Uriah Maggs (c. 1828 – September 1913) was the founder in 1853 of

Maggs Bros Ltd Maggs Bros. Ltd. is one of the longest-established antiquarian booksellers in the world, established in 1853 by Uriah Maggs, born c. 1828 in Midsomer Norton, Somerset. All four of Uriah's sons eventually joined the business, taking over on his re ...

, antiquarian booksellers in London.

Early life

Uriah Maggs was born in Midsomer Norton,

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

circa 1828. In about 1850, he and his father left to start a new life in London.

Career

After several failed business ventures, Maggs took up bookselling, founding

. He traded first from his own home, but later opened his first bookshop in 1855 at 44 Westbourne Terrace North, Paddington. He also ran a circulating library and hired out newspapers. From Westbourne Terrace North the business was moved after several years to Church Street, Paddington Green, a site now occupied by the Children's Hospital. At the end of 1894, Maggs retired, leaving the business in the hands of his two elder sons, Benjamin and Henry.

Death and legacy

Maggs died in September 1913. His shop moved premises to 50 Berkeley Square in London in 1938, where it is still based and run by the Maggs family.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maggs, Uriah 1828 births 1913 deaths British booksellers Antiquarian booksellers People from Midsomer Norton Businesspeople from London 19th-century English businesspeople