–1768" (London: .n. 1922) *Fry, Edward Alexander. "Index to the Biographical and Obituary Notices in ''Gentleman's Magazine'', 1731–1780" (London: British Records Society, 1891) *Marriages from ''The Gentleman's Magazine'' for the years 1731 to 1768 were included in ''Boyd's Marriage Index''. *Obituaries were included in ''Musgrave's Obituaries''. *Joseph Foster's index to marriages includes marriages from this periodical, as well as from ''The Times'' (1865–1880 only) and the Historical Register; but covers surname beginning Aa–Alexander only."Marriages of the Nobility and Gentry, 1650–1880", an article in ''Collectanea Genealogica, 1881–1885'' *

Bodleian Library The Bodleian Library () is the main research library of the University of Oxford, and is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. It derives its name from its founder, Sir Thomas Bodley. With over 13 million printed items, it is the second- ...

's Internet Library of Early Journals offers an online subject search tool for the years 1731–1750.

Authors of works published

* Mark Akenside (1721–1770), physician and poet * Henry Aldrich (1647–1710), English theologian and

philosopher A philosopher is a person who practices or investigates philosophy. The term ''philosopher'' comes from the grc, φιλόσοφος, , translit=philosophos, meaning 'lover of wisdom'. The coining of the term has been attributed to the Greek th ...

* Richard Allestree or Allestry (1619–1681), Royalist churchman and provost of Eton College from 1665 *

Anthony Alsop Anthony Alsop was born about 1670 and died in Winchester on 10 June 1726. He was a clergyman and Neo-Latin poet who sided with the Tory Party at the end of the Stuart era. His poetry was admired at the time but was eventually forgotten until a re ...

(d. 1726), Church of England clergyman and poetical writer * George Ashby (1724–1808), English learned

antiquary An antiquarian or antiquary () is an fan (person), aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artifact (archaeology), artifac ...

and sometime president of St. John's College, Cambridge *

Francis Atterbury Francis Atterbury (6 March 1663 – 22 February 1732) was an English man of letters, politician and bishop. A High Church Tory and Jacobite, he gained patronage under Queen Anne, but was mistrusted by the Hanoverian Whig ministries, and ban ...

(1663–1732), English man of letters, politician,

Bishop of Rochester The Bishop of Rochester is the ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of Rochester in the Province of Canterbury. The town of Rochester has the bishop's seat, at the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was foun ...

, and Dean of Westminster Abbey *

Samuel Badcock Samuel Badcock (1747–1788) was an English nonconformist minister, theological writer and literary critic. Life He was born at South Molton, Devon on 23 February 1747. His parents were dissenters, and he was educated in a school at Ottery St. Ma ...

(1747–1788), English

nonconformist Nonconformity or nonconformism may refer to: Culture and society * Insubordination, the act of willfully disobeying an order of one's superior *Dissent, a sentiment or philosophy of non-agreement or opposition to a prevailing idea or entity ** ...

minister, theological writer and literary critic * Henry Baker (1698–1774) *

John Bancks John Bancks (1709 – 19 April 1751), also known as John Banks, was an English writer. Bancks was born in Sonning, Berkshire, and became apprenticed to a weaver in Reading. He suffered an accident, and left the apprenticeship before completion, ...

(1709–1751), miscellaneous writer * Mary Barber (c. 1685–c. 1755), poet, mother of nine children, and a member of Swift's circle *

Samuel Bowden Samuel Bowden may refer to: * Samuel Bowden (poet) * Samuel Bowden (cricketer) * Samuel Bowden (Medal of Honor) {{hndis, Bowden, Samuel ...

(fl. 1733–1761), English physician and poet (alive in 1761 but deceased by 1778) * John Bowle (1725–1788), Church of England clergyman known as a writer on Spanish literature * Samuel Boyse (1708–1749), Irish poet * Peregrine Branwhite (1745–1795?), English poet * Anna Eliza Bray (1790–1883), British novelist * James Norris Brewer (fl. 1799–1829), English topographer and novelist *

James Shudi Broadwood James Shudi Broadwood (20 December 1772 – 8 August 1851) was a piano maker in Middlesex and a magistrate in Surrey. His son, Henry Fowler Broadwood (1811–1893), took control of the family piano-manufacturing business in 1836. He was also the ...

(1772–1851), piano maker in Middlesex and a magistrate in

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

* Rev.

Moses Browne Moses Browne (1703 – 13 September 1787), poet and cleric, suffers from uncertainty about the details of his birth. Some records suggest Severn Stoke in Worcestershire, but a London birth is more likely, as he became a pen-cutter in Clerkenwel ...

(1704–1787), Church of England priest and poet * Edward John Carlos (1798–1851), English antiquarian and writer on architecture *

Thomas Christie Thomas Christie (1761–1796) was a Scottish radical political writer during the late 18th century. He was one of the two original founders of the important liberal journal, the ''Analytical Review''. Life Christie was born to Alexander Chris ...

