Thomson Bonar was a wine-merchant who married the daughter of the engraver Andrew Bell

Andrew Bell

Andrew Bell may refer to:* Andrew Bell , toy designer, founder of Dead Zebra, Inc* Andrew Bell , Scottish co-founder of the Encyclopædia Britannica...

, who co-founded the Encyclopædia Britannica

Encyclopædia Britannica

The Encyclopædia Britannica , published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia that is available in print, as a DVD, and on the Internet. It is written and continuously updated by about 100 full-time editors and more than 4,000 expert...

with Colin Macfarquhar

Colin Macfarquhar

Colin Macfarquhar was a Scottish bookseller and printer. He is best known for being one of the "Society of Gentlemen in Scotland", along with Andrew Bell, who first published the Encyclopædia Britannica. Macfarquhar also contributed heavily to the second and third edition...

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Bonar sold the 3rd through 5th editions of the Britannica, and produced the supplement to the 3rd edition Bonar held the copyright for that supplement, for whose material he asked great sums (20,000 pounds sterling) in subsequent editions, although he was granted but little (100-200 pounds). Bonar was friendly to the article authors, and introduced the policy of paying them as well as the article reviewers, and of allowing them to retain copyright for separate publication of their work.

Bonar quarreled with his father-in-law, Andrew Bell, and the two men did not speak from 1799 to 1809, when Bell died. Bell's successor, Archibald Constable

Archibald Constable

Archibald Constable was a Scottish publisher, bookseller and stationer.He was born at Carnbee, Fife, as the son of the land steward to the Earl of Kellie. In 1788 Archibald was apprenticed to Peter Hill, an Edinburgh bookseller, but in 1795 he started in business for himself as a dealer in rare...

, wisely bought out Bonar's copyright for the 5th edition and kept him as an ally of the Britannica.