William Dugdale

A Biographical Sketch of an Erotica Publisher, Bookseller and Printer

Copyright © 2006 Sheryl Perry



The majority of this biography contains newly discovered, never before published material; particularly, information about Dugdale's ancestors and descendants...including a previously unknown third brother (also in the bookselling business) and Dugdale's marriage, which produced a son who followed in his father's footsteps. Last updated: Oct. 27, 2016.


Family History

William Dugdale's Quaker grandparents, John and Jennet Dugdale, were born in the English town of Lancaster, an area with extensive wool and cotton mills and a considerable flannel manufacture.[1] John was employed there as linen draper.[2] About 1770, Jennet gave birth to William’s father, John, in Stockport; where he worked as a "hosier and tailor".[3] Although it has been said that he. was also a bookseller I have not yet found documents showing this to be true.[4]

On June 29th, 1797 John married Ann Platt, the daughter of William Platt, a clock and watch-maker, and Elizabeth.[5] Ann was born on February 16th, 1772 in Stockport.[6] She died at the age of 38 on January 22nd, 1810 due to complications from the birth of son, Jabez, who was born three days earlier.[7] John and Ann had 6 children, all born in Stockport, although three of them: Jennet, Samuel and Jabez died before the age of 10 and within a 3 year time span.

Children of John and Ann: [8] [9]

The surviving three brothers were educated at Ackworth School, a boarding school for Quaker boys and girls. William attended from 1809-1813, Thomas from 1812-1816, and John from 1814-1817.[14]

Marriage and Family

On May 4th, 1826 William Dugdale married Hannah Pinnell (or Pinnall) in St. Anne Soho parish.[15] Hannah, the daughter of Robert Pinnell and Fanny Warren, was baptized May 23rd, 1803 in Warminster, Wiltshire, England.[16] She is buried with her husband at Nunhead Cemetery

Children of William and Hannah:

Publisher / Bookseller / Printer

At the age of 18, Dugdale moved to London where he was employed by William Benbow, a radical publisher of obscene books.[23] After 4 years of learning the book trade under Benbow’s wing, Dugdale entered the printing and publishing business under his own shop at 19 Tower Street, Seven-Dials, London, England.[24]

Initially, the subjects of the books he published were not considered obscene, publishing works by authors such as Byron and Thomas Moore. Beginning about 1827, perhaps going where the money was, he moved away from the "safe" titles and started publishing bawdy, salacious, and pornographic works almost exclusively. The books were primarily reprints of English erotica and English translations of previously published French titles; the majority of the translations being done by James Campbell Reddie (c.1808-1878); with some original titles written by Edward Sellon (1818-1866).[25] By 1850, Dugdale was the primary source of pornographic literature in England.

William Dugdale, however, wasn’t the only Dugdale involved in the book trade…his two brothers, Thomas and John, as well as his son, William John Dugdale, were all booksellers: Thomas from c.1847 until c.1851, John from 1841 until his death in 1856; and son, William John, from c.1851. The 1851 English census shows the Dugdales each operating out of bookshops located in close proximity to each other on Holywell-street.[26]

Addresses & Aliases

The first known address used by Dugdale was 19 Tower Street, Seven-Dials in 1822. Over the span of the next 17 years, Dugdale set his shop(s) up at seven different addresses. In 1839 he opened up a shop at 37 Holywell Street, working from there more or less until about 1864. His last known address was at 44 Wych Street. See list of addresses below.

When Dugdale registered for a printer’s license or when he included an address as part of the publisher’s imprint he would sometimes include a false publisher or printer name such as H. Smith, Brown, Turner, or Young.[27] Because of this it can be difficult to positively identify who published what, when, and where. The table at the bottom of this page makes an attempt.

Here's one advertisement refering to H. Smith: Bell's Penny Dispatch, April 17 1842. Books Published by H. Smith, 37 Holywell Street

One item of note: Ashbee says John, who used the alias "W. Johns", worked out of 35 Holywell Street.[28] I now think that information may be incorrect based on the following: The 1851 English census and the 1855 Hodson directory both show William Dugdale's son, William John Dugdale, bookseller, at 35 Holywell Street (and as W. Johns in the 1855 directory), not John who is listed at 50 Holywell in both documents.[29] [30]

