2.5 The Later Plymouth Directory Publishers
2.5.1 W H Hood
W H Hood had premises at St Martin´s House, 29, Ludgate Hill in London (some 300 meters from Paternoster Square) as well as a local office in Plymouth at 193 Union Street (West of England Office). Hood is registered as Bookseller and Publisher in a London Trades Directory of 1891 (but not in 1895) and took over the Plymouth directory after only 3 issues by the Eyre Brothers themselves and altered the title of the directory slightly from Eyre Brothers’ Post Office Plymouth and Devonport District Directory to become Eyre’s Post Office Plymouth and Devonport District Directory. The only other work listed as published by Hood in the JISC catalogue[i] is William Crossing´s Tales of the Dartmoor Pixies: glimpses of elfin haunts and antics published in 1890. William Crossing was without doubt the best authority on Dartmoor (according to the Western Antiquary of April 1889). The book was printed by the local firm of Hoyten and Cole (of Russell Street, Plymouth).[ii] After the text of Dartmoor Pixies there are a few advertising pages and one advert is for Hood´s Picturesque Devonshire. The advert finishes with the confirmation that W H Hood is publishing not only the directory but also Eyre´s Hotels. Although from Plymouth, William Crossing married in 1872 and moved to South Brent where he was living about this time.
Fig. 18. Advert for Picturesque Devonshire in 5th Edition of the Plymouth
directory.
Hood issued only the 4th and 5th
Editions of the Plymouth directory before handing over to J G Hammond but both publishers
managed to keep the Plymouth directory going and Hood the Hotel guide; the 11th edition was advertised in his 5th
edition of the Plymouth directory (1890, p.303). As well as retaining (but altering
the title of the directory), Hood
also announced what appears to be two new publications exploiting the Eyre name.
Two full-page adverts and two single
column advertisements in Hood´s 5th edition of the directory announce
a new publication, “Picturesque
Devonshire” to be Ready 1st June or
To Be Published June 1st. This work, priced just one shilling, was
to contain 64 pages of beautiful views and be the most attractive county work
ever attempted (p. 172) or contain about 200 high-class Views (p.
289). The second full-page advert presented a specimen view of Bickleigh Vale,
and the title appears as Eyre´s
Picturesque Devonshire (Fig. 18.).
On initial
inspection it would look as though one publication is being announced. A copy with
this title is held at The Box in Plymouth and this could well be the publication being announced.[iii]
The second advert noted above also appears in J G Hammond´s 6th
edition of the Plymouth directory but with his address. However, another such
tourist guide also exists as Picturesque Devonshire and Cornwall (see below):
were there two such “papers” circulating concurrently?
The two copies of Picturesque Devonshire seen are a
newspaper-style publication with an engraving on the cover (rather than
photographs) by R Blackman. The thin paper copy is set out “landscape” style and
cost 1/- or 1/6 in “limp cloth covers” at 16” x 11”. Hood´s two addresses are
followed by W H Hood Publisher. Although none of the 109 illustrations
listed are of Cornwall a surprising number of Cornish resorts are mentioned in
the Index of Towns.
Potential advertisers in this new
publication were enticed by: a gratuitous distribution of a copy to every
Hotel, Restaurant, Boarding Establishment, the best Sea-side Lodging Houses,
Clubs, and Reading Rooms throughout Devonshire, and to the Chief Hotels and
Clubs in other areas of the Kingdom. Their patriotic feelings were also
stirred: Those who have the interest of the County at heart should ADVERTISE
LIBERALLY in Picturesque Devonshire. (Fig. 19.).
Fig.19. Advert for Picturesque Devonshire in Plymouth directory 5th edition (detail).
Although no further copies
of Picturesque Devonshire are extant, there are a number of copies of a
second publication: Picturesque Devonshire and Cornwall.
Eyre’s Picturesque Devonshire and Cornwall is quite different to any of the other works produced under the Eyre name but is similar to Hood´s Devonshire: i.e., it is far more of an illustrated newspaper than a directory or guide. With its large size (30 x 39 cm, “portrait”) and its soft paper covers it certainly looked like a large newspaper. The cover of the 1891 issue (104 p.; Fig. 20.) is dated and clearly names Hood as the publisher. One further issue with Hood as publisher has been found but this edition has no date on the cover, has 112 pages and only has a Hood label stuck on the cover. If the Devonshire edition was published 1st June 1890 but discontinued with the Devonshire and Cornwall then succeeding it, then the 1891 copy is actually the 2nd edition. The undated copies will be the third edition, indicating a 4th edition in 1893; this would tie in with an issue advertised by Hammond in the 6th edition of the Plymouth directory (Fig. 21.).
