Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-09-07 00:00:00

THE HOUSE OF LONGMAN AND CO

The retirement of Mr. Brown, and the death of a
former partner, Mr. Orme, have naturally directed
attention to this, with one exception, the oldest house
in the trade in London. Like some of our other well-
known institutions, its origin is lost in obscurity,
although, unlike many of them, we are able to trace
the first of the dynasty. When the house commenced
business we know not; the first time we find the name
is, on the title-page of ". An Inquiry into our. Ideas of
Beauty and Virtue," published in 1725' by J. Osborn'
and T. Longman. At this time the sign of their house
was the " Ship," -which in 1730 became the " Ship and
Black Swan." What became of J. Osborn we cannot
tell ; but in 1736' we find Thomas Longman alone
in business, which he appears to have carried 'on
very successfully until his death, in 1755. On
the death of the first Thomas Longman, a nephew,
of the same name,' succeeded to the businesss.
He is said. to have been a• man of most exemplary
character, and universally esteemed .for his uprightness
in bUsiness and for his benevolened in private life., He
died at Hampstead, February 5, 1797, leaving two sons.'
The buSiness previous to this tune' had much increased
by the purchase of some of the best copyrights
of the day, and by opening accounts with a' large
number of the, best houses in the prpvinees. It
had
.also been largely engaged in the American trade,
and, to the honour of the booksellers of that country
be it' said, that after the Declaration of Indepen-
dence they did not repudiate the , debts incurred aS
colonists. 14r. Owen Rees enteredin 1794, and soomafter-,
wards became partner,- and' the-business was carried on
as Longman and Rees till 1804. In 1804, 'Mr. Cosmo
Orme, a valued assistant, had entered into partnership
with Mr. Thomas Hurst, who had got together a large
country business ' • but it was thought advisable to retain
,rY; ;, and the firm became that of Longman,
Hurst ilees, and Orme. From this time may br

dated the meat rise in the fattunes and business of the
house. 1 hey published large and expensive works,
and assumed the first position in the trade, a position
they have kept ever since.. About this time they also
engaged largely in the old book trade. We have before

us-at-this moment one of their eataloomes for the year
1813, containing enotih articles to cause even. Dr.
Bandinel to commit a breach of the tenth commandment,
altlinumb he has the whole Bodleian library to himself_

thiSscarce and curious quarto volume we find the
celebrated " Roxburgh Ballads," now in the British
" fisc Dictionary o; naa ryL Yof
Museum:; a Pennant's ."rondon," marked £300; a
sGorntg,e, illaond"oßn,i,o,gras6pshoic;alpDia.icintigtono7B,"
Painters," £420; two volumes of "Oroznwelliaua,"
£250 ; an extraordinary assemblage of Caxton's, Wynkyn
de Worde'sl and other early printeerbooks, one supposed
to date from 1446 ; a unique assemblage of " Garrick-.
iane," and many other articles.of a matchless character.
The present Mr. Thomas Brown; a member of the house,
received his education at Christ's Hospital, where he
was the contemporary of Charles Lamb, Lloyd, Cole-
ridge, and Le Grice, entered as a lad in October, 1792,
and was apprenticed' in December, in the same year,
and in 181,1 became partner. Perhaps nothing has
tended more to raise the house to its present 'position
than the plan adopted by the principals of introducing
fresh blood from time to time--a 'plan which was carried
out by .the introduction of Mr. Rees, Mr. Orme, Mr.
Brown, and in 1824, when Mr. Bevis E. Green, who
had been apprenticed to Mr. Hurst in 1807, became a
partner. This gentleman, who had charge of the coun-
try department for many years, is the only remaining
partner of the old firm, Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme,
Brown, and. Green. Mr. T. N. Longman paid the debt
of nature at his house at Hampstead, August 28; 1842,
iu his 72nd year. The firm now trade under the name
of Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts.---Bookseller.

A fire broke out at the village, of Willingham, Cam-
bridgeshire, on Thursday afternoon, which resulted in
a fearful amount of damage. Sixteen dwellinF-houses
have suffered from the effects of the conflabcrration, and
a considerable quantity of corn, hay, and other agricul-
tural produce was destroyed. Ile damage is computed
at the large amount of £lO,OOO. Only a portion of the
property was insured

EXCITEMENT EXTRAORDINARY.---IM consequence of the great
excitement which prevails amongst all classes as regards the
case of Dr. Smethurst, and also the very numerous applications
made by parties to Mr. William Allsop to have a representa-
tion of Dr. Smethurst in his Exhibition of Waxwork Figures,
Sculpture Galleries, &c., at. the. Teutonic-hall, Lime-street,
Liverpool, Mr. A., in accordance to the requests, has, at a very
.great expense and a vast amount of trouble, succeeded in
obtaining a correct and truly faithful likeness, modelled in
wax, from sketches wad a careful drawing taken during his
trial, expressly for Mr. Allsop. The model has been executed
by that truly renowned and talented artist, Mr. D. Erucciani,
of London. Notice.—The figure of Dr. Smethurst will not be
placed in the chambsr of criminals. The figure is now ready
for inspection. Oren from ten o'clock -a.m. to ton p.m.
Admission lid