John Walthoe Senior (d. 1744; fl. 1683–1744)
John Walthoe, Senior bookseller, bookbinder and stationer (1683–1733), at the Black Lion in Chancery Lane; over against/near Lincoln's Inn; over against St. John's Head Tavern (1683–8); in Vine Court in Middle Temple Lane (1690–); in Pump Court in Middle Temple Cloister; in Stafford. John Senior in the Middle Temple Cloisters and John Junior against the Royal Exchange in Cornhill began publishing together in 1716.
A Dictionary of the Printers and Booksellers who were at Work in England, Scotland and Ireland from 1668 to 1725, by Henry Plomer (1922)
WALTHOE (JOHN), bookseller in London, (i) Black Lion, Chancery Lane, (a) over against, or near, Lincoln's Inn, (b) over against St. John's Head Tavern, 1683–8; (2) Vine Court, Middle Temple, adjoining to the Cloisters, 1690–; (3) Pump Court, Middle Temple Cloister; and in Stafford. 1683-1733. Began publishing in Mich. 1683. [T.C. II. 50.] In 1684 he published two novels from the French entitled The Triumph of Friendship and The Force of Love [T.C. II. 96], and from that time onward he continued to be a prominent publisher of similar books. Dunton, however [p. 208], who speaks very well of him, does not mention these, but notes that "he prints and deals much in Law Books". Walthoe contributed five guineas to the Bowyer fund, and was in business as late as the year 1733. He moved from Chancery Lane to Vine Court between 1688 and 1690. [T.C. II. 238, 342.] As he gave very vague and abbreviated descriptions of his quarters in the Temple it is difficult to decide when he made his second change.
Notes & Queries "London Booksellers Series" (1931–2)
WALTHOE, JOHN. Began publishing in 1683. At the opening of the eighteenth century he was at the Middle Temple Cloisters, where he remained until 1720, after which date he is not heard of. In 1717 a John Walthoe (Junior) also advertises from a shop against the Royal Exchange, and the two published several law-books in collaboration. (See the Post Boy 28 May, 1720, for a list). I have succeeded in tracing Walthoe Junior to 1742, and he may have lived on later. Plomer makes no mention of the second of these two. He seems to have confused them, and treated them as one person.
—Frederick T. Wood, 17 Ocotber 1931
WALTH0E, J. (clxi. 277). Supposing that there were two John Walthoe's, as DR. WOOD suggests, the full address of one of. them—presumably the younger—is found on imprints dated 1729 and 1735 as "at the Golden Ball over against the Royal Exchange," not "against the Royal Exchange." The same two imprints also carry the name "J. Walthoe at Richmond" but whether this merely indicates a second address, or whether it represents a separate person, it is difficult to say. DR. WOOD said he was unable to trace John Walthoe senior after 1720.
—Ambrose Heal, 13 February 1932