SIXTY YEARS A BOOKMAN
_WITH OTHER RECOLLECTIONS AND REFLECTIONS_
_BY THE SAME AUTHOR_
THE FASCINATION OF BOOKS AND OTHER ESSAYS
THE PLEASURES OF BOOKLAND
IN FRIENDSHIP'S GARDEN
LIBERTY AND BROTHERHOOD, ETC., ETC.
[Illustration: J. Shaylor]
SIXTY YEARS A
BOOKMAN
_WITH OTHER
RECOLLECTIONS AND REFLECTIONS_
BY
JOSEPH SHAYLOR
LONDON
SELWYN & BLOUNT, LTD.
21 YORK BUILDINGS, ADELPHI, W.C.
_First Printed 1923_
_Made and Printed in Great Britain by_ Butler & Tanner Ltd., _Frome and
London_
to
MY CHILDREN
and also to
MY MANY FRIENDS IN
THE BOOK-SELLING TRADE
with the sincere wish that their lives
may be crowned with as much success
and happiness as that which
has blessed my career
CONTENTS
CHAP. PAGE
I My Early Life in the Country 11
II My Early London Experiences 30
III Some Recollections of Stationers' Hall Court 52
IV Some Further Recollections and Reflections 82
V Some Personal Associations 112
VI The Bookselling Trade and Underselling 138
VII Term and Sale Catalogues 169
VIII Limited Editions and the Pleasures of Collecting 188
IX The Whitefriars Club 198
PREFACE
At the request of numerous friends, but with some hesitation, I
have decided to issue a short account of certain of my experiences
and impressions during a long and delightful association with the
bookselling trade. In doing so, I hope that it may find a welcome with
those members of the trade with whom I have been in happy association
for over sixty years, and that my experience may be a stimulus to those
who are still plodding their way among the many details of what I
consider one of the most interesting and fascinating trades, a trade of
which all the details are never learned.
The bookselling trade has its pleasurable associations as well as its
drawbacks, and, although my early experiences had not great attractions
for me, yet, owing to industry and attention to business, I have much
pleasure in looking back upon what from many points of view may be
considered as a prosperous career.
Personally, I love the making and selling of books, and sincerely hope
that these callings may still have a future far and away greater than
the period through which I have passed.
In addition to "Recollections" of a personal character, I have included
portions of a few articles which I think may interest my readers and
friends. These have appeared at various times, and I hope that they
will now meet with as kindly a reception as they did when they were
first published.
"Sixty Years a Bookman" is intended for three classes of readers--my
Personal Friends, the Bookselling Trade, and the General Public; and I
trust that there will be found something in these records of a long and
busy life to appeal to them all.
JOSEPH SHAYLOR
Gloucester House, Holden Road,
Woodside Park, N.
CHAPTER I
My Early Life in the Country
In what is known as the Stroud Valley, Gloucestershire, or, as it was
deservedly called by Queen Victoria, the Golden Valley, stands a little
straggling village called the Thrupp, in which on July 12, 1844, I
was born; but my early recollections of this beautiful valley began
at a village about one mile distant, named Swells Hill, to which my
parents afterwards removed. This village is situated on the side of
the eastern portion of the Cotswolds, a district full of beautiful
hills, gorge-like valleys, dells and glades, celebrated not only for
its beauty and historical associations but for its numerous industries.
Swells Hill overlooks the busy village of Brimscombe and is on the
fringe of the delightful Minchinhampton Common, which consists of some
thousand acres of open country; its highest part being about 650 feet
above the sea level; on it, there are many local traditions of great
battles having been fought, and on one particular spot in the centre
of the Common the celebrated George Whitfield preached in 1743 to
thousands of people.
Minchinhampton Common was presented to the parish so named in the reign
of Henry VIII by Dame Alice Hampton. On it are now golf links, which
are well known all over the country and many notable contests have been
played there by some of our most celebrated professionals. From the
quarries on this Common I have often collected fossils of snakes and
other reptiles which I suppose belonged to some prehistoric period,
but how long ago I have been unable to learn. Pit dwellings, long and
round tunnels with camps and earthworks, abound in this district.
