I have entitled this chapter "Some Personal Associations," and will first speak of a great and happy event which was only ended after forty-three years of married life.
It was in 1868 that I became engaged and in 1870 married, a marriage for which no man ever had more cause to be thankful than myself, owing to the true happiness of my married life, the sympathy, kind thought and consideration of my late wife. In fact, everything which goes to make this life worth living was mine, or I may say ours.
Like everything earthly, alas! it came to an end; but while memory lasts it will never be forgotten. Recalling all this, while thankful for a very happy past, I face what is left to me of the future with a thankful heart. I am also thankful for my dear children, who have all taken up their positions in life and are battling with its duties. They are to me an inexpressible comfort and a blessing, and I can only hope they will pass through and enjoy their lives as much as I have done mine.
I should like to refer here to one other great event in my life, that of becoming a Managing Director of Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Co., Ltd., in 1894. My great aim in life had always been to climb the ladder of prosperity as far as I possibly could.
While speaking of Simpkin, Marshall & Co., I may mention a few traditional facts regarding the origin and development of that important firm in its connexion with the bookselling trade. Its originator and founder was Mr. Benjamin Crosby, whose descendants are now represented by the firm of Messrs. Crosby, Lockwood & Co., and whose predecessors were in past years partners of Simpkin, Marshall & Co. Mr. Benjamin Crosby came from Yorkshire to London and was apprenticed to a bookseller, James Nunn, in Great Queen Street; he afterwards worked for George Robinson, who was then considered the "King of Booksellers"; finally, he took over the business of Mr. Stalker in Stationers' Hall Court, whose premises were then situated upon the same ground as the buildings now occupied by Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Co. After an attack of paralysis in 1814, Mr. Benjamin Crosby parted with his business to W. Simpkin and R. Marshall. I have always understood that Simpkin was a hatter in Bridge Street, Blackfriars, and, having capital, he associated himself with Marshall, who was an assistant of Benjamin Crosby.
They, however, took over only the London trade portion of the business, the country portion going to Baldwin, Cradock & Joy. This firm failed in 1837, and the country portion of the old firm came into the hands of Simpkin, Marshall & Co.
In 1829 Simpkin retired from the business, and the financial management of the firm was taken over by Mr. John Miles, senior, under whose supervision very satisfactory results were obtained. Mr. Miles was also associated with the publishing business of Joseph Johnson of St. Paul's Churchyard, who issued the works of the poet Cowper, the critical writings of Priestley, and other important works. Being thus connected with bookselling, Mr. Miles placed his two elder sons in important positions in the trade. The one, named after his father, entered the firm of Simpkin, Marshall & Co., and Mr. Joseph Johnson Miles, evidently named after his publisher friend, entered the firm of Hamilton, Adams & Co. Later on, two other sons of Mr. John Miles, senior, entered the firm of Simpkin, Marshall & Co., and still later several grandsons became partners in the two separate firms before mentioned.
The same traditions of business were continued and carried on for nearly eighty years. It is rather remarkable that, in the period which followed, an amalgamation should take place in 1889 between these two firms and Messrs. W. Kent & Co., and that, after so many years of competition, they should be brought together into one trading company.
In the busy whirl of Stationers' Hall Court, though there was little opportunity for humour, something occasionally happened that permeated the whole house with amusement, such as when a mistake had been made and one of the partners tried to find out who had made it. However, not being able to discover the offender, he came at last to the most humorous man in the house and tried to fasten it upon him but failed. "Well," he said, with energy, "I must hang somebody." After a pause, the answer came: "Hang me, sir; I want a rise." With a smile the principal left the room and nothing more was heard of the mistake.
Many such incidents have occurred, but they have been lost by the hurrying on of time. This subject, however, has been dealt with in an article entitled "Bookselling and some of its Humours," in my volume on "The Fascination of Books," published in 1912.