Ballantyne, James
Record IDcni00051703
URIhttp://data.cerl.org/thesaurus/cni00051703
Last Edit2014-03-14
General Note
(1772-1833) Son of a general merchant at Kelso, he was born there in 1772, and was at school there with Sir Walter Scott. Before entering an apprenticeship with a solicitor in Kelso, he passed the winter of 1786-87 at Edinburgh University. In 1795 he started in business as a solicitor at Kelso, and also undertook the printing and editing of a newspaper, the Kelso Mail. He printed in 1799 Scott's “Apologies for some tales of terror”, and the author was so pleased with the beauty of his printing that he asked him toprint “The Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border”, the first volume of which came out in January 1802. On Scott's suggestion he came to Edinburgh later in that year and set up his press in the precincts of Holyrood House with a loan from Scott of £500. In 1805 the capital at Ballanytne's command was too little to enable him to undertake all the work that he was offered and Scott advanced a further £500 and became a third sharer in the business. In 1808 John Ballantyne & Co booksellers was launched, superintended by James's younger brother John. Scott put up half the capital and the brothers, James and John a quarter each. The publishing side of the business was a miserable failure, and was soon discontinued, but James's printing firm was a great success, because of the fine quality of the workmanship and Scott's patronage as an author. In 1816 James Ballantyne married Miss Hogarth, sister of George Hogart, author of the “History of Music”. In 1817 both brothers became involved in the “Weekly Journal”. In 1826 the firm became involved in Constable's bankruptcy. Afterwards James was employed by the trustees for the creditors, at a moderate wage, to edit the “Weekly Journal”, and in the literarry management of the printing-house. He died on the 17 January 1833 “Timperley” p.928. Alexander and James listed as of Ballantyne & Co 1827-31; and Alexander in 1835. The overseer in 1832 was Daniel M'Corkindale Gray's Dir 1832. Also Stereotype printer 1851-; Specimens of type 1862 in NLS; Bookbinders also from 1880. 'Their small-scale use of lithography was known only from the narrative of their employee, Colin Ross'. “Schenck”.
More Information
Dates of Activity1797-20th Century
Activityprinter
and lithographers (1831 - 1839)
Place of Activity
Edinburgh; *Paul's Work, North back of the Canongate (1831 - 1839)
Edinburgh; *Paul's Work, North back of the Canongate (1846 - 1847)
Related Entries
See alsoMail Office
Bridge Street, **Edinburgh
Border Press (1802 - 1803)
Holyrood House, **Edinburgh
Ballantyne & Co (1806 - 1830)
Paul's Work, North back of the Canongate, **Edinburgh
[John A.] Ballantyne & [John] Hughes (1839 - 1845)
*Paul's Work, North back of the Canongate, **Edinburgh
John A. Ballantyne ¬of Johnstone, Ballantyne & Co¬ (1848 - 1849)
104 High Street, **Edinburgh
Ballantyne & Co (1855 - 1864)
*Paul's Work, **Edinburgh
[John A.] Ballantyne [John S.] Roberts & Co (1865 - 1866)
*Paul's Work, **Edinburgh
Ballantyne & Co (1867 - 1879)
*Paul's Work, **Edinburgh
Ballantyne. Hanson & Co (1880 - 1999)
*Paul's Work, **Edinburgh
Names
HeadingBallantyne, James
used in: National Library of Scotland, Scottish Book Trade Index
Variant NameJohn A. Ballantyne (1850 - 1851)
9 North Bank Street, **Edinburgh
Sources
Found inDNB. — NLS Impr Ind. — Edin Dir. — Constable. — John Gibson Lockhart. “Life of Sir Walter Scott”. Edinburgh, 1836-38. — “Refutation of the misstatements and calumnies contained in Mr Lockhart's Life of Sir Walter Scott respecting the Messrs Ballantyne”. Edinburgh, 1838. — “The Ballantyne Humbug Handled by the author of the Life of Sir Walter Scott”. Edinburgh, 1839. — “Reply to Mr Lockhart's pamphlet called The Ballantyne Humbug handled”. Edinburgh, 1839. — “History of the Ballantyne Press”. Edinburgh. 1862. — “The Ballantyne Press & its founders”. Edinburgh, 1909. — Schenck