Thomas Ruddiman was born near Banff in 1674, son of a farmer, and was educated at the local grammar school and at Aberdeen University. After a period as a private tutor, and as the schoolmaster at Laurencekirk, he moved to Edinburgh in 1700 to become the assistant librarian at the Faculty of Advocates. He was […]
OTD 15 January 1826
James Ballantyne founded his printing firm in Kelso in 1796. Archibald Constable, Scott’s publisher, commissioned Ballantyne to print his Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, which led to the firm’s move to Edinburgh in 1802. After setting up near Holyrood, they moved to Foulis Close in the Canongate before settling in Paul’s Work, north back of […]
OTD 28 December 1804
On 28 December 1804 Alexander Keith Johnston, of the Edinburgh map-printing firm, W & A K Johnston, was born.
OTD 19 December 1904
On 19 December 1904 the Scotsman and the Edinburgh Evening Dispatch moved from Cockburn Street to newly built premises on North Bridge, now the Scotsman Hotel.
OTD 11 December 1862
Edward Clark, son of Robert Clark of the Edinburgh printing firm R & R Clark, was born on 11 December 1862. On his death in 1926, he left funds to support the teaching of printing in Edinburgh, including funding a collection of books for the use of the students. The Edward Clark Collection is in […]
OTD 7 December 1749
Patrick Neill founded the company which was to become Neill & Co on 7 December 1749 in Edinburgh. It occupied premises in Old Fishmarket Close off the High Street for many years.
OTD 6 December 1752
The Edinburgh stationery and printing firm of George Waterston & Sons was established on 6 December 1752. Originally sealing wax manufacturers, the company soon moved into stationery production .
OTD 30 October 1577
30 October 1577 Thomas Bassendyne died in Edinburgh on 30 October 1577. Together with Alexander Arbuthnot, he printed the first translation of the Bible in Scotland, known as the Bassendyne Bible. The New Testament, printed by Bassendyne, was completed first, and the Bible as a whole is known as ‘the Bassendyne Bible’.
OTD 19 October 1749
William Ged died in Edinburgh on 19 October 1749. He had trained as a goldsmith, but pioneered a system of stereotyping, though he was unsuccessful in persuading printers to adopt it. It became a standard process early in the 19th century.
OTD 15 September 1507
On 15 September 1507 James IV granted Walter Chepman and Andro Myllar a licence to set up a printing press in Edinburgh.