Hood´s introduction to the fifth edition of the
directory (March 1890) apologises for the slight delay in publication but also
informs the reader that: The same staff
has again been employed in the preparation of the Directory, thereby
promising continuity. In fact, this would be his last issue of the Plymouth directory.
However, he did publish the completely new guide to Devon and Cornwall and this
would subsequently be reissued by his successor, J G Hammond.
His two editions of the directory are similar in most ways to those of the Eyre Brothers and the same format would be carried on by Hammond. However, by now the directory was much tidier: the first two editions had used one column for the Commercial Directory, two columns for the Classified Trades Directory and the Street Directory and employed various types. It was also bulky, being 45 mm thick with up to 800 pages (2nd Edition). The later directories were slimmer volumes at 25 mm and with only circa 400 pages. At a slightly larger size of 140 mm x 220 mm, pages could be divided neatly into two columns (Commercial Directory) or three columns (Classified Trades Directory and the Street Directory) and only one type style was employed.
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Fig. 20. Cover of Eyre´s
Picturesque Devonshire and Cornwall issued by Hood.
Recently discovered material,
including a loose, unbound copy of the 1891 issue corroborate the publication
of the various issues. One page headed THIRD EDITION NOW PREPARING
describes the newspaper guide as described above, includes various reviews and
finishes with the line Advertisement Manager: G P Butcher, Aish, South
Brent, South Devon. According to the Daily Graphic, “Tis not a book
to be carried about in the pocket, but possesses (and will bestow) a vast
amount of information”. Presumably the author was given a 2 Shilling hardbound
copy – in handsome cloth cover - to review.[iv] An advert on the back
page is for William Crossing´s Dartmoor Pixies.
2.5.2 J G Hammond
The 6th to the 11th
Editions of the Plymouth Directory were published by J G Hammond. In his first
issue, published for 1893-94 signifying a three-year break, he has every confidence that it will bear
favourable comparison with previous issues. J G Hammond & Co., Ltd had
their main office and printing premises in Scotland Passage, which ran between
High St and Moor St, in Birmingham. They were advertising “about 50 other
publications” in the Plymouth Directory of 1893/4 utilising the largest and fastest machinery and
boasting a large staff of workmen.
Hammond also had offices in 48 & 49 Temple Chambers in the east end of
London as well as a local office in Plymouth at Victoria Chambers in Whimple
Street, Plymouth. In 1898 they were boasting that they were printers of
“between 50 and 60 … publications”.
John George Hammond (1853-1942) was born in Birmingham, the son of a publican. Originally a master printer, he ventured into publishing, but in the latter part of his career he simply referred to himself as a printing contractor. He died in November 1942 and his funeral was mentioned in various newspapers. He died a very wealthy man, his estate coming to over £160,000. As well as being generous to his family he left smaller bequests of “£50 and under to employees and others” and large bequests to various medical institutions, lifeboats and to his local church in Moseley.[v]
Fig. 21. Advert for 4th edition of Eyre´s Picturesque Devonshire and Cornwall
in 1893.
The directory carried on the
tradition of Eyre and Hood and much of the introductory text, although
rearranged and repaginated, was the same as in previous editions. Besides
advertising his company name there are several advertisements for the project
begun by Hood in 1890 included and they announce a forthcoming fourth edition.
Two copies of Eyre’s Picturesque Devon and Cornwall with Hammond´s imprint are
known, both of 1898 with the year of issue embedded in the
decoration below the view of the Royal Albert Bridge (see Fig. 22a.). At the foot of the front page only the two addresses,
London, 17 Coleman Street and Birmingham, 136 Moor Street give the publisher
away but a full imprint is found with the list of distributors (Fig. 22b.). In the 7th
edition of the Plymouth directory, Hammond is assuring readers that the
circulation in 1895 exceeded 10,000 issues with 3,000 presented to hotels, etc.
Fig. 22a. J G Hammond & Co. issued Eyre´s Picturesque Devon and Cornwall in
1898.
