John William Parker (1791 – 1870) was an English publisher and printer.

Life

John Parker was born on 26 July 1791. His father was in the Royal Navy. At the age of fourteen he was apprenticed to William Clowes, and became the manager of the printing business in Duke Street, Stamford Street, Blackfriars Road, London, established in Applegarth's old premises by Clowes. He was later allowed to set up a small office of his own. In February 1829 Parker was engaged, on Clowes's recommendation, as superintendent of the

Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press is the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by King Henry VIII in 1534, it is the oldest university press in the world. It is also the King's Printer. Cambridge University Pr ...

, which he made profitable. In 1832 he left Clowes, and established himself at 445 Strand, where he was appointed publisher to the Christian Knowledge Society, and issued the '' Saturday Magazine''. The Cambridge Repository, his publishing house, also sold bibles. On the retirement of John Smith, he was formally made printer to the University of Cambridge, on 15 November 1836, and spent two days in Cambridge every fortnight. Against opposition he introduced

steam power A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid. The steam engine uses the force produced by steam pressure to push a piston back and forth inside a cylinder. This pushing force can be tra ...

, but the

Bible Society A Bible society is a non-profit organization, usually nondenominational in makeup, devoted to translating, publishing, and distributing the Bible at affordable prices. In recent years they also are increasingly involved in advocating its credibi ...

long declined to purchase books printed by it. A volume of specimens of bibles, testaments and prayer books was circulated by Parker in 1839. In the same year he was appointed publisher to the committee of Council on Education. He retired from the management of the Cambridge press in 1854. He was a friend and supporter of John Pyke Hullah. He started a printing-office at the back of the Mews,

Charing Cross Charing Cross ( ) is a junction in Westminster, London, England, where six routes meet. Clockwise from north these are: the east side of Trafalgar Square leading to St Martin's Place and then Charing Cross Road; the Strand leading to the City ...

, and later moved to St. Martin's Lane, where he took Thomas Richard Harrison into partnership, and ultimately relinquished the business to him. ''

Fraser's Magazine ''Fraser's Magazine for Town and Country'' was a general and literary journal published in London from 1830 to 1882, which initially took a strong Tory line in politics. It was founded by Hugh Fraser and William Maginn in 1830 and loosely directe ...

'' was published by him, as well as the writings of prominent intellectual figures.

John Stuart Mill John Stuart Mill (20 May 1806 – 7 May 1873) was an English philosopher, political economist, Member of Parliament (MP) and civil servant. One of the most influential thinkers in the history of classical liberalism, he contributed widely to ...

, Henry Thomas Buckle, G. H. Lewes,

William Whewell William Whewell ( ; 24 May 17946 March 1866) was an English polymath, scientist, Anglican priest, philosopher, theologian, and historian of science. He was Master of Trinity College, Cambridge. In his time as a student there, he achieved ...

Richard Whately Richard Whately (1 February 1787 – 8 October 1863) was an English academic, rhetorician, logician, philosopher, economist, and theologian who also served as a reforming Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin. He was a leading Broad Churchman, ...

, Julius Charles Hare,

F. D. Maurice John Frederick Denison Maurice (1805–1872), known as F. D. Maurice, was an English Anglican theologian, a prolific author, and one of the founders of Christian socialism. Since the Second World War, interest in Maurice has expanded."Frede ...

Charles Kingsley Charles Kingsley (12 June 1819 – 23 January 1875) was a broad church priest of the Church of England, a university professor, social reformer, historian, novelist and poet. He is particularly associated with Christian socialism, the worki ...

James Froude James Anthony Froude ( ; 23 April 1818 – 20 October 1894) was an English historian, novelist, biographer, and editor of ''Fraser's Magazine''. From his upbringing amidst the Anglo-Catholic Oxford Movement, Froude intended to become a clergym ...

, and others. Family grave of John William Parker in Highgate Cemetery

After the death in 1860 of his eldest son John William Parker (1820–1860), who had been in the business since 1843, Parker took into partnership William Butler Bourn, who had been his principal assistant for nearly thirty years. The business, including stocks and copyrights, was, however, sold in 1863 to Messrs. Longman. Parker died at Warren Corner House, near Farnham, Surrey, on 18 May 1870, aged 78, and is buried at

Highgate Cemetery Highgate Cemetery is a place of burial in north London, England. There are approximately 170,000 people buried in around 53,000 graves across the West and East Cemeteries. Highgate Cemetery is notable both for some of the people buried there as ...

Family

Parker was twice married. By his first wife he left two daughters. His second wife, who survived him, was a daughter of

Gideon Algernon Mantell Gideon Algernon Mantell MRCS FRS (3 February 1790 – 10 November 1852) was a British obstetrician, geologist and palaeontologist. His attempts to reconstruct the structure and life of ''Iguanodon'' began the scientific study of dinosaurs: in ...

; by her he left one son and two daughters.

Notes

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Parker, John William 1791 births 1870 deaths Burials at Highgate Cemetery English printers Publishers (people) from London 19th-century English businesspeople