John Nicholson (d. 1717; fl. 1686–1717)

NICHOLSON, JOHN. Was trading at the King's Arms in Little Britain in 1700, and continued there till 1715. Dunton. who sold a large part of his stock to him when he quitted bookselling, gives a long and illuminating account of him (i. 209). In 1701 he co-operated with Midwinter and Leigh to produce 'A Compleate Collection of Voyages and Travels' in two volumes folio, and in the press advertisements for this, he offers good prices for the MSS. of any similar works.

—Frederick T. Wood, 19 September 1931

NICHOLSON, JOHN. Plomer gives two addresses for this bookseller (1) King's Arms, Little Britain; (2) Queen's Arms, Little Britain, and comments on the fact that the change was not made at the time of Queen Anne's accession but some years later. It is true that there is one entry given by Arber in 1708, where the address is given as the Queen's Arms, but this is an isolated instance and in a hundred other entries of John Nicholson's, between 1698 and 1711, the King's Arms is given throughout. It looks as though the 1708 entry was mis-worded. The latest recorded publication by Nicholson is 1715 (Nichols, 'Lit. Anecd.'). but the year of his death has not been given. It would appear that he partially retired from business in 1718 [actually 1717; and see Belanger, below], for there were two sales of his stock in that year; and he may have died about three years later, for the remainder of the stock of "John Nicholson, deceased" was sold by auction 25 May, 1721.

—Ambrose Heal, 14 November 1931

NICHOLSON (JOHN), bookseller in London, (i) King's Arms, Little Britain; (2) Queen's Arms, Little Britain. 1686–1715. First heard of in the year 1686, when he advertised a pack of heraldic cards. [T.C. II. 181.] Ten years later  he was associated with T. Newborough in the publication of a Latin Testament for the use of scholars [T.C. II. 603], but his place of business is not mentioned until 1697. From that date he was a prolific publisher of works of all kinds and made frequent use of the Term Catalogues. Dunton [p. 209] has this record of him: "His talent lies at projection, though I am thinking his Voyages and Travels will be a little posthumous. He is usually fortunate in what he goes upon. He is a man of good sense. ... He purchased part of my stock, when I threw up all concerns in trade; and I ever found him a very honest man." Amongst Nicholson's more notable publications may be mentioned Thomas Gage's New Survey of the West Indies, which he shared with Newborough, and advertised in Easter 1699 [T.C. III. 130], and The Index Villaris, published with Newborough and others in 1700. [T.C. III. 177.] He also shared in most of the large ventures of the time. He did not change his sign to the "Queen's Arms" in 1702, as might be supposed; for he still called it the "King's Arms" in 1707, when he published, with Robert Knaplock, Hickes's edition of the Works of à Kempis; there is a list of books at the end of vol. II of this. In 1715 William Bowyer printed for him Pearson's Exposition of the Creed. [Nichols, Lit. Anecd. I. 109.]

No. 78. Tuesday, 9 September 1740. QH. A catalogue of the bound-stock, of Mr. Ranew Robinson, deceas'd; and also part of his books in quires. [Plus, page 7:] The following Copies, and parts of Copies, and copper-plates, belonging to the late John Nicholson, deceas'd; to be sold ... this day. 79 Ward. Books [Robinson]: no annotation. Copies and copper-plates [Nicholson]: £54.5.0.

The purchasers of the Nicholson items are "to pay to the Trustees o fJohn Nicholson's Estate." Nicholson had died in 1716 (see notes in this appendix to Nos. 1 and 3, two other of his sales); there is thus a 25-year period during which the Copies and copper-plates must have been managed by someone else. Nicholson died intestate and had no sons, and his premises were taken over by Aaron Ward. The estate was (presumably) administered for Nicholson's two daugh­ters, but I do not know by whom.¹