William Dugdale

William Dugdale was born at Stockport, England in 1800. The son of a Quaker tailor and bookseller, Dugdale worked along side his father as a tailor and basket-weaver during his teen-age years. But at the age of 18 Dugdale moved to London where he was employed by William Benbow, a radical pressman and eventual publisher of 'bawdy, libertinist and obscene' books. Soon thereafter Benbow helped Dugdale (and others) establish his own bookselling/publishing career.

Dugdale published a variety of works beginning in 1822; from songsters to poems (by Lord Byron, Thomas Campbell, etc.) to radical publications. He began publishing more risque work starting about 1825 and after about 1849 it appears he published pornography exclusivly; better money, no doubt!

Although Dugdale published some original works many were translations (mainly done by James Campbell Reddie) and reprints of erotic literature that had been previously published; and most all contained at least 8 colored lithographs (which were we not well done according to Ashbee).

It appears Dugdale was not afraid to publish radical/polical works using his real name but his pornographic publications were issued under a variety of imprints and pseudonyms: Society of Vice, 'Printed for the Booksellers', H. Smith, H. Young or Henry Young, J. Turner, and W. Johns. This clandestine approach, however, did not keep him out of jail.

Dugdale was sentenced to prison numerous times during his career (once for 2 years in 1851) and it's said that because of Dugdale (and no doubt the other erotica pubishers at the time, although to a lesser degree than Dugdale) Lord Campbell, the Lord Chief Justice, introduced the "Obscene Publications Act" in September 1857. The first arrests under the Act were made the same nonth, and included William Dugdale (sentenced to 1 year). He was imprisoned for last time in 1868 where he died same year on Nov. 11th.

Known addresses: 23 Russell Court, Drury Lane, 3 and 44 Wych Street, 16, 37 and 50 Holywell Street

For more detail concering the life of William Dugdale see Ashbee's Bibliography of Prohibited Books; Donald Thomas' A Long Time Burning; and Iain McCalman's Radical underworld