Andrew Millar facts for kids

Andrew Millar (1705 – 8 June 1768) was an important British publisher in the 1700s. He helped many famous writers get their books published. Millar was known for paying authors well for their work. He played a big role in the world of books during his time.

Andrew Millar's Early Life

Andrew Millar started his career in 1725. He was an apprentice bookseller in Edinburgh, Scotland. To print books, he found a clever way around the city's rules. He went to Leith, which was just outside Edinburgh's control. Soon after, Millar took over his teacher's print shop in London. He often spoke out against the rules set by the authorities in Edinburgh.

Starting His Publishing Business

Around 1729, Millar opened his own business. He became a bookseller and publisher in the Strand, London. Millar was not always the best judge of books himself. But he hired very smart people to help him choose. He was also famous for paying authors a lot of money. This was unusual for the time.

In 1755, writer Dr Johnson said, "I respect Millar, sir, he has raised the price of literature." This meant Millar made sure writers earned more for their work. For example, he paid poet Thomson £105 for his book The Seasons. He also paid Fielding £700 for Tom Jones. Fielding later received £1000 for his book Amelia.

Helping Create Important Books

Millar was part of a group of publishers. They helped pay for Johnson's Dictionary in 1755. Millar was mainly in charge of getting this huge dictionary printed. In the same year, he also published the first version of the famous Mitchell Map. This map was very important for understanding North America.

He also published history books by well-known writers. These included the works of Robertson and Hume. Millar helped bring many important books to readers.

Fighting for Authors' Rights

Andrew Millar believed that authors should own their work. He was involved in a court case in 1769. This case was called Millar v Taylor. The court decided that authors and publishers had a right to their books forever. This right is called a common law copyright.

However, this decision was later changed. In 1774, another court case happened. It was called Donaldson v Beckett. This new ruling said that copyright did not last forever. Thomas Becket, who was Millar's apprentice, was involved in this case.

Andrew Millar passed away at his home in Kew Green, near London. He died on 8 June 1768.