Guilty of Obscenity

William Dugdale was sent to prison numerous times for publishing literature deemed obscene by the courts. The first known indictment brought against Dugdale for the sale of an obscene book occurred in 1830.[31]  He was found not guilty. Subsequent trials occurred in 1845 (fined)[32], 1851 (2 years in prison)[33], 1857 (1 year in prison with hard labor)[34], 1861 (2 years in prison)[35], and in 1868.[36] The latter landed him 18 months in the Clerkenwell House of Correction prison, where he died a few months after his incarceration.[37]

The King v. Dugdale Morning Herald (London), May 28 1830, pg6


This sentencing notice of Dugdale's 1845 prior conviction for selling indecent publications is most interesting as it confirms William Dugdale was a snitch!
(Weekly Chronicle (London) - Saturday 29 November 1845)


Thomas Dugdale was found guilty of selling and publishing obscene prints from 51 Holywell Street on August 16th, 1847 and sentenced to 1 year in prison.[38]

John Lambert Dugdale was indicted twice for selling obscene prints: once in 1847 (found guility, surities to appear) and again in 1856 (2 months).[39]

The Death of William Dugdale

William Dugdale died at the age of 68 on November 11, 1868 while incarcerated at the Clerkenwell house of correction. An article posted in Lloyd’s Weekly Newspaper regarding an inquiry into the circumstances of his death reads in part: “Jessie Judge of 44 Wych-street…said she was the daughter of the deceased. She had seen him several times since he had been in prison. He had been very ill and was not ill when he entered the gaol…He was deprived of books and pen and paper and that I think affected his mind….it appeared that although sentenced to hard labour he did not do any; and had been in the convalescent ward, and on a first-class diet from the first.” Cause of death was ruled as “death from natural causes”. The jury also strongly recommended that books of a higher intellectual character than those generally distributed throughout the ward should be made available to the “high class of men who were prisoners".

Dugdale is buried in the South London cemetery of Southwark's Nunhead Cemetery, Linden Grove, England.



Addresses and Aliases (First Known Use)


William Dugdale

Thomas Dugdale

John Lambert Dugdale

William John Dugdale



This work on William Dugdale is copyrighted.
The content may not be reproduced in any form without my expressed permission.


Citations:

[1] Society of Friends' Registers, Notes and Certificates of Births, Marriages and Burials "Register of Marriages for the Monthly Meeting of Morley, Cheshire from 1796 to 1831".

[2] Holden's Annual London and Country Directory, of the United Kingdoms, and Wales, in Three Volumes, for the Year 1811. London: W. Holden, 1811. Vol.3, pg.99

[3] Holden's Annual London and Country Directory, of the United Kingdoms, and Wales, in Three Volumes, for the Year 1811. London: W. Holden, 1811. Vol.2, pg.414

[4] McCalman, Iain. Radical Underworld: Prophets, revolutionaries, and pornographers in London, 1795-1840. London: Cambridge University Press, 1988. p.156

[5] Society of Friends' Registers, Notes and Certificates of Births, Marriages and Burials "Register of Marriages for the Monthly Meeting of Morley, Cheshire from 1796 to 1831".

[6] Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. FamilySearch. "International Genealogical Index/British Isles".

[7] Society of Friends' Registers, Notes and Certificates of Births, Marriages and Burials "Register of Burials for the Monthly Meeting of Morley, Cheshire, from 1795 to 1831".

[8] Society of Friends' Registers, Notes and Certificates of Births, Marriages and Burials "Register of Births for the Monthly Meeting of Morley, Cheshire from 1781 to 1830".

[9] Society of Friends' Registers, Notes and Certificates of Births, Marriages and Burials "Register of Burials for the Monthly Meeting of Morley, Cheshire, from 1795 to 1831".

[10] Fraxi, Pisanus (Henry Spencer Ashbee). Bibliography of Prohibited Books. Vol.1, p. 127

[11] 1851 England Census

[12] General Register Office (GRO). England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes. Year: 1856, Quarter: Apr-May-Jun, District: Strand, County: London, Middlesex, Volume: 1b, Page: 262

[13] Ancestry.com Pallot's Marriage Index for England: 1780-1837

[14] List of the Boys and Girls admitted into Ackworth School During the 100 years from…1779…1879. London: Samuel Harris and Co., 1879. p.1814-1816

[15] Ancestry.com Pallot's Marriage Index for England: 1780-1837

[16] Ancestry.com. England & Wales Christening Records, 1530-1906

[17] The Evening Star (London, England) - Nov 14, 1857

[18] Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. FamilySearch. "International Genealogical Index/British Isles".

