X-Nico

6 unusual facts about The Public Ledger


Public Ledger

The Public Ledger, an agricultural commodities journal first published in 1760 and still published today.

The Public Ledger

Reverend William Jackson, a noted Irish preacher, journalist, playwright, radical and spy, was editor in 1766, while Irish political informant Leonard McNally held the position in the 1780s.

Oliver Goldsmith was known to have written for The Public Ledger, including most famously the Chinese Letters where he poses as a traveller from China to comment on Western behaviour and values.

It was established by John Newbery, who was better known for his pioneering children's literature.

Founder John Newbery, son of a farmer in Berkshire, took an apprenticeship with William Carnan in Reading, inheriting the business after his mentor's death.

Hugh Kelly, an Irish dramatist and poet, also held the post before his death in 1777, while Alexander Chalmers did so some time after 1777.



see also