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]}

• Jennet Dugdale – born April 23, 1798. She died at age 9 on April 12, 1807.

• William Dudgale – born March 29, 1800. He died at age 68 on Nov. 11, 1868.^[10]

• Thomas Dugdale – born March 13, 1802. Thomas emigrated to the United States with his wife sometime after 1851 and before 1870, where the 1870 US Census shows him living in Newark, New Jersey, occupation: hatter. See info on daughter and grandchildren below. Thomas is still living per the 1880 US Census.

  • Married Elizabeth.^[11]

    • Ann Dugdale – born abt. 1828 in Stockport. She married Thomas Blacketer (1807-1860). Thomas was a bookseller at 20 Wych St. In 1847 his servant, Jane Wadsworth, was indicted for selling obscene books. Per the 1851 England Census, Ann and Thomas were living at 51 Holywell St. along with Ann's father. Both her father and husband's occupation is listed as "Bookseller". Thomas Blacketer was indicted in 1858 for selling obscene prints from 16 Holywell St. and was sentenced to 6 months hard labor. Ann immigrated to the United States in 1853 where her daughter Alice was born. She died about 1861. Her son, John Edward and daughter Alice, are shown living with Thomas and Elizabeth Dugdale in the 1870 US census.

• John Lambert Dugdale – born December 31, 1803. He died in the 2nd quarter of 1856.^[12] He appears to have either died in prison or shortly after he was released (sentenced to 2 months in prison April 20, 1856). There is an article in the London Standard newspaper (August 12, 1856) that may refer to John, which indicates he left his entire estate to his nephew, William (William Dugdale's son William John Dugdale). Thank you to Mr. Kirkpatrick for pointing out this article to me.

  • Married Sarah Wedderburn in St. Anne parish, London on November 24, 1829.^[13] Sarah, the daughter of Rev. Robert Wedderburn, was born about 1805 in St James, Westminster, England. She died 27 Jun 1856. She was living at 50 Holywell St. at the time of her death. Info per her Will.

    • Hope Dugdale was baptized February 13, 1831. She died at the age of 6 months on Aug 14, 1831. Hope was named after Sarah’s sister, Hope Wedderburn; who (along with publisher John James Ascham) was a witness to John and Sarah’s marriage.

• Samuel Dugdale – born December 13, 1805. He died at age of 3 ½ on July 8, 1809.

• Jabez Dugdale – born January 19 1810. He died at age 4 months on May 12, 1810.

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:

• William John Dugdale – born in 1824, baptized September 4, 1827 at St. Martin-in-the Fields church in Westminster, London, England.^[18] In the 1851 England census, William's occupation is listed as bookseller at 35 Holywell-street.^[21]

  • Married Jane Samuels November 8, 1846 in Deptford, Kent, England.^[19]

    • They had at least one son, William Ambrose Dugdale; christened March 18, 1849 in the parish of St. Clement Danes in Westminster, London, England.^[20]

• Ann Dugdale - baptised 15 May 1825

• Frances Dugdale - born in 1827, baptized June 24, 1827 in St. Martin-in-the Fields parish.

  • Married John Higdon Thornhill, a tailor, on October 26, 1845 in St. Martin-in-the Fields parish. He and Frances also ran Dugdale's shop at 5 Holywell-street while Frances' father was in prison for selling obscene prints. In 1858, John and Thomas Blacketer (husband of Ann, Thomas Dugdale's daughter) were convicted of selling obscene prints from the same address. They were sentenced to 6 months hard labor.

    • Fanny M. was born abt. 1847 in Deptford, England.

    • John H. was born abt. 1848 in Deptford, England.

    • Joan was born abt. 1848 in Deptford, England.

    • Nellie Grace was born abt. 1868 in London, England.

• Thomas Dugdale - baptised 24 May 1829 in St. Martin-in-the Fields. Died 2 July 1829

• Jessie Dugdale - born the 1st quarter of 1844.

  • Married Theophilus Sebastian Judge in the 4th quarter of 1865 in St. Giles in the Fields parish. Theo was born the 1st quarter of 1840 in Windsor, Berkshire, Surrey, England. Many of his brothers were either booksellers or traded in pornographic photos. Theophilus used many aliases during his career as a bookseller including Thomas Judge, Thomas Williams, Thomas Jay and C. Brown. He, along with his wife (Jesse Dugdale, daughter of William Dugdale), operated out of an address on Holywell St. (possibly 32 Holywell St., see Herbert below) and Dugdale’s shop at 44 Wych-street, which he continued running after Dugdale’s death. He was indicted for selling obscene prints and books from that address on April 13, 1869 and sentenced to 2 years in prison. (The Daily News. 13 Apr 1869)

• Elizabeth Jane Dugdale – christened January 17, 1847 in the parish of St. Clement Danes in Westminster, London, England.^[22]

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 Smith, Brown, Turner, or Young.^[27] Because of this it can be difficult to positively identify who published what, when, and where. The table below makes an attempt.

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]

See also England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892 at Ancestry.com

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

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Citations:

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