Thomas Gardner (ca. 1712 – 1765; fl. 1735–1765)

Identifiers

Occupations

  • Printer
  • Bookseller
  • Publisher
  • Newspaper Proprietor

Dates

  • Apprenticeship: 1726
  • Freedom: 1734

Thomas Gardner, printer, publisher, bookseller, and newspaper proprietor, 1735–65; in Little Bartholomew Close / Bartholomew Close (1735–1739); at Cowley's Head without Temple Bar in the Strand / opposite St. Clement's Church in the Strand (later numbered 200, Strand) (1739–176).

Gardner was apprenticed to Joseph Downing, a printer in Bartholomew Close, on 4 October 1726 and obtained his freedom on 5 February 1734, 6 months before Downing's death.

The will of Thomas Gardner of the Parish of St. Clement's Danes, printer, citizen, and stationer of London, was probated 18 April 1765. He left a sizeable inheritance of £2000 to be divided equally amongst his children Anne Catherine, Henry Lasher, and Lucy Mable. To his wife Lucy an annuity of three percent, as well as "the house that I now live in Situate in the parish of St. Clement Danes ... and also the house in Milford Lane which I have annexed to my said dwelling house in the parish and count aforesaid for and during her natural Life and after her decease I give the same to my Son Henry Lasher Gardner and his heirs and Assigns."—Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Series PROB 11. The National Archives, Kew, England. Piece 907: Rushworth, Quire Numbers 98-147 (1765).

Lucy Gardner carried on the trade for a short time, and son Henry carried on the trade at the same location from 1769 until his death in 1808.

Notes & Queries "London Booksellers Series" (1931–2)

T. GARDNER. This bookseller and printer does not appear in Dr. Wood's list, but he advertised pretty freely between 1747 and 1755. His address is consistently given as "at Cowley's Head, opposite St. Clement's Church in the Strand."

—Ambrose Heal, 3 October 1931

A Dictionary of the Printers and Booksellers who were at Work in England, Scotland and Ireland from 1668 to 1725, by Henry Plomer (1922)

GARDNER, (THOMAS), printer and publisher in London, Cowley's Head, without Temple Bar, Strand, 1735–56. In the Country Journal or Craftsman for April 26th, 1735, is an advertisement of a proposed issue of an Exposition of the Common Prayer, for which he amongst others was prepared to receive subscriptions. In 1739 a certain Thos. Barker of Witham in Essex desires that letters may be directed to him "To be left at Mr. Thos. Gardner's, Printer, without Temple Bars in ye Strand, London". In that year he published, but did not print, An Examination of a pamphlet entitled His Catholic Majesty's Manifesto. [B.M. T. 1110 (1).] In 1743 he printed a pamphlet entitled Old England's Te Deum, for William Shropshire, the bookseller (q.v.). [S.P. Dom. Geo 2, Bundle 62 (62).] In 1756 he began the publication of a periodical called The Universal Visitor. In Boswell's Life of Johnson occurs the following passage: "Johnson. Old Gardner the bookseller employed by Rolt and Smart1 to write a monthly miscellany called The Universal Visitor. There was a formal written contract, which Allen the printer saw. They were bound to write nothing else; they were to have, I think, a third of the profits of this sixpenny pamphlet; and the contract was for ninety-nine years. I wish I had thought of giving this to Thurlow, in the cause about literary property. What an excellent instance would it have been of the oppression of booksellers towards poor authors (smiling)! Davies, zealous for the honour of the trade, said Gardner was not properly a bookseller. Johnson. Nay, sir; he certainly was a bookseller. He had served his time regularly, was a member of the Stationer's Company, kept a shop in the face of mankind, purchased copyright, and was a bibliopole sir, in every sense."

1 Richard Rolt and Christopher Smart.