A full-page advert in the 6th
edition of the directory mentions both the Plymouth directory and Eyre´s
Picturesque Devon and Cornwall (slightly
amended title) but no other works are directly quoted. Another advert towards
the end of the directory announces that the 1893 edition of Picturesque Devon and Cornwall is now
preparing with 112 large pages: this will be the Fourth Edition. The First
Edition would have been issued in 1890, i.e., published by Hood, with the
1891 issues extant being the 2nd edition, making the 1898 edition (118
pages) the 9th issue if published annually. Given its repetition of
text it was very likely aimed at the occasional summer visitor to the two
counties and not to residents. Page 118 of the 1898 issue has a list of over 60
distributors throughout Devon and Cornwall (including G K Batten in Ilfracombe)
and copies in cloth (blue or scarlet) cost 2/-, paper cover copies 1/- and a “Cheaper
Edition” just 6d (Fig. 22b.). Although Hammond slightly shortened
the title, he used the original title on the back page with the distributors
list and also promises readers Local copies of Plymouth, Torquay, Exeter,
Ilfracombe, N & E Cornwall, South Cornwall, West Cornwall are on sale
separately at threepence each.
Fig. 22b. List of distributors and announcement of
Local Copies.
Hammond had published the 6th
edition of the Plymouth directory in 1893 and had quoted a Whimple St,
Plymouth, address on title page and in adverts, however, there is no mention of
his offices in the street directory for Victoria Chambers but Eyre´s are listed
there. In the 7th, however, Victoria Chambers are now the offices of
J G Hammond and Co. Ltd. Publishers, head offices: Birmingham G P Butcher,
manager. There are frequent references to these offices, each mentioning
Butcher, throughout this edition; he had evidently been taken over together
with the directory.
Hood had introduced a map by the
local printer John Smith for his 5th edition of the Plymouth directory
and Hammond continued to include this in all their issues (see below). However,
this was not their first map venture: J.G. Hammond and Co.s Map of
Birmingham, Aston Manor and suburbs was printed in 1893.[vi]
An advertisement of 1908 from an unknown
source still has the Midland Works in Scotland Passage and also a London Works
at 32-36 Fleet Lane, Ludgate Circus.[vii] The company offered catalogues, books and publications of
all kinds, with special attention drawn to “imitation typewriter circulars”. In that same year Hammond had problems with some of his staff who
wished to join a printer´s union, the London Compositors´ Society:
Hammond claimed it was “dishonest” of a worker to join a union after being
given employment.
2.5.3 Theophilus Creber
In 1900 Theophilus Creber took over
the directory of Plymouth and the company published five editions to 1904. As
such, Creber was the first local person to publish the directory. In 2016 the
British Library ran an exhibition “There Will Be Fun” on Victorian
entertainments. Laurence Worms, in his blog The
Bookhunter on Safari, gives some account of Creber´s life.[viii] Theophilus Creber
(1845-1902) of Plymouth, described himself as a “show printer”. He was
brought up in Devonport Workhouse where his father was the teacher. He had a
printing business and printed posters for circus shows and other acts (Fig. 23.). Fascinated by the world of
entertainment he took a lease on the Olympia Theatre in Plymouth and re-opened
it in 1887 as a Theatre of Varieties, promising “first class entertainments … free from anything objectionable in
the slightest degree”. By 1898 he had taken over the Theatre Royal at
Eastbourne, spending large sums on refurbishing it. At some point he owned and
then sold Fred Ginster’s Circus and a column in the newspaper The Era (9th April 1898,
illustrated in the blog) includes a long list of all the items for sale.
A number of his posters can be seen on-line giving an
idea of his output: bright, vibrant works of art. However, he also published
leaflets such as the Visitor’s Guide and Illustrated Catalogue of Bostock
and Wombwell’s Royal National Menagerie (c.1884) This was Printed by:
Theophilus Creber, Colour Printer, 60 & 61 Union Street, Plymouth.
The name Creber is not uncommon, and
it seems to have connections with west Devon in Tavistock and Plymouth. Even
the name Theophilus Creber turns up numerous times: three times in the 1700s in
Stoke Damerel, Plymouth; and once in the records of the navy with a Theophilus
George Creber (b.1865, possibly in Plympton) enlisting in 1883. In the Reports
from Commissioners Vol. XXV. on the Civil Service in the area of
Science and Art, published in 1866, Theophilus Creber is listed among the 3
local scholars for Devonport and Plymouth who were appointed Art
pupil-teachers. This was very possibly his father, John Theophilus Creber
(c.1818 – c.1878) whose registered address in 1861 and 1871 was The Workhouse,
Devonport.
