Blackwood, William

PUBLISHER, MAGISTRATE (SCOTLAND)
BORN 20 Nov 1776, Edinburgh - DIED 16 Sep 1834
GRAVE LOCATION Edinburgh: Old Calton Burial Ground, Waterloo Palace (ornate vault in the lower western section)

William Blackwood started as an apprentice to a bookseller in Edinburgh. He lived in Glasgow and London for several years. In 1804 he was back in Edinburgh and he opened a book shop in South Bridge Street. He married Janet Steuart (1780-1849) om 20 October 1805 and they had at least nine children.

He became the Scottish agent for the publisher John Murray and for other publishers. He also started publishing books himself. In 1816 he moved his business to Princes Street. In 1817 he started publishing Edinburgh Monthly Magazine and after seven issues the name was changed to Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine. Later he moved his firm to George Street. In 1820 he became a bailie of Edinburgh and he held the post of police commissioner from 1828 until his death in 1834.

Family
• Son: Blackwood, John

Images

The grave of William Blackwood at Carlton Old Burial Ground, Edinburgh.
Picture by Androom (05 Nov 2019)

 

The grave of William Blackwood at Carlton Old Burial Ground, Edinburgh.
Picture by Androom (05 Nov 2019)

 

Sources
William Blackwood - Wikipedia


Blaeser, Gustav

Published: 13 Jul 2022
Last update: 13 Jul 2022