(1761–1796), radical political writer *

Charles Clarke (antiquary) Charles Clarke (died 1840) was an English antiquary. Life Clarke was appointed a clerk in the ordnance office at Chatham in 1783. Seven years later, he was transferred to Gravesend, and in 1800 to Guernsey, where he remained until his retirement ...

(died 1840), antiquarian * Rev.

John Darwall John Darwall (1731–1789) was an English clergyman and hymnodist. Born in the village of Haughton in Staffordshire, Darwall was educated at Manchester Grammar School and at Brasenose College, Oxford (which he entered at the age of 15), gradua ...

(1731–1789), Church of England clergyman and

hymnodist A hymnwriter (or hymn writer, hymnist, hymnodist, hymnographer, etc.) is someone who writes the text, music, or both of hymns. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, the composition of hymns dates back to before the time of David, who composed many of ...

* William Hepworth Dixon (1821–1879), English traveler, historian, author * Rev. John Duncombe (1729–1786) * Rev.

William Dunkin William Dunkin, D.D. (1709?–1765), was an Irish poet. Life William Dunkin was born in Dublin in around 1709. His parents died when he was young and he was left in early life to the charge of Trinity College, Dublin, by an aunt who left her ...

, D.D. (1709?–1765), Irish poet and Anglican clergyman * William Falconer (1732–1769), Scottish poet * Thomas Faulkner (1777–1855), topographer of Chelsea, Fulham, Kensington etc. *

James Frederic Ferguson James Frederic Ferguson (1807–1855) was an Irish antiquary. Life Ferguson was born at Charleston, South Carolina, in 1807. He was of French descent, son of Jacques Frédéric Jaquemain, a native of Cambrai. During the time of the French Revo ...

(1807–1855), Irish

born in

Charleston Charleston most commonly refers to: * Charleston, South Carolina * Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital * Charleston (dance) Charleston may also refer to: Places Australia * Charleston, South Australia Canada * Charleston, Newfoundlan ...

, South Carolina * Thomas Fisher (1772–1826) * Rev.

George Glasse George Henry Glasse (1761–1809) was a notable Oxford Greek and Latin scholar, domestic chaplain to the Duke of Cambridge. Biography Glasse was the son of Dr. Samuel Glasse, rector of St. Mary's in Hanwell, London and grew up in the rectory. ...

(1761–1809), chaplain and a Fellow of the Royal Society * Sir Andrew Halliday (1782–1839), Scottish physician, reformer, and writer * Sir

John Hawkins John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

(1719–1789), English author and friend of

and

Horace Walpole Horatio Walpole (), 4th Earl of Orford (24 September 1717 – 2 March 1797), better known as Horace Walpole, was an English writer, art historian, man of letters, antiquarian, and Whigs (British political party), Whig politician. He had Strawb ...

* Rev. William Hawkins (1722–1801), English clergyman, poet, and dramatist *

Susanna Highmore Susanna Highmore (née Hiller) (1690 – 18 November 1750) was an English poet with a relatively small literary output. She was the wife of Joseph Highmore, whom she married on 28 May 1716. She was listed as "an heiress", while Joseph Highmore ...

(1690–1750), minor British poet *

(1709–1784) *

Andrew Kippis Andrew Kippis (28 March 17258 October 1795) was an English nonconformist clergyman and biographer. Life The son of Robert Kippis, a silk-hosier, he was born at Nottingham. Having gone to Carre's Grammar School in Sleaford, Lincolnshire he pass ...

(1725–1795), English

clergyman and biographer * Rev. John Langhorne (1735–1779), Church of England clergyman, poet and co-translator of Plutarch's '' Lives'' * William Lauder (c. 1680–1771), Scottish literary forger; article on

John Milton John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet and intellectual. His 1667 epic poem '' Paradise Lost'', written in blank verse and including over ten chapters, was written in a time of immense religious flux and political ...

's ''

Paradise Lost ''Paradise Lost'' is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton (1608–1674). The first version, published in 1667, consists of ten books with over ten thousand lines of verse (poetry), verse. A second edition fo ...

'' was largely a

plagiarism Plagiarism is the fraudulent representation of another person's language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions as one's own original work.From the 1995 '' Random House Compact Unabridged Dictionary'': use or close imitation of the language and thought ...

of earlier works * Sir Sidney Lee (1859–1926) * John Lockman (1698–1771), English author *

Michael Lort Michael Lort (1725–1790) was a Welsh clergyman, academic and antiquary. Life The descendant of a Pembrokeshire family living at Prickeston, he was eldest son of Roger Lort, major of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, who married Anne, only child of Edw ...

(1725–1790), Welsh clergyman, academic, and

* William Markham (1719–1807), English divine and archbishop of York * Arthur Murphy (1727–1805), Irish writer *

Laetitia Pilkington Laetitia Pilkington (born Laetitia van Lewen; ''c.'' 1709 – 29 July 1750) was an Anglo-Irish poet. She is known for her ''Memoirs'' which document much of what is known about Jonathan Swift. Life Early years Laetitia was born of two dist ...