The postage stamp had only been
introduced 25 years earlier, but there is evidence to suggest that in 1864
Creber Senior was selling stamps for philatelists. A relatively new hobby,
there must have already been a flourishing market for used stamps from all
countries. In March of that year the company of C & H Gloyn (Acomb House,
Manchester) published the first edition of Once A Month, or The Stamp
Collector´s Advertiser. It was a comprehensive little work covering all
aspects of stamp collecting (including exposure of a mail-order fraud) running
to 16 pages and costing just twopence. Already in issue 1 T Creber of Ford,
Devonport is advertising both stamps on approval and several hundred
varieties of stamps at 1d each.[ix] In the same year A
Descriptive Price List of British, Colonial, and Foreign Postage Stamps for
sale by Theophilus Creber & Co. was Printed by John R H Spry of 9 Tavistock
Street in Devonport. Creber was located at 15, Navy Row, Devonport. The 8 pages
of the list were followed by a page of advertising for both publisher and
printer. Mixed Continental Stamps … selling at the low price of 1s per 100,
or 7s6d per 1000.[x]
John Thomas Theophilus Creber was
born in 1845 and married Louisa Lascelles (b.1844) in 1868. They had four
children, the oldest being Theophilus C Creber (b.1869 in Devonport). In 1861
John Thomas was registered both at The Workhouse in Stoke Damerel but also at 2
North Prospect Old Saltash Road where he was apparently a Pupil teacher.
In 1871 the 26 year-old Theophilus was registered at 7 Tavistock Place as a
printer-stationer employing one man and two boys and 10 years later he is a
letter press and lithographic printer at 61 Union Street.[xi] In 1878 (White´s)
Theophilus Creber was registered as printer and bookbinder at 61 Union Street,
the address he would remain at. Sometime between 1873 (Kelly´s) and 1878
he had moved from premises at 7 Tavistock Street and 11 Catherine Street in
Devonport. At that time, he was listed as printer, stationer and bill poster
but also as publisher of the Western Globe. This newspaper, The
Western Globe and Cornwall Advertiser, is only thought to have appeared
from January 1872 to July 1873. In Eyre´s directories of 1880 and 1893 he is
simply listed as color printer.[xii]
Creber, or his business partners, took over from Hammond in 1900 and managed to issue the directory annually over the next five years. Theophilus was only 55 but he died only two years later. Although the 12th Edition of the Directory still included the map by John Smith, for the 13th Edition (1901) a new map was prepared. In 1905 the publication of the directory passed to A H Swiss, another local businessman. However, Creber´s business survived until 1932 when it merged with the Salisbury Press. One of Theophilus´ sons, John Henry born c.1877, was already registered as a Post Office boy in the census of 1891 living in Union Street (aged 13). However, in 1901 he was Printer and lithographer with premises at 28 Carlisle Terrace, so it is possible he carried on the family business for a while.[xiii]
Fig. 23. Typical circus / variety act poster printed
by Theophilus Creber.
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[i] JISC is
the on-line catalogue Library Hub Discover, which replaces COPAC as main UK on-line
library catalogue. Note that W H Hood´s issues of the directory are often
listed under Eyre Brothers and not under Hood.
[ii] HathiTrust has published the Harvard University copy
on-line. The advert is at the back of the work.
[iii] West Devon Record Office is now operated through The
Box in Plymouth. Due to red tape and high charges, I am unable to illustrate
the cover of their copy. Of all the institutes listed under Acknowledgements
they are by far the most difficult to work with.
[iv] I am grateful to Oriel Butcher for forwarding images
of the newspaper to me.
[v] I am grateful to Laurence Worms for forwarding
information on Hammond including newspaper cuttings from The Globe 1908
concerning industrial action by his printers and from both the Peterborough
Standard (Friday 27th November) and Birmingham Mail (14th
November) 1942 on his funeral and bequests.
[vi] Copy at Birmingham University Library.
[vii] Illustrated at Grace´s Guide
online: https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/J._G._Hammond_and_Co. See The Globe
newspaper of 9th April, 1908, where Hammond had staff problems.
[viii] https://ashrarebooks.com/2016/10/20/there-will-be-fun/. The
descriptions which follow are all from the blog.
[ix] Copy held at the Bodleian Library, Oxford has been
digitalized and can be accessed through SOLO, their main catalogue.
[x] The publication has been uploaded by an internet
company but the original is probably that held at the National Postal Museum
Rare Books collection in the Smithsonian Library, Washington.
[xi] I am grateful to Anthony Trice for
family information: he maintains a comprehensive
survey of the Creber family on-line at https://creber.one-name.net.
[xii] See for example, Ian Maxwell´s list at
https://bookhistory.blogspot.com/2009/10/devon-newspapers.
[xiii] I am
grateful to Anthony Trice for this information
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