William Creech by Sir Henry Raeburn, SNPG

William Creech

FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This soci ...

(12 May 1745 – 14 January 1815) was a Scottish publisher, printer, bookseller and politician. For 40 years Creech was the chief publisher in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

. He published the first Edinburgh edition of

Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 175921 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who hav ...

' poems, and Sir John Sinclair's influential " Statistical Accounts of Scotland". In publishing Creech often went under the pseudonym of Theophrastus.

Life

William was the son of Rev William Creech, a minister in Newbattle,

Midlothian Midlothian (; gd, Meadhan Lodainn) is a historic county, registration county, lieutenancy area and one of 32 council areas of Scotland used for local government. Midlothian lies in the east-central Lowlands, bordering the City of Edinburgh, ...

and his wife, Mary Buley. His father died when he was four months old and William spent time with his mother in both Perth and Dalkeith. He was educated at

Dalkeith Dalkeith ( ; gd, Dail Cheith, IPA: �t̪alˈçe is a town in Midlothian, Scotland, on the River Esk. It was granted a burgh of barony in 1401 and a burgh of regality in 1540. The settlement of Dalkeith grew southwestwards from its 12th-cent ...

Grammar School then studied medicine at

Edinburgh University The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 1582 ...

. For two years (1766 to 1768) he travelled with William Strahan and

Thomas Cadell Colonel Thomas Cadell (5 September 1835 – 6 April 1919) was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. ...

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 Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

and the continent, both France and Holland. After some time back in

he went on a Grand Tour with Lord Kilmaurs in 1770, visiting France, Germany, Switzerland and Holland. His mother struck up a friendship with

Alexander Kincaid Alexander Kincaid (1710–1777) was an 18th-century Scottish printer and publisher who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh 1776/77. Life He was born on 17 March 1710 in Falkirk the son of James Kincaid of Bantaskine House and his wife Isabell Russ ...

and thereafter he trained as an apprentice printer in the firm of Kincaid & Bell. In 1771 he went into partnership with his former master (and erstwhile stepfather),

. Kincaid was a publisher (and later Lord Provost of Edinburgh) who had purchased Allan Ramsay's bookshop in the

Luckenbooths The Luckenbooths were a range of tenements which formerly stood immediately to the north of St. Giles' Kirk in the High Street of Edinburgh from the reign of King James II in the 15th century to the early years of the 19th century. They were de ...

next to

St. Giles Cathedral St Giles' Cathedral ( gd, Cathair-eaglais Naomh Giles), or the High Kirk of Edinburgh, is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in the Old Town, Edinburgh, Old Town of Edinburgh. The current building was begun in the 14th century and extended ...

. In 1773 Kincaid gave Creech the bookshop to concentrate on the printing side of his work. The building soon thereafter became known as "Creech's Land", Creech staying here for 44 years. Burn's poems were published from this building. He was elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was established i ...

in 1784 (in the first intake of members following its foundation in 1783). His proposers were

Andrew Dalzell Andrew Dalzell (sometimes shown as Andrew Dalzel or Andrew Dalziel) FRSE (1742–1806) was a Scottish scholar and prominent figure during the Scottish Enlightenment. In 1783 he was a co-founder of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Life He wa ...

, James Gregory and Alexander Fraser Tytler. In 1786 he was a founder member of the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce. In 1786, John 15th Lord Glencairn introduced Creech to

an important alliance was created, leading to Creech printing and selling the famous ''Edinburgh Edition''s of Burns' poems in 1787, 1793 and 1794. Creech is one of the very small and elite group to have had two poems written about him by

: ''Lament for the Absence of William Creech'' (usually called "Willie's Awa'"), marking Creech's absence from Edinburgh to visit London: and ''On William Creech'', a short, sharp poem following an argument. In 1788 he was a member of the jury in Deacon

William Brodie William Brodie (28 September 1741 – 1 October 1788), often known by his title of Deacon Brodie, was a Scottish cabinet-maker, deacon of a trades guild, and Edinburgh city councillor, who maintained a secret life as a housebreaker, partly fo ...

's trial for robbery. Within days, his account of the trial and execution was for sale in his High Street bookshop. Serving as a Councillor from 1780 and Bailie from 1807, he served as Edinburgh's Lord Provost from 1811 to 1813. Creech never married and had no children. He is buried at

Greyfriars Kirkyard Greyfriars Kirkyard is the graveyard surrounding Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located at the southern edge of the Old Town, adjacent to George Heriot's School. Burials have been taking place since the late 16th century, and a num ...

in the western extension, midway along the western path. A plaque to his, and his father's, memory can be seen at Newbattle Kirk. He lived at the head of Craigs Close on the

Royal Mile The Royal Mile () is a succession of streets forming the main thoroughfare of the Old Town of the city of Edinburgh in Scotland. The term was first used descriptively in W. M. Gilbert's ''Edinburgh in the Nineteenth Century'' (1901), des ...

until around 1800. The house was formerly the property of the printer Andro Hart. He then moved to 5 George Street in the

new Town New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

for his final years. Creech's land (his shop) was demolished in 1817 to allow vehicles to pass on the north side of

St Giles Cathedral St Giles' Cathedral ( gd, Cathair-eaglais Naomh Giles), or the High Kirk of Edinburgh, is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in the Old Town, Edinburgh, Old Town of Edinburgh. The current building was begun in the 14th century and extended ...

William Creech's grave, Greyfriars Kirkyard

He died at home in Edinburgh and is buried in the western extension of

Self Publications

Creech occasionally wrote the books which he published. The most notable are: *''Account of the Trial of Deacon Brodie'' (1788) *''Edinburgh's Fugitive Pieces'' (1815)

Business Connections and Friendships

Due to Creech's position and standing he held a unique and pivotal role within the

Scottish Enlightenment The Scottish Enlightenment ( sco, Scots Enlichtenment, gd, Soillseachadh na h-Alba) was the period in 18th- and early-19th-century Scotland characterised by an outpouring of intellectual and scientific accomplishments. By the eighteenth century ...

and had both business relationships and friendships with many of the Edinburgh literati. His most notable relationships include:

, whom he published (their relationship, however, was eventually spoiled due to a misunderstanding about Publishing royalties),

Lord Kames Henry Home, Lord Kames (169627 December 1782) was a Scottish writer, philosopher, advocate, judge, and agricultural improver. A central figure of the Scottish Enlightenment, a founding member of the Philosophical Society of Edinburgh, and act ...

Hugh Blair Hugh Blair FRSE (7 April 1718 – 27 December 1800) was a Scottish minister of religion, author and rhetorician, considered one of the first great theorists of written discourse. As a minister of the Church of Scotland, and occupant of the Ch ...

, James Beattie and

Dugald Stewart Dugald Stewart (; 22 November 175311 June 1828) was a Scottish philosopher and mathematician. Today regarded as one of the most important figures of the later Scottish Enlightenment, he was renowned as a populariser of the work of Francis Hut ...

Notes

References

*Barbara M. Benedict
‘Creech, William (1745–1815)’
''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004. Retrieved 24 July 2008 {{DEFAULTSORT:Creech, William 1745 births 1815 deaths Publishers (people) from Edinburgh Lord Provosts of Edinburgh Burials at Greyfriars Kirkyard Scottish book publishers (people) Scottish booksellers Scottish printers Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Alumni of the University of Edinburgh 18th-century Scottish people 19th-century Scottish people