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- Henry Parker
- Also known as
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Henry Parker
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primary name: Parker, Henry
- Details
- individual; publisher/printer; British; Male
- Life dates
- 1725-1809
- Address
- 82 Cornhill, London (opposite Birchin Lane) 1767-71
36 Cornhill ('opposite his late house', until 1774)
White Lion Court, Birchin-lane (announcement of move in Daily Advertiser 18 Nov 1774)
- Biography
- Printseller, publisher, bookseller. Assistant to Thomas Bakewell from 1748; on his death became partner of his widow Elizabeth Bakewell (q.v.) from 1759(?). Bakewell and Parker published Richard Rolt's 'Loves of the Reformers', a work notable for its fine series of portraits. In 1774 Parker quitted business and purchased the office of chief clerk in the Chamberlain's Office at Guildhall in which capacity he served between 1786-91. Parker was called to the Court of the Stationers' Company in 1795-8, and served as Under Warden in 1799 and 1800, Upper Warden in 1800 and 1801 and served as Master in 1801. He died at Stoke Newington in 1809 aged 84. In vol.3 of his 'Literary Anecdotes', published in 1812, John Nichols describes Parker as '...sometime an eminent Stationer and printseller...Mr Parker was Master of the Company of Stationers in 1801; where (as in every other department of his life) his general knowledge of City business, and the remarkable placidity of his manners, very much endeared him to a circle of sincere friends'.
According to the history of the firm published in 1950, the business moved to Prince's Street, Soho, in 1831, and in 1853 to Spur Street, Leicester Square, expanding in 1905 to adjacent buildings. In 1919 it was in Berkeley Street, Mayfair, then to Berkeley Square in 1928. The firm's archives in Albemarle Street were destroyed by flooding after bombing in 1940. The firm was evidently still flourishing in 1950, becoming specialists in antiquarian prints of nautical and military subjects.
The firm handled the sale of the Macpherson collection of maritime pictures to Sir James Caird who presented it to the National Maritime Museum. Captain Harry Parker, of the family, wrote the standard catalogue of prints on naval battles in 1911, which is the catalogue of the collection formed by Sir Charles Cust. The Crookshank collection of military prints was also formed through them, and is now in the National Army Museum.
- Bibliography
- 'The House of Parker bi-centenary 1750-1950' (copy in P&D P.6.28/20)
Information from Brian Parker, New Brunswick (2010)
