James Sibbald (bookseller) facts for kids
.jpg)
James Sibbald (born around 1745, died 1803) was a very busy man from Scotland. He was a bookseller, publisher, editor of magazines, and an author. He worked mainly in Edinburgh. James started as a farm worker, like his father. Later, he worked in a bookshop. In 1783, he opened his own bookselling business. He also started the Edinburgh Magazine and edited a newspaper called the Edinburgh Herald. James Sibbald wrote articles about old things and published a big book about Scottish poetry.
Early Life and Business
James Sibbald was born on April 28, 1745, in Roxburghshire, Scotland. His father, John Sibbald, was a farmer. James went to Selkirk Grammar School. After school, he tried farming himself. He rented farms called Newtown and Whitehillbrae. James enjoyed studying plants and old books in his free time. But his farming business did not do well.
In May 1779, James stopped farming. He moved to Edinburgh. There, he started working for his friend Charles Elliot, who owned a publishing company. In 1780, James bought a "circulating library" from a Mrs. Yair. This was the first library of its kind in Scotland. It used to belong to the famous poet Allan Ramsay. James then ran his own bookselling and publishing business in Parliament Square. This area was near the Royal Mile.
The famous writer Walter Scott once wrote about Sibbald's library. He said he loved finding old songs and stories there. Scott mentioned that Sibbald's library had many rare books. He also described James Sibbald as a man with a bit of a rough manner, but with good taste. Scott even saw famous writers like Robert Burns in Sibbald's shop.
Publishing and Writing
James Sibbald was very active in his bookselling and publishing work. He was good at producing engravings, especially colored ones called mezzotints. In 1785, he started the Edinburgh Magazine, or Literary Miscellany. This was the first serious competitor to the older Scots Magazine. Sibbald was the editor of his new magazine. He wrote many articles for it, especially about old Scottish history.
From 1786, James Sibbald became a good friend to the poet Robert Burns. Burns visited Sibbald in Edinburgh. Sibbald wrote the first important review of Burns's poems. This review was about the 'Kilmarnock' edition of Burns's work. It appeared in the Edinburgh Magazine in October 1786.
To focus more on writing and the magazine, Sibbald later gave his bookselling business to Lawrie & Symington. After 1792, his name was no longer on the magazine's cover. But the magazine was still run for his benefit. About 600 to 700 copies were sold. In 1803, the Edinburgh Magazine joined with the Scots Magazine.
Sibbald also started a newspaper called The Edinburgh Herald in July 1793. It did not last very long. He was the editor and wrote the main articles. This was a new idea for newspapers in Scotland at that time.
Later Years and Works
In July 1793, Sibbald made a deal to rent his circulating library to Lawrie for ten years. He then went to London for a while. His family lost touch with him. When his brother William finally reached him, James replied, "My lodging is in Soho, and my business is so so." This was a clever way of saying he was doing okay.
In 1797, James Sibbald returned to Edinburgh. He published The Vocal Magazine. This book had a collection of popular English, Scottish, and Irish songs. The next year, he published a book he wrote in London. It was called Record of the Public Ministry of Jesus Christ. This book told the story of Jesus Christ from the four gospels.
In 1799, Sibbald made a new agreement with Lawrie for the library. Lawrie rented the library for 21 years. But the library did not do well. Lawrie gave it back to Sibbald. After Sibbald died, his brother tried to keep it going. Later, Alexander Mackay bought the library. He made it much better and ran it for many years. At one point, the library had 38,000 books!
James Sibbald spent a long time working on his most famous book. It was called Chronicle of Scottish Poetry from the Thirteenth Century to the Union of the Crowns. This book was published in Edinburgh in 1802. It had four volumes. The first three volumes contained poems from Scottish poets. They also had notes about the poets' lives and their work. The fourth volume was a glossary of old Scottish words. Sir Walter Scott said that this glossary was very important for anyone studying old Scottish writings. Sibbald also printed a small number of copies of another book, Ane Pleasant Satyre of the Thrie Estaitis, for private sharing.
James Sibbald died on April 8, 1803, in Leith Walk. He was known for being a bit unusual but also kind. He belonged to many social clubs. The artist John Kay drew two pictures of him. One showed him walking in the High Street. The other showed him with a group of art collectors. There is also a portrait of James Sibbald by Sir Henry Raeburn in the Scottish National Gallery.
