Thomas Davies (bookseller) facts for kids
Thomas Davies (around 1713 – 1785) was a Scottish bookseller and writer. He studied at the University of Edinburgh. For some years, he worked as an actor on stage. However, a famous writer named Churchill made fun of him in a poem called The Rosciad. Because of this, Davies stopped acting.
He then opened a bookshop in Covent Garden, London. It was there, in 1763, that he introduced Boswell to Dr. Johnson. Dr. Johnson was a very close friend of Davies. Davies even dedicated his edition of Massinger's plays to Johnson. Thomas Davies wrote a very popular book called Life of Garrick (1780), which was printed four times. He also wrote Dramatic Miscellanies (three books, 1783–4).
Early Life and Acting Career
Thomas Davies was born around 1713. He went to the University of Edinburgh in 1728 and 1729. In 1736, he acted in a play called Fatal Curiosity at the Haymarket theatre. This theatre was managed by Henry Fielding at the time.
After acting, he tried to sell books, but it didn't work out. So, he went back to acting. On January 24, 1746, he performed in a play called Venice Preserved at Covent Garden. Later, he became an actor who traveled around. He married the daughter of another actor named Yarrow in York.
Davies performed in Edinburgh, but some people said he took all the best parts. He then acted in Dublin. In 1753, he and his wife joined the Drury Lane theatre. They were quite good at playing supporting roles.
Leaving the Stage and New Beginnings
In 1761, Churchill's poem The Rosciad was published. It contained a line that many believed made Davies leave acting: "He mouths a sentence as curs mouth a bone." According to Samuel Johnson, this line truly bothered Davies.
Davies likely stopped acting in 1762. He then opened a bookshop again at 8 Russell Street, Covent Garden. This shop became famous because in 1763, Davies introduced James Boswell to Dr. Johnson. Boswell had been introduced to Davies by Samuel Derrick.
Davies was part of a club for booksellers. They met at the Devil Tavern near Temple Bar, and later at the Grecian Coffee-house. At these meetings, Davies would read parts of his book, Life of Garrick. It was also at this club that the idea for Johnson's Lives of the Poets came up.
Thomas Davies passed away on May 5, 1785. He was buried in St. Paul's, Covent Garden.
A Bookseller and Author
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As a publisher, Davies re-released books by many writers. These included William Browne (in 1772), Sir John Davies (in 1773), John Eachard (in 1774), George Lillo (in 1775), and Philip Massinger (in 1779). He added a short story about Massinger's life to his edition.
In 1773, Davies published a two-volume set called Miscellaneous and Fugitive Pieces. He advertised these books as being by the author of The Rambler. Most of the writings in this collection were by Johnson, even though Davies didn't have his permission. However, Johnson forgave Davies because of his kind nature and apologies.
In 1778, Davies faced financial trouble and went bankrupt. Johnson helped him a lot during this time. Johnson gathered money to help Davies buy back his furniture. He also convinced Richard Brinsley Sheridan to hold a special show at Drury Lane to raise money for Davies. Davies acted one last time in this show, playing Fainall in William Congreve's play The Way of the World.
The next year, Davies dedicated his book about Massinger to Johnson. Johnson later encouraged Davies to write the life story of Garrick. Johnson even gave him the first sentence of the book and helped with details about Garrick's early years. The book came out in 1780. It was very popular, selling four editions, and brought Davies both money and fame.
Because of this success, Davies published Dramatic Miscellanies in 1785. This three-volume work included thoughts on Shakespeare's plays and famous characters. It also had stories about actors and writers. A second edition was published in the same year.
