Catalogue description PAPERS OF JOHN BURY, CALICO PRINTER

There are stock books from 1804 to 1812, but the greater part of the collection is made up of John Bury's correspondence and various accounts and financial calculations. Letters and documents connected with litigation initiated by Samuel Lloyd and Christopher Nockells form quite a large part of this and many of the figures were produced to refute claims by the former partners. References to the strike of journeymen printers 1812, the effect on trade of the conclusion of peace with America in 1814 and various comments on the state of the market give some indication of the historical background. This is further developed by such individual letters as an eye-witness account of the battle of Bergen-op-Zoom, and John Bury, junr's. descriptions of life in London. Correspondence of a more domestic nature is that between John Bury and his wife, and with his younger children who are at boarding school. There are also several letters written in connection with Baptist affairs, mainly related to the Chapel at Accrington.

Bury, John, fl 1795-1817, of Pendle Hill, calico printer

These records were given to the library in 1960 by Mrs. N. M. Eastwood, great great granddaughter of John Bury. (Great granddaughter of Chas.)

Additional Deposits:

Donated in Oct. 1972: L4/2/5/126A, L4/4/1/74-76, L4/4/2/36-47, L4/3/5, L4/6/5

Donated in Sep. 1973: L4/4/1/77-87, L4/4/2/48-59

1795 was the year the partnership of Fort, Bury and Taylor was dissolved and their print works at Pendle Hill taken over by James and John Bury. In July, the two brothers entered into a partnership with Samuel Lloyd. The selling side of the concern was conducted from Manchester. The partnership was extended in 1800, when Charles Miller and Christopher Nockells joined them in forming a new partnership which was to last for eleven years and which brought into the concern a London house.

Samuel Lloyd left the partnership in December 1801 and Christopher Nockells in January 1804. It was finally dissolved in 1813 and James Bury took over the running of the three houses under the name of James Bury & Co. Though he ceased to be a partner, John Bury remained at Pendle Hill as Manager. His son John, was left in charge of the London end of the business and James' sons James, John and Thomas were employed at Pendle Hill and Manchester. James Bury died in 1815 and John Bury, junr. in 1817. From the absence of any further papers in his writing, it is surmised that John Bury retired from the concern on the death of his brother.

James Bury's sons continued the concern until it failed sometime early in 1825. From then until the end of 1827, or possibly early in 1828, when they finally dropped out, they maintained an interest in Pendle Hill in partnership with John Fort, James Bury's former partner.

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