- Also known as
-
Cluer Dicey
-
primary name: Dicey, Cluer
-
other name: Dicey & Marshall
- Details
- individual; publisher/printer; British; Male
- Life dates
- 1715-1775
- Address
- Maidenhead, Bow Churchyard, London
Aldermary Church Yard, London
- Biography
- Printer and publisher of cheap popular texts and prints. Son of William Dicey (q.v.) with whom he was working in Northampton by the early 1730s. In 1736 his father took over the printing office in Bow Churchyard that had been run by his uncle, John Cluer (q.v.), and William was sent to operate it in partnership. Also took over the management of Dr Bateman's Pectoral Drops of which his father was part-proprietor. He was also renowned for selling Daffy's Elixir (see S. O'Connell, London 1753, p.94,for a medicine bottle in the collection of the Museum of London, A 2/3 7197).
Cluer built up the business in street literature at the Maidenhead, Bow Churchyard, London. In 1753 Richard Marshall (q.v.) bought a 25% share in the business and in 1759 the partners opened a second business at an address in Aldermary Churchyard, to which the business at Bow was gradually transferred. In 1764 entered into a partnership with Richard Marshall (q.v.) and published a joint catalogue. The name, sometimes as 'Dicey & Co.', is found added on restrikes of various seventeenth-century plates, and new publications had the imprint Dicey & Marshall or simply the address in Aldemary Churchyard. In Cluer's latter years Marshall concentrated on the printing business while Cluer dealt with the patent medicines. After Cluer's death in 1775 Richard Marshall continued the print business, and after his death in 1779 it was continued by his son John Marshall (q.v.).
Cluer's brother Robert Dicey (1721-57) ran the Northampton side of the family business which was continued by Cluer's son, Thomas Dicey (q.v.). The family owned the 'Northampton Mercury' until 1885.
Trade card in Heal Collection (Heal,59.56) and photograph of an identical card in Banks Collection (Banks,99.12+) advertise "At the Maiden-head in Bow-church-Yard London: Shop-keepers Bills are curiously Engrav'd On Copper-Plates By Wm. and Cluer Dicey. Likewise All manner of Business Printed with the greatest Expedeition at the Lowest Rates. Heal's annotations on mount: "Plate XXIX in 'L.T.C.'. In Hilton-Price's 'Signs of Cheapside' in L.T.R. Vol. iv pp:34. 50 & 51, he gives in 1724 Cluer's Printing Office at 'The Maidenhead' in Bow Churchyard & quotes at length an advertisement in London Journal of that year. Also illustrates another advertisement. Another advertisement is given in full annoucing the death of John Cluer & giving notice that the business is carried on by his widow Elizabeth Cluer [no date] & concludes with 'Likewise Mr. Handel's Opera's...are there engraved, printed & sold'. Compare an advertisement dated 1724 from 'Cluer's Printing Office at the Sign of the MAIDENHEAD behind Bow Church in Cheapside 'advertising the sale of Daffy's 'Elixer Salutis'. Also other advertisements of 'New Musical Cards for the Violin, Hautboy & Flute dated 1724 & also 'Twelve new Songs' & 'Mr. Handel's Opera of SIROE published this day,' dated 1728. 'London Evening Post' 11. Nov. 1736. - 'At the MAIDENHEAD in Bow Church Yard, Cheapside: Thomas Cobb, printer and engraver, who married the widow of the late Henry (?) Cluer, has assigned the business to his brother-in-law William Dicey and his son, Cluer Dicey'. John Cluer & T.Cobb were in partnership in 1728 - see advertisement. 1777 Directory gives: - Dicey, Benyon & Co, medicine warehouse Bow Church Yard. 1793 Directory gives: - Dicey, Benyon & Wye, medicine warehouse, Bow Church Yard. Dr. Philip Norman writes to me August 1927 that he has a glass bottle that has on it in relief 'True Daffy Elixir Dicey & Co. No.10 Bow Church Yard & further that the firm in 1797 was Dicey & Sutton - possibly predecessors of William Sutton & Co., Patent Warehouse, 76 Chiswell St., still existing.
- Bibliography
- Catalogues: 1754 (Bodley), 1764 (Glasgow)
V. E. Neuberg, The Diceys and the Chapbook Trade, in The Library, 5th series, XXIV, 1969, pp. 219-31
V.E. Neuberg, Popular Literature: a history and guide, 1977
www.diceyandmarshall.bham.ac.uk (publication of 1764 catalogue by R.C.Simmons)
David Stoker, 'The Marshall family's print publishing business', Print Quarterly, XXXVIII 2021, pp.50-63
