Scottish Book Trade Archive Inventory

National Library of Scotland

MS 23237-23617

T. and A. Constable records; Letter and account books, 1859-1946; Estimates, 1922-1945; Incoming correspondence, 1934-1942; Binders' registers concerning the binding and distribution of 'Canada and its Provinces', 1914-1919 and undated. The Edinburgh Press records; Letter books, 1912-1936; Estimate books, 1912-1936; Prinical's letter books, 1907-1915; London office letter books, 1936-1942; Letter books to bennett college, Sheffield, 1929-1945; Correspondence, 1933-1935. Miscellaneous records 1870-1955, including letter books of Edinburgh printers, stock and delivery book, 1914-1918; Register of firm's wages and employments, 1914-1918, copy advice notes, 1949-1955.

Archibald Constable (1774-1827), printer, moved to Edinburgh in 1788 and became an apprentice bookseller to Peter Hill. In 1795 he married the daughter of David Willison, an Edinburgh printer, and established his own bookselling business. In 1833 his son Thomas (1812-1881) took over the family printing, publishing and book selling business and moved to 11 Thistle Street, New Town, Edinburgh. The company name changed from Willison to T. And A. Constable Ltd. In 1839 Thomas Constable was appointed Her Majesty's Printer and Publisher in Edinburgh. From 1853 he began to print books for London publishers. In 1859 he was appointed Printer to the University of Edinburgh. By 1861 he was employing more compositors than any other printers in Edinburgh. By 1869 Thomas' son, Archibald, had joined him as partner. In 1878 Walter Biggar Blaikie (1847-1928) joined the partnership and in 1881 Thomas Constable died. In 1921 T. and A. Constable Ltd. became a limited company and additional directors were taken on. In 1929 a new factory was built for the company on Hopetoun Street, Edinburgh. In 1936 the business of the Edinburgh Press, established 1876, was incorporated under the name of T. and A. Constable Ltd. The company was active in 1976.

Paper catalogues available at National Library of Scotland.

National Library of Scotland

Dep 307

Extensive collection includes Day Books, Ledgers, Cash Books, Invoice Books, Wages Books, Journals, Account and Order Books.

A list is available in paper and electronic form. see also T. and A. Constable (1859-1955)

National Library of Scotland

Dep 247

The papers of T & T Clark Ltd. Boxed Correspondence, Letter register, Letter Book, Notebook (advertisements and orders), Statement Book (Session Cases etc), Enclosures to Simpkin Marshall (overseas consignments), Stock Sales Notebook, Invoice Book, Desk Sales Book, Subscription Book, Commission Sales Book, Returns Book, Daily Abstract of Invoices, Day Book and Sales Sheets, Book Sales Sheet, Sales Account Book, Printing Orders Notebook, Trade Ledger, Trade Day Book, Cash Book, Petty Cash book, Manuscripts book, Literary Manuscripts.

The firm of T. & T. Clark, theological publishers, was founded by Thomas Clark (1799-1865) in 1821 in Parliament Square, Edinburgh. These premises were destroyed by fire in 1823 and the business removed to George Street, Edinburgh. In 1846 the founder's nephew Thomas Clark (1823-1900) joined the partnership and the firm became T. and T. Clark. Following the retirement of the elder Thomas Clark, his nephew took full responsibility for the practical management of the company. He was also deacon and elder of Lady Glenorchy's Church, Edinburgh. In 1877 he entered the Town Council of Edinburgh. He also held other public positions including Master of the Edinburgh Merchant Company, Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Curator of the University of Edinburgh and manager of the Royal Infirmary. In 1880 Thomas' eldest son John Maurice Clark (1859-1924) became a partner in the firm. In 1886 Thomas Clark (1823-1900) retired leaving the running of the company to John. In 1894 John's brother Thomas George Clark, joined the partnership. In 1911 John's son Thomas became a partner and in 1918 Thomas George Clark, resigned from the firm. John Maurice Clark retired in 1923 and died in 1924 at home in Edinburgh. In 1930 Thomas Clark's cousin, another Thomas George Clark joined the company. In 1956 Thomas George Clark's son T.G. Ramsay D. Clark joined the partnership. In 1973 the company merged with John Bartholomew and Son, map publishers, Edinburgh, founded 1826. In 1975 Geoffrey Green joined the company and in 1980 it was taken over by Reader's Digest. In 1985 the Bartholomew Group became part of News International, a subsidiary of NewsCorp. In 1989 the company acquired William Hodge, law publishers, Glasgow and by 1991 Geoffrey Green had become proprietor of T. & T. Clark. The company became part of the Continuum International Publishing Group in 2000.

A paperlist is available at the NLS. The NLS has a large T & T Clark collection that extends into the 20th century (including Dep. 342, Acc. 10689, Acc. 10785, Acc. 11268, Acc. 11792). See http://www.nls.uk/catalogues/online/cnmi/list.cfm?letter=T for extensive listings.

Glasgow City Archives

TD 343

Miscellaneous records including invitations and circulars, 1894-1922.

Thomas Sproat was a printer in Glasgow until 1907, and thereafter a trade union official, first as Assistant General Secretary (1907-1911) and then General Secretary (1911-1931) of the Amalgamated Society of Lithographic Printers UK. He was also active in the Glasgow Foundry Boys and Temperance Society.

11 Units

Descriptive list available at Glasgow City Archives.