Joseph Johnson (1738–1809; fl. 1760–1809)

JOHNSON (JOSEPH), bookseller and publisher in London, (1) Paternoster Row, 1760–70; (2) St. Paul's Churchyard, 1770–1809. 1760–1809. One of the leading booksellers and publishers in London in the second half of the eighteenth century. He was the son of a farmer at Everton near Liverpool, and was born November 15th, 1738. He was apprenticed to George Keith, a bookseller in London, and at the expiration of his time set up for himself at the Golden Anchor in Fenchurch Street, in partnership with a B. Davenport, and issued from that address a pamphlet entitled Free and Candid Thoughts on the Doctrine of Predestination, by T. E. His shop became the head-quarters of the bookselling of Protestant Dissent. He dissolved partnership with Davenport about 1768 and joined John Payne. Their premises in Paternoster Row were totally destroyed by fire in 1770. Friends came to Johnson's relief, and he set up again in St. Paul's Churchyard. He is best remembered as the publisher of William Cowper's Poems. The poet had a very warm regard for him and spoke highly of his help. The volume was published in octavo at the price of three shillings. Johnson was opposed to the growing taste for luxurious books, which had enhanced the price and formed an obstacle to the study of good literature. Johnson was also publisher for the Rev. John Newton, Dr. Priestly, Horne Tooke, Maria Edgeworth, and Erasmus Darwin. He was a very sympathetic and generous man, often purchasing manuscripts of persons in distress, which he had no intention of publishing. He encouraged Fuseli to paint a Milton Gallery to be published after the manner of Boydell's Shakespeare. In 1797 he suffered for his faith, being imprisoned for nine months in the King's Bench for publishing the political works of Gilbert Wakefeld. After a long illness he died on December 20th, 1809. His life was written by J. Aitken in the Gentleman's Magazine. [Timperley, 1842, p. 835; Knight, Shadows, n.d.]