Some of the depressions in the surface of the Common vary in depth.
I used to be told that they were the burying places of those who had
fought in the days of the Civil Wars. I cannot of course guarantee the
correctness of this statement, but I do know that these depressions
have frequently given me in my school days very much pleasure, as in
the winter they were often filled with snow, and a good run and jump
landed one in the centre of the hollow. It was a great pleasure to see
who could jump the farthest and come out the wettest.
As far as I can remember, most of my early education, or what may be
called my twopenny education, was acquired at an old-fashioned Dame's
School and a local Church School where the main ideas of education were
answering the questions in Pinnock's "Catechism" and learning, and I
must say immediately forgetting, the questions and answers from the
Church Catechism; but I have no doubt I received impressions which were
useful in after life.
When about nine years of age, I was sent to Amberley School. To reach
this School I had to cross Minchinhampton Common, nearly two miles
from my home; this distance I traversed sometimes four times a day. At
that time home lessons were considered of great importance, but the
weariness of them made a lasting impression upon me. However, it was at
this School that I obtained the best part of my education.
With Amberley I have many associations never to be forgotten. I
remember how when nearing the School I listened for the Master's
whistle which he always appeared in the open to blow, and how
considerate he was with the boys who came from a distance before
marking them late. How on occasions when the hounds on a wintry day
came at full speed past our School leave was given to some of us
boys to chase with them. Many a good run I have had following them
over hedges and ditches until outdistanced, but the excitement left
behind very pleasant recollections, and was the cause of my writing the
following verses:
Hurrah for To-morrow! 'Tis the first hunting day,
And with the good hounds we'll hark hark away,
For the Fox will be drawn from the thick bushy wood,
It's the rascal that stole the grey duck's little brood.
You remember the time, 'twas one bright summer morn,
When the hens had their chicks and the bees had a swarm,
And the duck had her ducklings, and fine ones were they,
As e'er swam on a pond, or play'd pranks in the hay.
Farmer Giles was out early, the sheep had gone wrong,
And old Towler was with him, they scarcely had gone
When that crafty old Reynard, who had watched them away,
Stole the ducks and he had them for dinner that day.
How he must have enjoyed each tender young bone
As he scrunched and he scrunched till each tit-bit was gone;
But who would begrudge him a feast in his den,
I dare wager a bet he won't do it again.
For we're off in the morn, while the true scent is strong,
To capture his brush and it won't take us long,
For the horses and hounds are all fit for the fray,
So Ahoy! Tally Ho! Tally Ho! Harkaway!
Close by the Schools stands Rose Cottage where Mrs. Craik, then Miss
Muloch, wrote her most successful novel "John Halifax, Gentleman." This
was published in 1857, the year I was at school, and I have no doubt I
must often have seen Miss Muloch when she was writing her great novel.
The background of this story runs from Tewkesbury through Nailsworth to
Amberley Common; the latter, figuring in the novel as Enderly Flats, is
described as the highest tableland in England. The whole neighbourhood
is identified with incidents delineated in the book, and in Amberley
Churchyard the little blind daughter of John Halifax and Ursula lies at
rest.
In the small village of Woodchester, in the valley below Amberley,
there is an important Monastery which contains many interesting
associations, but my recollections are more concerned with the parish
church of Woodchester where I remember being taken by my mother to see
what is left of some old Roman villa with tessellated pavement and
other remains. I believe these are uncovered at certain times and the
public allowed to inspect them.
One other of my youthful enjoyments was the occasional fishing and
bathing in the Thames and Severn Canal. This canal joins together at
Lechlade these two great rivers. In the canal as it passed through the
Golden Valley, there was always a good supply of water and the fishing
here was very good. I never got beyond roach, dace and perch, but there
were frequently pike and other fish caught by the expert. Anyone who
has indulged in fishing, if only as I did in my boyhood, will never
forget the fascination it has upon the lover of sport, and I pity
the boy who has not the sportive instinct. I learned to swim also in
these waters, but want of opportunity in after years prevented my ever
becoming a really good swimmer.
