- Also known as
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Darling & Thompson
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primary name: Darling & Thompson
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other name: Darling & Robinson
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other name: Darling, Mary
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other name: Thompson, John Peter
- Details
- individual; publisher/printer; printmaker; British; Male
- Other dates
- c.1790-1797
- Address
- 3 Great Newport Street, St. Martin's Lane near Long Acre, London
- Biography
- Print publishers, partnership between Mary, wife of William Darling (qv) and John Peter Thompson (q.v.), who published alone from 1800. (See also record for William Darling publishing alone at Newport Street). When the partnership began is not known but most likely in 1790 after the death of William.
Bill-head in Heal Collection (Heal,99.39) states "To Darling and Thompson, Engravers, Printers & Printsellers, No.3 Great Newport Street... Stationary &c." The bill is dated "London July 30 - 1790." Trade card in Heal Collection advertises "London, Published by T. Simpson, St. Paul's Church Yard, and Darling & Thompson, Great Newport Street. Printsellers, to the Duke & Duchess of York." Identical trade cards in Banks Collection (D,2.3424 and D,2.3426) advertise "Darling & Thompson, Great Newport Street... Engravers, Printers, and Printsellers To their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of York."
We are grateful to Nigel Tattersfield (email October 2020) who in reference to Heal 59,48 clarified the partnership which hitherto had been thought to be between William Darling and John Thompson:
"This is the trade card of William Darling alone, not Darling and Thompson as the firm later became. In fact, it is difficult to see how William Darling was ever a partner with John Peter Thompson (which is the commonly accepted account), since Darling resided in an Islington madhouse from at least 31 May 1788, when he was described as 'formerly engraver of Newport Street' and was the subject of 'a commission and inquisition into lunacy, into his state of mind and his property' (National Archives, C211/7/D54). William Darling was probably suffering from dementia by this stage but he had been well enough to make a will dated 26 July 1787 in which he left virtually everything to his wife Mary and bequeathed a mourning ring to his erstwhile apprentice James Mackey [sic] for 'his diligent and faithful service'. (There are several trade cards signed by Macky in the BM.) The will was proved 18 April 1789 (National archives, PROB 11/1177/320). Following William Darling's relocation to Islington, the engraving business was carried on by his wife Mary and it was probably her decision to enter into partnership with the engraver John Peter Thompson since she may not have actually been a practising engraver and there appear to have been no surviving children to inherit the business. The consequence of this is that all the prints marked 'Darling and Thompson' refer to Mary Darling and John Peter Thompson. It also explains why the bill at Heal 99.39 is receipted by Mary Darling, 22 January 1794. The partnership between Mary Darling and John Peter Thompson was dissolved in 1797 according to the London Gazette, 23 March 1799 (cited by Maxted, Exeter Working Papers). Mary Darling, widow, made her will 1 June 1803, proved 23 August 1803 (National Archives, PROB 11/1397/252), a remarkably extensive list of bequests revealing substantial holdings in property and other assets"
