Brown calf spine with black title plate and gilt title. Red and tan marbled boards.

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A nicely bound single copy of this very full magazine giving a good societal view of London on the eve of the great Jacobean Revolution of 1745.

The London Magazine, or, Gentleman’s Monthly Intelligencer was founded in 1732 in political opposition and rivalry to the Tory-supporting Gentleman’s Magazine and ran for 53 years until its closure in 1785. Edward Kimber became editor in 1755, succeeding his father Isaac Kimber. Henry Mayo was editor from 1775 to 1783. Publishers included Thomas Astley.

F.B.A. Note: The London Magazine is the title of six different publications that have appeared in succession since 1732. All six have focused on the arts, literature and miscellaneous topics.

Isaac Kimber (1692–1755) was an English General Baptist minister, biographer, and journalist. Kimber was born at Wantage, Berkshire, on 1 December 1692. He studied languages under John Ward, and took a course of philosophy and divinity under John Eames. In 1719 he voted with the non-subscribers at Salters’ Hall. Kimber’s first settlement as minister was early in 1722, as assistant to Joseph Burroughs, at Paul’s Alley, Barbican; he was an unimpressive preacher, and, very near-sighted, he eventually lost the sight of one eye. He left Paul’s Alley on 28 June 1724, and became assistant to Samuel Acton at Nantwich, Cheshire. He left Nantwich in 1727, and became assistant to the General Baptist congregation in Old Artillery Lane, London, and also at a neighbouring congregation. On the amalgamation of the two groups, he left the active ministry.

Kimber then started a periodical called The Morning Chronicle, which lasted from January 1728 to May 1732. In 1734 Ward made over his school near Moorfields to Kimber and Edward Sandercock; but then it declined within a few years, and Kimber took to writing for the booksellers. He edited The London Magazine from 1732 and for the rest of his life, a position taken over by his son Edward. Charles Ackers, a printer and a publisher of the London Magazine, was a major supporter.

Kimber died of apoplexy early in 1755; his funeral sermon was preached at Paul’s Alley by Joseph Burroughs on 9 February.

Thomas Astley (died 1759) was a bookseller and publisher in London in the 18th century. He ran his business from Saint Paul’s Churchyard (circa 1726-1742) and Paternoster Row (circa 1745). He belonged to the Company of Stationers. He published the celebrated Voyages and Travels which described localities in Africa and Asia, compiling information from travel books by John Atkins, Jean Barbot, Willem Bosman, Theodor de Bry, Francis Moore, Jean-Baptiste Labat, Godefroi Loyer, Thomas Phillips, William Smith, and Nicolas Villaut de Bellefond. It included engravings by G. Child and Nathaniel Parr. Astley intended his Voyages to improve upon the previous travel collections of Samuel Purchas, John Harris, and Awnsham & John Churchill. It was read by patrons of Hookham’s Circulating Library, Boosey’s circulating library, London Institution, Royal Institution, Salem Athenaeum, and Cape Town public library. Astley’s Voyages was translated into German (Schwabe (1747–1774), Allgemeine Historie der Reisen, Leipzig) and French (Prévost (1746–1789), Histoire des voyages, Paris).