Looking back upon my boyhood from the standpoint of to-day, I am
inclined to think that, practically, education does not begin until
the first steps are taken in the business of life, although from my
own experience the great influence exercised upon character by a good
mother, which I fortunately had, lasts with a boy and helps to mould
his life and disposition more than he can at the moment anticipate.
I am quite sure that through the early start I made both in the
country and in London, nothing contributed more to my even routine and
carefully considered actions than the influence exercised upon me by a
mother's love.
In September, 1857, I was sent on trial, before being apprenticed, to
a Mr. Bucknell, a bookseller in George Street, Stroud, and, apparently
proving satisfactory, was afterwards apprenticed for five years, "out
of doors," that is living at home, with the magnificent remuneration of
one shilling per week for the first year, increasing by one shilling
per week at the beginning of the next year, and to be continued upon
the same ratio for five years.
Mr. Bucknell, however, after fifteen months of my apprenticeship sold
the business to Mr. John Clark and I was what is called "turned over"
to him, but the period of my apprenticeship was extended to seven years
and a little more liberal salary given me. When Mr. Bucknell left, he
presented me with a copy of Charles Mackay's poems in which he wrote
the following after my name: "With an earnest wish that his future
life may be deserving of that approval from his fellow-men which he
now receives after fifteen months of his apprenticeship from S.G.
Bucknell." Without being in any way conceited, I cannot help feeling
that his good wishes have to a certain extent been fulfilled.
From a quiet village life to the busy town of Stroud was a great
change. My time for work was from eight o'clock in the morning until
eight at night six days of the week, summer and winter, and my only
holidays were Good Friday and Christmas Day. The Bill originating
Bank Holidays had not then been passed. Sometimes during the winter
months the walk home was anything but pleasant, especially as I had to
walk beside the canal for a considerable distance and more than once
had a narrow escape from falling in. It is a truism that familiarity
breeds contempt, and I must admit that this familiarity strengthened
me in what to many would have been a dangerous journey, and it has no
doubt helped me in keeping my nerves and my temper from running away
with me. However, all's well that ends well, and although during my
seven years' apprenticeship I had many temptations and dangers, yet I
think I came through them stronger both in mind and body. I remember
that occasionally on my morning walk through some of the lanes to
business, I would meet that sportsman Mr. Paul Hawkins Fisher with his
attendants, each carrying a hawk on his hand, well hooded; sometimes, I
have seen them let fly when they would attack some startled bird, but
I understood they were only training the hawks for future warfare. It
was, however, sportive food for my imagination.
During my years of apprenticeship many events happened, both social
and political, that interested me, and I can only write them down as
my memory helps me and not in any way in the order of their happening.
One of my earliest recollections was of an election before vote by
ballot was introduced. The members for the Borough were Edward Horsman
and G. Poulet Scrope, the latter an author of considerable importance.
I remember that, although there was no opposition to the members,
speaking on the hustings, for the nomination, continued until twelve
o'clock, with the intention of nominating Lord John Russell should he
not have been successful in the constituency he was fighting; but he
was successful, so no nomination was necessary. I had occasionally the
pleasure of seeing Lord John Russell, as he lived near Amberley, from
which his eldest son took the title of Viscount Amberley.
Speaking of contests but of another character, it was in 1860 the
fight between Tom Sayers and J.C. Heenan took place. What a tremendous
excitement it produced! I well remember the day after the fight, having
fetched the newspapers from the London train and folded them in the
shop, how I stopped every minute to read another line describing the
fight and how angry my master was at my taking so long. But I could
not help it, for the details were quite worth the trouble I brought
upon myself. Some months later I had the pleasure of seeing Sayers box
in connexion with a travelling circus. It was one of the red-letter
days in my life to see the man of whom I had thought so much, showing
his skill as a boxer. It was generally understood that it was at
Stroud that Tom Sayers had his first fight; he was a bricklayer and
was engaged in work at the Stroud Brewery, and falling out with one
of his fellow-workmen, a fight followed which probably led to further
developments. I have also seen his opponent J.C. Heenan boxing in a
circus, but I did not consider him in any way an equal to Tom Sayers.
