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432 The Publishers' Circular May i, 1886
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
The Late Sampson Low.
and respect , by some of his brother Booksellers , more particularly with reference to his exertions
on behalf of the Trade Association . Aug . 7 , 1852 . '
In 1837 Mr . Low , in connection with a committee of fourteen of the leading
publisherSj started The Publishers' Circular . Of that committee only one member survives ,
Mr . R . B . Seeley , wiho , now that Mr . Low has gone , takes his place as ' The Father of
the Trade / For half-a-century Mr . Low ' s name has
also tion , been € Low associated ' s Handbook with to the the annu Charities al publica of - '
London . ' In the year 1848 ( that wonderful year ,
when the peaceful citizens of London were , all armed with special' staves to defend their
homes against ' the expected inarch on London by Mr . Feargus O'Connor and his army of
Chartists ) Mr . Low , in conjunction with his son , Sampson , opened a publishing office in
Fleet Street , and in 1852 they removed to 47 Ludgate Hill , where , in 1856 , Mr . E .
Marston joined them as partner . Three years afterwards the Chatham and Dover Railway
Company drove them to a still larger house in the same thoroughfare , which in its turn
was demolished ; and in 1867 they removed to their present premises in Fleet Street .
In 1871 Mr . Low experienced a great blow in the loss of his eldest son , Sampson Low ,
jun ., and ten years later , in 1881 , he had the crowning grief of losing his beloved wife ,
within a month of the anticipated celebration of their ' diamond wedding . ' In the same
year , and only a few months later , he lost his second son , William . H ., whose too early
death was recorded in this journal at the time . Mr . Sampson Low was a man of
extraordinary zeal and untiring energy , but although of excellent business qualities , he was not the
sort of man to accumulate a large fortune in trade ; his zeal and energy took a less selfish
and more philanthropic turn than is generally characteristic of mere business men .
Whatsoever he found to do he did with all his might . In this way he was mainly instrumental ,
in connection with his son , Sampson , in establishing ' The Royal Society for the
Protection of Life from Fire , ' a Society which under their voluntary and vigorous
superintendence nourished and did good service for many years in the saving of innumerable lives .
Eventually the operations of this grand Society became too large and important for private
enterprise , and in 1867 a force of nearly 100 well-trained firemen and their plant of
fireescape machines , valued at about £ 7 , 000 , were talcPim nvaT li \ r t . V »« l-5 on . iv ! nf Wnrlrs r > . 7 * r ! i . l ^ n
Society , so far as the fire-escapes and men are concerned , is now incorporated with the
London Fire Brigade under the efficient command of Captain Shaw .
The Royal Society still , however , maintains a separate existence , and exercises its functions
as a national means for rewarding brave exertions in the rescue of life from fire .
When this amalgamation took place the members of the Committee presented him with
the following address , very beautifully illuminated on vellum and inclosed in a handsome
frame : To Sampson Low , Esq .
{ Senior Member of the Committee ) . ROYAL SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION
OF LIFE FROM FIRE , 1843-1867 . Dear Sir ,
We , the undersigned , your fellow members of the Committee of Management of the Itoyal Society
I for the Protection of Life from Wire , desire to express our hearty w * - congratulations ms to yovt » ¦ ¦ ¦ , on the attainment
of the "main object we have had so long in view , in promoting ' the operations of our Society , viz ., the
thorough and complete and permanent establishment of ¦ London Fire Escape Stations ; by the satisfactory
amalgamation of our Force with that of the London Fire Brigade , from the first day of July last .
Those amongst us who Joined you earliest i ? i the first association of our Committee—now twenty-four
years since—can recall the many stncggles of first existence , and remember how much they were
encouraged to persevere in raising the character and extent of operations of the then infant Institution , by
your enthusiasm and zealous exertions ; you and they stimulated others , and for many years now the
majority of us have worked together in promoting ' the Society ¦*¦ ' s objects , much of ¦ our success together lying is \ i
w - -- v 4 ^ | in the friendly feeling and united action thus engen- | dered . In , remembrance , therefore , of our long co- \
operation together , the esteem in which we hold you , and your position as our Senior Memberwe gladly
, avail ourselves of the opportunity afforded us by the successful termination of part of our duties , to join
in this Address to you . j We feel sure that it will ever he a source of pleasure
to you , as it will be to us , the remembrance that we had so active a part together in organising that
division of the future Fire-brigade of the Metropolis to whom is entrusted the Protection of Life front
Fire ; that we only relinquished the control of our brave force when its organisation was completed , and
at its greatest point of efficiency ; and that we did so voluntarily , in order to secure Us continuance us a
part of , and add to the efficiency of the whole Metropolitan Urigade as one public body .
It is most gratifying to recall the immense service rendered by our Fire Escapes and Brigade ] whilst
, under our management , being the means , as they were , under Providence , of rescuing upwards of 1 , 100
lives from fire . And it is also very pleasant to believe \
432 The Publishers' Circular May I, 1886
432 The Publishers' Circular May i , 1886
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Citation
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Publishers’ Circular (1880-1890), May 1, 1886, page 432, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/pc/issues/tec_01051886/page/6/
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