(c.1709 to 1750), Dublin-born author and friend of Jonathan Swift * Robert Riccaltoun (1691–1769), Scottish Presbyterian divine and friend of poet James Thomson (1700–1748) * William Roscoe (1753–1831), English historian and miscellaneous writer; poetry by him first appeared in the magazine in 1807 * Richard Savage (c. 1697–1743), English poet *

George Stephens George Stephens may refer to: *George Stephens (playwright) (1800–1851), English author and dramatist *George Stephens (philologist) (1813–1895), British archaeologist and philologist, who worked in Scandinavia * George Washington Stephens, Sr. ...

(1813–1895), English archeologist and philologist who worked in Scandinavia * Jonathan Swift (1667–1745), Anglo-Irish satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer (first for the Whigs, then for the Tories), poet and cleric who became Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin * Captain

Philip Thicknesse Captain Philip Thicknesse (1719 – 23 November 1792) was an English author, eccentric, and friend of the artist Thomas Gainsborough. He wrote several travel guides. Early life Philip Thicknesse was born in Staffordshire, England, son of John ...

(1719–1792) * James Thomson (1700–1748), Scottish poet and playwright best known for his masterpiece '' The Seasons'' and the lyrics of " Rule, Britannia!" *

Nigel Tourneur Nigel Tourneur was the pseudonym of a fin de siecle writer who is best known for his work ''Hidden Witchery'', a collection of seven short stories and a short prose drama. Set in the indeterminate past, these sensually charged stories are concerned ...

(18??–18??), pseudonym of a fin de siècle writer known for one work only—''Hidden Witchery'', a collection of seven short stories and a short prose drama *

Thomas Tyrwhitt Thomas Tyrwhitt (; 27 March 173015 August 1786) was an English classical scholar and critic. Life He was born in London, where he also died. He was educated at Eton College and Queen's College, Oxford. He was elected a fellow of Merton College ...

(1730–1786), English classical scholar and

critic A critic is a person who communicates an assessment and an opinion of various forms of creative works such as art, literature, music, cinema, theater, fashion, architecture, and food. Critics may also take as their subject social or governmen ...

Michael Tyson (antiquary) Michael Tyson (1740–1780) was an English Anglican priest, academic, antiquary, and artist. Life He was born in Stamford, Lincolnshire on 19 November 1740, the only child of Michael Tyson (d. 22 February 1794, aged 83), dean of Stamford and ar ...

(1740–1780), Church of England clergyman, academic, antiquary and artist *

Richard Weston (botanist) Richard Weston (1733 – 20 October 1806) was an English botanist. Life and work Weston was originally a thread-hosier of Leicester, but in some of his anonymous works describes himself as "a country gentleman". In 1773, he was living at Kensing ...

(1733–1806) *

Charles Woodmason Charles Woodmason ( – March 1789) was an author, poet, Anglican clergyman, American loyalist, and west gallery psalmodist. He is best remembered for his journal documenting life on the South Carolina frontier in the late 1760s, and for ...

(c. 1720–1789), English-born American poet * Edward Young (1681–1765), English poet, best remembered for '' Night-Thoughts''

Associated artists, painters, topographers

* James Norris Brewer (fl. 1799–1829) English topographer and novelist * Thomas Faulkner (1775–1855), topographer * John Gibson (1750–1792), cartographer * Moses Griffith (1749–1819), Welsh draughtsman, engraver, and water colourist *

William George Moss William is a masculine given name of Norman French origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conques ...

, chief illustrator c.1819 *

Bartholomew Howlett Bartholomew Howlett (1767–1827), was an English draughtsman and engraver. Howlett was born in Louth in Lincolnshire in 1767. He was the son, by his first marriage, of Bartholomew Howlett, a native of Norfolk, who was settled at Louth. Howle ...

(1767–1827), English draughtsman and engraver *

Samuel Rawle Samuel Rawle (1771–1860) was an English topographical engraver and draughtsman. He practised in London. From 1798, he engraved many plates for the ''European Magazine'' and ''Gentleman's Magazine''. Later he was employed on some of the major top ...

(1771–1860), English topographical engraver and draughtsman

References

External links

* *
''The Gentleman's Magazine''
archives at Internet Archive.
''The Gentleman's Magazine''
archives at Google Books.
Bodleian Internet Library of Early Journals: A digital library of 18th and 19th Century journals
including ''The Gentleman's Magazine'', vols 1–20 (1731–50)

*''A Selection of Curious Articles from the Gentleman's Magazine'', John Walker,

Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme and Brown Longman, also known as Pearson Longman, is a publishing company founded in London, England, in 1724 and is owned by Pearson PLC. Since 1968, Longman has been used primarily as an imprint by Pearson's Schools business. The Longman brand is also ...

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gentlemans Magazine, The 1731 establishments in England 1922 disestablishments in England Defunct magazines published in the United Kingdom Magazines published in England Magazines established in 1731 Magazines disestablished in 1922 Magazines published in London News magazines published in the United Kingdom