Although my time was fully occupied, I was able to enjoy a good game
of cricket with some of my many friends on Rodborough Common. We used
to meet at five o'clock in the morning, and, after a good game, had
breakfast before starting work at eight o'clock. I also joined a class
to learn Latin: there was a dear old gentleman bachelor who loved
literature and education and he took in hand some half-dozen young
fellows to teach them Latin. We used to meet at his house at eight
in the evening for one hour's tuition. I enjoyed it and managed to
master the early chapters of Virgil's "Æneid," and, though I am afraid
the results have not been very great, the little knowledge I obtained
has been useful. I was also much interested in a singing class, over
which a Mr. Helmore, brother to the Rev. T. Helmore, the great Church
choirmaster, presided. We gave performances in the Subscription
Rooms of "The Messiah," "The Creation" and other musical classics.
I have often thought of the absurdity of one of the choirmaster's
eccentricities when performing "The Creation." Very early in the
oratorio the words are, "And God said let there be light, and there
was light." Before the singing began the lights were turned down and I
was placed near the man who turned on the gas. At the opportune moment
I had to give the signal, the light was turned on and light became a
fact. I have often thought how almost profane it was, but I believe it
passed without any serious protest.
Another yearly event which became fixed in my mind was the appearance
of Dr. Cumming to speak on the coming end of the world. There was a
wealthy lady of Amberley who was a great believer in Dr. Cumming, and
each year he came down and stayed with her and always delivered one
of his unfulfilled prophecies. It was my duty to take the tickets
and see the audience into their seats, but, as the audience year by
year grew smaller by degrees and beautifully less, this was very easy
work. Like most moderate-sized towns at this period, Stroud had its
Young Men's Institute, of which I was a member, and it was the custom
during the winter to have lectures, etc. I well remember the great
success that always attended the lectures given by George Dawson, a
preacher, lecturer and politician, and George Grossmith, the father of
the well-known actor in Gilbert and Sullivan's plays. These lectures
were usually of a literary or biographical character and undoubtedly
laid the foundations for thought and study in the minds of those who
listened to them.
During my apprenticeship, my master, Mr. John Clark, was sometimes
very exacting, and I know I had to thank Mrs. Clark and some of their
daughters for helping to an extent to ease my work, and for making my
strenuous life run smoothly. Part of my work was to learn printing.
This I did, and was able to set up the type of a volume of sermons by a
local vicar. The volume made no reputation, either for the vicar or the
producer of the work.
It was, however, in the buying and selling of books that I was most
interested. These were the great days of the poets, who then had large
sales, Tupper's "Proverbial Philosophy," I think the greatest. What a
change from then to now! I have no doubt that if you asked for this
book to-day in a bookseller's shop no one would know of its existence,
but, without doubt, those of Tupper and other poets were the principal
books given as presents. I remember that Tennyson's "Enoch Arden,"
published by Edward Moxon in 1864, even in such a small town as Stroud
had a large sale. I understand that 50,000 copies of this book were
sold during the first year of its publication.
There is one thing I was greatly blessed with--a good memory; and
I can safely say I knew every book in our stock. When a traveller
came round for orders, I was always stationed near my master and the
traveller and if an order was being given I had to say whether the book
was in stock or not. Those were also the days when booksellers sold
patent medicines, in which a large trade was done; especially with
such articles as Holloway's, Morrison's, and other pills, with various
preparations to cure every disease under the sun.
In looking back to those times, I have often dwelt upon the thought
whether it is best for youths to be brought up under severe discipline
or under easy surroundings and have come to the conclusion that the
happy medium is most desirable, for in my own case and although my
master Mr. Clark was a straightforward honourable man, he was not a man
who sympathized with labour, but looked upon it as something one had
to put up with; but where a man is just and honourable as he was this
influence is for good, and labour is made more pleasant and agreeable.
I have much to thank Mr. Clark for, especially in the directions
mentioned, and always feel that the thoroughness of his business habits
had a lasting effect upon me. I can look back upon my seven years'
apprenticeship with much thankfulness, not only for my personal good
health but the many pleasant associations with which I was surrounded.