George Faulkner facts for kids

George Faulkner

George Faulkner (born around 1703 – died August 30, 1775) was a very important publisher and bookseller in Ireland. He became famous by working closely with the writer Jonathan Swift. This fame helped him build a large and successful business. He was also deeply involved in arguments about copyright and "piracy," both creating and fighting against unauthorized copies of books.

George Faulkner was likely born in 1703, but we don't know exactly where. He learned his trade in Dublin from 1717 to 1724. After that, he started his own business. In the 1720s, he often traveled to London. There, he became good friends with a London printer named William Bowyer. In 1730, he had a serious leg infection and had to have his leg removed. He was married to a widow named Mary Taylor.

Working with Jonathan Swift

Jonathan Swift usually had his books printed by Benjamin Motte in London. However, George Faulkner published Swift's famous Drapier's Letters in 1725. It's not clear exactly how Faulkner got this job. Both men were in London in 1726, but there's no strong proof they were working together then.

By 1730, Swift and Faulkner were friends. After this time, Faulkner's Dublin Journal newspaper began to support Swift's ideas and even started to sound like Swift's writing. Publishing Drapier's Letters caused Faulkner some trouble. The Irish House of Lords ordered him to be held, but he was not found guilty. He was later set free after being criticized.

In 1732, Faulkner published a piece called Queries in his Dublin Journal. He was called before the House of Lords to explain why he published it. This piece was part of Swift's Considerations upon Two Bills Relating to the Clergy. Swift admired Faulkner's bravery for publishing it.

Publishing Swift's Works

Swift must have talked to Faulkner about publishing a collection of his Works. Faulkner himself said so. In 1733, Faulkner advertised that people could sign up to buy the multi-volume book. Benjamin Motte, Swift's London printer, didn't like this. Swift at first said the edition was not authorized.

However, when the book came out in 1735, Swift supported it. He even said it was a valid edition. Faulkner claimed that he and Swift went over every page together. He said Swift would read each page to two hired men. Swift would then correct each line until the language was perfectly clear to them. Still, Motte got a court order that stopped the sale of Works in London.

A Humorous Dispute

Faulkner continued to face challenges. In 1736, he was briefly put in jail for publishing something critical about Richard Bettesworth. Bettesworth was a Member of Parliament. The writer of the piece was Dr. Josiah Hort, a Bishop and a friend of Swift. Both the Bishop and Swift disliked Bettesworth.

The Bishop jokingly suggested that all arguments about the card game quadrille should be decided by Bettesworth. But, because Bettesworth's judgment was not trusted, people could appeal to the "Upright Man." This was a wooden figure in Dublin that had never made a bad decision. No action was taken against the Bishop. Faulkner was released after saying he was sorry.

Faulkner remained Swift's main publisher in Ireland for the rest of Swift's life. This connection made Faulkner very famous and earned him a lot of money. After this, he mostly stayed in Dublin and made his trips to London much shorter.

The World of Books and Copyright

During this time, booksellers in Ireland often published English books without getting permission from the people who owned the copyright. Motte unfairly accused Faulkner of copying books. However, Faulkner did sometimes produce unauthorized editions.

What is an "Irish Edition"?

A book brought from London was expensive for Irish readers. This was because of shipping costs, import fees, and differences in money value. Irish workers were paid less than London workers. So, Irish booksellers could make copies of books at a much lower price than the original London editions. These were called "Irish editions."

If an Irish bookseller made a deal with a London bookseller who owned the copyright, the authorized Irish edition would still be cheaper than an imported book. But it would be more expensive than an unauthorized copy. Whenever he could, Faulkner used his trips to London and his friendships with London booksellers to arrange for authorized Irish editions.

After publishing Swift's Works, Faulkner started to brag about having over 200 "London books." He produced the Irish edition of Alexander Pope's Works in 1736. He also illegally published Samuel Richardson's Pamela in 1741. Richardson was also a printer, and he would later complain about this copying. Faulkner then produced the largest book project in Ireland at the time, The Universal History (1744–1746). He also became friends with the Earl of Chesterfield, who was the leader of Ireland at the time.

By 1748, Faulkner had over one thousand book titles. He published books by Irish writers like Henry Brooke as well as English ones. His friendship with Chesterfield made him even more well-known. He was welcomed at the most important gatherings.

Challenges with Copyright

In 1754, Samuel Richardson gave out a public statement to complain about how Faulkner and other Irish printers treated him. Faulkner had permission to print Richardson's Clarissa. He also arranged to be the Irish publisher of Sir Charles Grandison in July 1753.

However, by August, Faulkner had only received a few pages of the first book. Meanwhile, several other Irish printers seemed ready to print large parts of the novel. When Faulkner told Richardson about this, Richardson accused Faulkner of working with the other printers. He thought they had paid Richardson's workers to get early copies of the novel.

Faulkner was caught in a difficult situation. By trying to print books legally, he was going against other Irish printers who were less careful. But by sometimes printing without a financial deal, he had already been seen as someone who copied books without permission. Faulkner had been trying to stop the printers in Ireland who copied books, as they were his rivals. Yet, he was so strongly accused of copying himself that he was even kept out of scientific groups in England.

Later Life and Public Role

In 1755, Faulkner's wife passed away. He also broke bones when a sign fell on him from a second story building. Around this time, he bought a country house where he would relax. He enjoyed gardening and hosting guests there.

In the 1760s, Faulkner was again very important. His friendship with Chesterfield was very helpful to him. Faulkner was involved in scientific and historical groups in both Ireland and England. When he visited London in 1761, he was a very popular speaker.

Facing Satire

Being so famous made him a target for jokes and plays. Samuel Foote made fun of Faulkner in his play Orators in 1762. The character Peter Paragraph was a one-legged publisher who spoke with a lisp. The play was very popular at the Haymarket Theatre. Friends told Faulkner to sue for defamation, but he didn't.

However, when the play was performed in Dublin, Faulkner did sue. Faulkner won in court, but the fine for Foote was very small. This event did not make Faulkner look good. So, Faulkner made sure to copy Foote's play and publish it without permission.

Becoming an Alderman

In 1770, Faulkner was chosen as an alderman for the city of Dublin. An alderman is a senior member of a city council. He then gave his business to his former apprentice, Thomas Todd. Faulkner had helped with Thomas Todd's marriage arrangements in 1739. At that time, Todd's job was listed as a butcher.

Through Faulkner's connections and fame, Todd published a twenty-volume edition of Swift's Works in 1772. He also published Chesterfield's Letters to his Son in 1774.

Faulkner passed away on August 30, 1775. He did not have any children.