Edwards, James

Submitted by edpope on

20.11.1796 Edwards at (Jonas) Davis' / 19.5.1797 at A(melia) A(lderson)'s with Fuseli / 30.5.1797 at (Joseph) Johnson's with Fuseli / 24.10.1797 again / 23.1.1798 again / 20.3.1798 Edwards jr at (Joseph) Johnson's with Fuseli / 17.6.1801 W Edwards at (Joseph) Johnson's with Fuseli / 21.7.1802 at (Joseph) Johnson's / 22.7.1802 call on Edwards, Pall Mall / 24.7.1802 call on Edwards. PM / 25.8.1802 at (Joseph) Johnson's with Fuseli / 20.10.1802 again / 8.7.1803 call on Edwards (not in) / 23.2.1805 adv Edwards at theatre

James Edwards DNB 1756-1816 son of William Edwards DNB 1723-1808 was a good friend of Joseph Johnson (see A Liberal Publisher p 160, 170)  made an affidavit on Johnson's behalf at his trial in 1799 (Nat Arch KB1/30) and wrote to William Roscoe about Johnson's health after his imprisonment. According to the DNB he married in 1805 so the Edwards jr on 20.3.1798 is likely to have been a younger brother, probably Richard Edwards bookseller of Old Bond Street 1768-1827 or less likely Thomas Edwards 1762-1834 who was in business in Halifax. Two other brothers William and John had died in 1786 and 1791, so the W Edwards on 17.6.1801 may well have been his father who started the business in Pall Mall in 1784 but chiefly remained in Halifax. I have included the Edwards at Davis's because Davis was a printer and the Edwards at Amelia Alderson's because Fuseli was there and he was almost always at Joseph Johnson's, and the 1803 and 1805 entries because they seem probable. James Edwards retired in 1804 and Godwin no longer saw him at Johnson's dinners