[19] Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. FamilySearch. "International Genealogical Index/British Isles".

[20] Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. FamilySearch. "International Genealogical Index/British Isles".

[21] 1851 England Census

[22] Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. FamilySearch. "International Genealogical Index/British Isles".

[23] McCalman, Iain. Radical Underworld: Prophets, revolutionaries, and pornographers in London, 1795-1840. London: Cambridge University Press, 1988. p.156

[24] Byron. The Two Visions; or Byron v. Southey. Containing The Vision of Judgement. London: W. Dugdale, 1822

[25] Mendes, Peter. Clandestine Erotic Fiction in English 1800-1930, p.421

[26] 1851 England Census

[27] Fraxi, Pisanus (Henry Spencer Ashbee). Bibliography of Prohibited Books. Vol.1, p. 127

[28] Fraxi, Pisanus (Henry Spencer Ashbee). Bibliography of Prohibited Books. Vol.3, p. 180

[29] 1851 England Census

[30] Hodson's Booksellers, Publishers and Stationers' directory for London and Country. London: Hodson, 1855, p.69, p.71

[31] The Times (London, England) - May 28, 1830

[32] The Times (London, England) - Oct 29, 1845

[33] The Times (London, England) - Sept 04, 1851

[34] The Evening Star (London, England) - May 11, 1857

[35] The Times (London, England)  - Oct 14, 1861

[36] The Times (London, England) - Jun 19, 1868

[37] Fraxi, Pisanus (Henry Spencer Ashbee). Bibliography of Prohibited Books. Vol.1, p. 127

[38] Proceedings of the Old Bailey. Tenth Session, 1847, p.783

[39] Ancestry.com England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892.

[40] Byron. The Two Visions; or Byron v. Southey. Containing The Vision of Judgement. London: W. Dugdale, 1822

[41] Byron. Mazeppa: a poem. London: W. Dugdale, 1824

[42] Singular Life And Adventures Of Miss Fanny Hill. London: Re-Printed by Turner, 23 Russell Court, [c.1830]

[43] Middlesex Sessions of the Peace: Enrolment, Registration and Deposit  (Printers Notices)

[44] Proceedings of the Old Bailey. Second Session, 1837, p.219

[45] Middlesex Sessions of the Peace: Enrolment, Registration and Deposit  (Printers Notices)

[46] Middlesex Sessions of the Peace: Enrolment, Registration and Deposit  (Printers Notices)

[47] Pigot & Co.’s  Directory of London, 1839

[48] The Fly. A Literary and Pictorial Miscellany. Advertisement for "Memoirs of Harriette Wilson". London: 1839. p.88

[49] Middlesex Sessions of the Peace: Enrolment, Registration and Deposit  (Printers Notices)

[50] Middlesex Sessions of the Peace: Enrolment, Registration and Deposit  (Printers Notices)

[51] Middlesex Sessions of the Peace: Enrolment, Registration and Deposit  (Printers Notices)

[52] 1851 English Census

[53] Hodson's Booksellers, Publishers and Stationers' directory for London and Country. London: Hodson, 1855, p.69, p.74

[54] 1856 London Post Office Directory, pg. 429

[55] The Times (London, England)  - Oct 14, 1861

[56] The Times (London, England) - Jun 19, 1868

[57] Proceedings of the Old Bailey. Tenth Session, 1847, p.783

[58] 1851 English Census

[59] Hodson's Booksellers, Publishers and Stationers' directory for London and Country. London: Hodson, 1855, p.83

[60] Adventures, Intrigues, And Amours, Of A Lady's Maid. Printed by J. Ryder, Porto Bello Passage, 1822 [c.1838]

[61] The Wedding Night. J. Turner, 50 Holywell Street [c.1840]

[62] 1841 English Census

[63] 1851 English Census

[64] Hodson's Booksellers, Publishers and Stationers' directory for London and Country. London: Hodson, 1855, p.69

[65] 1851 English Census

[66] Hodson's Booksellers, Publishers and Stationers' directory for London and Country. London: Hodson, 1855, p.71


Further Reading:

• Bibliography of Prohibited Books by Pisanus Fraxi (Henry Spencer Ashbee)

• Clandestine Erotic Fiction in English 1800-1930 by Peter Mendes

• A Long Time Burning by Donald Thomas

• Radical underworld by Iain McCalman

• Victorian Babylon by Lynda Nead