Thomas Bellamy (1745–1800) was an English tradesman and writer.

Life

Bellamy was born at

Kingston-on-Thames Kingston upon Thames (hyphenated until 1965, colloquially known as Kingston) is a town in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, southwest London, England. It is situated on the River Thames and southwest of Charing Cross. It is notable as ...

, served an apprenticeship to a

hosier Hosiery, also referred to as legwear, describes garments worn directly on the feet and legs. The term originated as the collective term for products of which a maker or seller is termed a hosier; and those products are also known generically as h ...

Newgate Street, London Newgate was one of the historic seven gates of the London Wall around the City of London and one of the six which date back to Roman times. Newgate lay on the west side of the wall and the road issuing from it headed over the River Fleet to Mid ...

, and went into business on his own account. After 20 years he became a clerk in a bookseller's in

Paternoster Row Paternoster Row was a street in the City of London that was a centre of the London publishing trade, with booksellers operating from the street. Paternoster Row was described as "almost synonymous" with the book trade. It was part of an area cal ...

, leaving after a disagreement. In 1787 Bellamy started the ''General Magazine and Impartial Review'', which was published for some months. Another venture was ''Bellamy's Picturesque Magazine and Literary Museum'', which contained engraved portraits of living persons, with some account of their lives; but it was a commercial failure. Later he set up ''

The Monthly Mirror ''The Monthly Mirror'' was an English literary periodical, published from 1795 to 1811, founded by Thomas Bellamy, and later jointly owned by Thomas Hill and John Litchfield. It was published by Vernor & Hood from the second half of 1798. The ''M ...

'', which was mainly concerned with the stage, and established a circulating library. On the death of his mother Bellamy came into property, and retired from business. Seized with sudden illness he died, after four days' suffering, on 29 August 1800.

Other works

Some of the verse pieces in Bellamy's ''Miscellanies'' were dated 1763. He wrote: * ''The Benevolent Planters'', a dramatic piece performed at the Haymarket Theatre in 1789, and printed the same year. * ''Sadaski, or the Wandering Penitent'', 2 vols., 1798. * ''Lessons from Life, or Home Scenes''. * ''The Beggar Boy'', a novel in three volumes, published posthumously in 1801, with a biographical memoir of the author by Villa-Real Gooch. In 1794 Bellamy collected in two volumes moral tales which he had written for the ''General Magazine'', adding verses, unpublished tales, and a life of William Parsons the comedian. These ''Miscellanies in Prose and Verse'' were dedicated to

Charles Dibdin Charles Dibdin (before 4 March 1745 – 25 July 1814) was an English composer, musician, dramatist, novelist, singer and actor. With over 600 songs to his name, for many of which he wrote both the lyrics and the music and performed them himself, ...

; with whom the author later quarrelled.

References

;Attribution *

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bellamy, Thomas 1745 births 1800 deaths 18th-century English novelists People from Kingston upon Thames 18th-century English male writers 18th-century English writers English dramatists and playwrights English male dramatists and playwrights English male novelists