John Walter (publisher)

John Walter ( about 1739 *, † November 16, 1812 ) was the founder of the London newspaper "The Times"

Biography

John Walter was born in London, the son of the coal merchant Richard Walter and attended the "Merchant Taylors' School ." After his father's death in 1755 until 1781 he was involved in a thriving coal business. He played a leading role in the establishment of a London coal market. Soon after 1781 he began to work as a Seeversicherungsagent and became a member of Lloyd's. In connection with the American Revolutionary War, he miscalculated, however, and went bankrupt in 1782.

In 1783 he bought Henry Johnson a patent for a new method of printing with " logos " (see Logotypie ) and invented some improvements. In 1784 he acquired an old print shop in London's Blackfriars, which formed the nucleus of the later printer quarter.

First, he just printed books and pamphlets, but in the January 1, 1785 John Walter brought for the first time a small newspaper under the title "The Daily Universal Register" out. As of the 940th edition, which appeared on 1 January 1788 he renamed the sheet in " The Times".

The newspaper was initially a scandal leaves and Walter earned a number of years a part of his income with news that he did not publish. As was customary, celebrities paid him money for that certain messages were suppressed. Even otherwise, was the first ' Times ' publisher granted a peculiar career because of his combative temperament. 1789 John Walter for insulting the Duke of York and the Prince of Wales ( later became the King George IV ) was sentenced to a fine of £ 50, to one year's imprisonment in the infamous Newgate Prison and at an hour in the pillory. He also had to assure itself wohlzuverhalten seven years the judge. Apparently it did not fall that easily, because for more abuse the fine to 100 pounds and the term was increased to two years. On March 9, 1791, he was finally set free again after his pardon.

In 1799 he was again punished for defamation. This time he had with Peter Leopold Louis Francis Nassau Clavering, the 5th Earl Cowper created. 1795 Walter had the business to his eldest son William passed in order to then tranquil village Teddington, Middlesex, withdraw (now a part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames ). He lived there until his death in 1812.

1759, he had married Frances Landen (died 1798), with whom he had six children. William Walter handed over the business already in 1803 his younger brother John Walter ( see John Walter the younger).

• Entrepreneurs (18th century)
• Publisher (18th Century)
• Briton
• English
• Born in the 18th century
• Died in 1812
• Man