Samuel Bentley (1785–1868) was an English printer and antiquarian.
Life
The second son of Edward Bentley and his wife Anne Nichols, sister of
John Nichols, he was born 10 May 1785;
Richard Bentley the publisher was a younger brother. He was educated at
St Paul's School, London
(''By Faith and By Learning'')
, established =
, closed =
, type = Independent school Public school
, religion = Church of England
, president =
, h ...
, and after an apprenticeship with Nichols was taken into partnership.
In 1819 Bentley went into partnership with his brother Richard, in Dorset Street, Salisbury Square; and on the latter taking over the business of Colburn, he established the firm of Samuel and John Bentley, Wilson, & Fley, at Bangor House, Shoe Lane, John being his nephew. He visited the type-foundry of
Firmin Didot
Firmin Didot (; 14 April 176424 April 1836) was a French printer, engraver, and type founder.
Early life
Firmin Didot was born in Paris into a family of printers founded by François Didot, the father of 11 children. Firmin was one of his gra ...
in Paris.
With failing eyesight, Bentley gave up his business in 1853. He retired to
Croydon
Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extensi ...
, with his wife whom he had married in 1825.
Works
Bentley's major antiquarian work was the ''Excerpta Historica'' (1831), with which he had the assistance of
Harris Nicolas,
Sir Charles Young,
Duffus Hardy, and others. He indexed the ''Literary Anecdotes of the Eighteenth Century'' by Nichols, and the ''History of Durham'', by
Robert Surtees. Other works were:
* ''Concio de Puero Jesu'' (editor, 1816), written by
Erasmus
Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (; ; English: Erasmus of Rotterdam or Erasmus;''Erasmus'' was his baptismal name, given after St. Erasmus of Formiae. ''Desiderius'' was an adopted additional name, which he used from 1496. The ''Roterodamus'' w ...
at the request of
John Colet
John Colet (January 1467 – 16 September 1519) was an English Catholic priest and educational pioneer.
John Colet was an English scholar, Renaissance humanist, theologian, member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers, and Dean of St Paul's C ...
. This edition is dedicated to
John Sleath.
* ''An Abstract of Charters and other Documents contained in a Cartulary of the Abbey of St. Peter, Westminster, in the possession of S. B.'' (1836, for private circulation).
Bentley assisted Nicolas in preparing for publication the ''Scrope and Grosvenor Roll'', which he read in manuscript in the
Tower of London
The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is sep ...
.
Notes
Attribution
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bentley, Samuel
1785 births
1868 deaths
English printers
English book editors
English antiquarians
People educated at St Paul's School, London
19th-century British businesspeople