The firm, however, had foreseen the coming evil days, and made an effort to avert the serious consequences of the change in the tide of business. In 1846, a branch office was started at 3 Thistle Street, which soon became a successful little place, where a large amount of Court of Session work was done, as well as the printing for some of the Edinburgh insurance offices. John A. Ballantyne took charge of the branch business till John Hughes purchased the property and stock at Thistle Street. The former remained connected with the business at Paul’s Work till his death in 1863.
Various changes took place after this. Work was increasing beyond the limits of the old Paul’s Work, owing to the influence and energy of one of the partners, Mr. Edward Hanson, resident in London, who revived the connection which existed in the early days of James Ballantyne, and gave a great impetus to the printing of books in Edinburgh for London publishers. Mr. Hanson was born in Cleveland in Yorkshire, and as a youth went to Edinburgh in 1857 to enter the publishing house of Mr. James Nichol. Mr. Nichol was at the time engaged in the issue of a complete edition of the British Poets, in forty-eight volumes, edited by the Rev. George Gilfillan, and also an edition of the Standard Divines. Both of these series were printed at the Ballantyne Press, and Mr. Hanson became acquainted with Mr. John A. Ballantyne, the last of the family to enter the business. This friendship led eventually to Mr. Hanson joining the Ballantyne Press. After John A. Ballantyne’s death a partnership was formed by Mr. James Cowan, M.P., Mr. J. D. Nichol, and Mr. Hanson. In 1875 Mr. Nichol retired from the firm, and was followed in 1879 by Mr. Cowan, leaving Mr. Hanson sole partner. In the financial arrangements requisite on the retirement of Mr. Cowan, Mr. Hanson was assisted by his friend Mr. Francis Logie Pirie, of Tottingworth Park, Sussex, who became and remained for some years a partner in the Press. Mr. Hanson subsequently assumed as partners his nephew, Mr. R. W. Hanson, in Edinburgh, and Mr. Charles M’Call in London, and with their assistance has materially developed the old business. A third generation of the Hanson family has recently joined the firm in the person of Mr. Edward Taylor Hanson.
WINDOW IN PAUL’S WORK OF THE PRESENT DAY
As the neighbouring encroachments of the North British Railway station prevented any extension of old Paul’s Work, plans were made for accommodation in better quarters. These were found at Clare House, lying between Findhorn Place and Causewayside. Many of the larger printing-offices have, within the last thirty years, removed their premises to the more commodious outskirts of the city, and Paul’s Work was among the first to lead the way in this respect by its removal, in December 1870, to the Newington district.
In 1878 Mr. Hanson acquired the printing business of Saville, Edwards & Co., Chandos Street, and thus the firm secured for itself a habitat in London. He was fortunate in having for his manager Mr. Horace Hart, now Controller of the Oxford University Press. This branch removed to Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, in 1888, and there carries on the printing of several Magazines, as well as a considerable amount of Book production. In 1905 it was converted into a private limited company under the name of Ballantyne & Co., Limited, the shares being chiefly held by the old firm. In 1908 the firm experienced a great loss in the death of Mr. M’Call. His son, Mr. C. H. M’Call, has succeeded to his position.
CHAPTER XIII
BIBLIOGRAPHY—EARLY DECADES OF PAUL’S WORK
Various causes render a bibliographical chapter a difficult matter. Lapse of time, enlargements of premises, removals, and changes of several kinds incident to an old business, have led to the loss of records which would have been of great value in a chapter of this kind. Apart from the works of Sir Walter Scott—of which we give a chronological list, we can only hope to describe a few of the books printed by James Ballantyne & Co. in the earlier decades of Paul’s Work. It may be noted in passing, however, that much of the early work of Carlyle was printed there, particularly his “Miscellanies,” which include the famous essay on Burns.