John Walter
Encyclopedia
John Walter founder of The Times
newspaper, London, was born in London
and educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood
.
From the death of his father Richard Walter (about 1755/6), until 1781 he was engaged in a prosperous business as a coal merchant. He played a leading part in establishing a Coal Exchange in London; but shortly after 1781, when he began to occupy himself solely as an underwriter and became a member of Lloyds, he over-speculated and failed.
In 1782 he bought from one Henry Johnson a patent for a new method of printing from logotypes (i.e. founts of words or portions of words, instead of letters), and made some improvements to it. In 1784 he acquired an old printing office in Blackfriars, which formed the nucleus of the Printing-house Square of a later date, and established there his Logographic Office.
At first he only undertook the printing of books, but on 1 January 1785 he started a small newspaper called The Daily Universal Register, which on reaching its 940th number on 1 January 1788 was renamed The Times.
The printing business developed and prospered, but the newspaper at first had a somewhat chequered career. On 11 July 1789 Walter was convicted of libel on the Duke of York
and was sentenced to a fine of £50, a year's imprisonment in Newgate
, to stand in the pillory
for an hour and to give surety for good behaviour for seven years; for further libels the fine was increased by £100 and the imprisonment by a second year. On 9 March 1791, however, he was freed and pardoned on the request of the Prince of Wales
.
In 1799 he was again convicted for a technical libel, this time on Lord Cowper
. He had then given up the management of the business to his eldest son, William, and had (1795) retired to Teddington
, where he lived till his death. In 1759 he had married Frances Landen (died 1798), by whom he had six children. William Walter very soon gave up the duties he undertook in 1795, and in 1803 transferred the sole management of the business to his younger brother, John
.
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
newspaper, London, was born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood
Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood
Merchant Taylors' School is a British independent day school for boys, originally located in the City of London. Since 1933 it has been located at Sandy Lodge in the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire ....
.
From the death of his father Richard Walter (about 1755/6), until 1781 he was engaged in a prosperous business as a coal merchant. He played a leading part in establishing a Coal Exchange in London; but shortly after 1781, when he began to occupy himself solely as an underwriter and became a member of Lloyds, he over-speculated and failed.
In 1782 he bought from one Henry Johnson a patent for a new method of printing from logotypes (i.e. founts of words or portions of words, instead of letters), and made some improvements to it. In 1784 he acquired an old printing office in Blackfriars, which formed the nucleus of the Printing-house Square of a later date, and established there his Logographic Office.
At first he only undertook the printing of books, but on 1 January 1785 he started a small newspaper called The Daily Universal Register, which on reaching its 940th number on 1 January 1788 was renamed The Times.
The printing business developed and prospered, but the newspaper at first had a somewhat chequered career. On 11 July 1789 Walter was convicted of libel on the Duke of York
Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany
The Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany was a member of the Hanoverian and British Royal Family, the second eldest child, and second son, of King George III...
and was sentenced to a fine of £50, a year's imprisonment in Newgate
Newgate Prison
Newgate Prison was a prison in London, at the corner of Newgate Street and Old Bailey just inside the City of London. It was originally located at the site of a gate in the Roman London Wall. The gate/prison was rebuilt in the 12th century, and demolished in 1777...
, to stand in the pillory
Pillory
The pillory was a device made of a wooden or metal framework erected on a post, with holes for securing the head and hands, formerly used for punishment by public humiliation and often further physical abuse, sometimes lethal...
for an hour and to give surety for good behaviour for seven years; for further libels the fine was increased by £100 and the imprisonment by a second year. On 9 March 1791, however, he was freed and pardoned on the request of the Prince of Wales
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
.
In 1799 he was again convicted for a technical libel, this time on Lord Cowper
William Cowper, 1st Earl Cowper
William Cowper, 1st Earl Cowper PC KC FRS was an English politician who became the first Lord Chancellor of Great Britain. Cowper was the son of Sir William Cowper, 2nd Baronet, of Ratling Court, Kent, a Whig member of parliament of some mark in the two last Stuart reigns...
. He had then given up the management of the business to his eldest son, William, and had (1795) retired to Teddington
Teddington
Teddington is a suburban area in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in south west London, on the north bank of the River Thames, between Hampton Wick and Twickenham. It stretches inland from the River Thames to Bushy Park...
, where he lived till his death. In 1759 he had married Frances Landen (died 1798), by whom he had six children. William Walter very soon gave up the duties he undertook in 1795, and in 1803 transferred the sole management of the business to his younger brother, John
John Walter (second)
John Walter was the son of John Walter, the founder of The Times, and second editor of it.He was educated at Merchant Taylors' School and Trinity College, Oxford...
.