Robert Besley facts for kids

Robert Besley (1794–1876) was an English man who designed typefaces (like fonts) and later became the Lord Mayor of London in 1869. He is famous for creating the Clarendon typeface in 1845.

Designing Typefaces

Robert Besley started working at the Fann Street Foundry in London in 1826. A foundry is a place where metal objects are made. In this case, they made metal type for printing.

In 1838, he became a partner with William Thorowgood, who owned the foundry. They worked together until Thorowgood retired in 1849.

The Clarendon Typeface

In October 1845, Robert Besley created the Clarendon typeface. This was a very important design. It was one of the first typefaces to be officially "registered" or protected by law. This meant others couldn't just copy it easily.

However, Clarendon became so popular that many people did make similar versions. Even so, Clarendon is still known as the first typeface to be officially registered.

Life in Politics

After his career in designing typefaces, Robert Besley retired from the foundry business in 1861. He then moved into public service.

In 1863, he became the Sheriff of the City of London. A Sheriff is an important official who helps with legal and civic duties in the city.

Later, in 1869, Robert Besley achieved an even higher position. He became the Lord Mayor of London. The Lord Mayor is a very important leader for the City of London, representing its people and businesses.