Richard Wellington (d. 1715)

WELLINGTON (RICHARD) I, (1) Lute, St. Paul's Churchyard, 1693–9; (2) Dolphin and Crown, St. Paul's Churchyard, 1699–1709 (?). 1693–1709 (?). Made his first entry in the Term Catalogues in 1693. [T.C. n. 475.] In 1704 the Company of Stationers brought an action in Chancery against him and John Minshull of Chester, for importing and selling The Psalms in Metre. Wellington professed ignorance of the Company's privilege. [Chan. Proc. before 1714, Hamilton 320/40, 319/77; Library, 2ndser., IV. 373–83.] Wellington was the publisher of many plays, romances, and the like. He was publishing in 1709. [T.C. III. 364.] He moved to the Dolphin and Crown between Trin. and Mich. 1699. [T.C. Ill. 141, 154.] Edd. 2 (?)–5, 1696–1705, of Mrs. Behn's collected Histories and Novels were printed for R. Wellington; ed. 6, 1718, printed by J. D. for M. Wellington; ed. 7, 1722, printed by J. D. for M. P.; and ed. 8, 1735, for R. Wellington among others. [Esdaile, p. 160] Nichols [Lit. Anecd. II. 304] mentions Richard Wellington as the publisher in 1740 of Edward Spelman's translation of Xenophon. From these facts it would seem probable that there were three booksellers of the name: (1) Richard I, who died between 1709 and 1718; (2) "M." (perhaps his widow, and subsequently wife of some bookseller with a surname beginning with P.), who published the sixth and seventh editions of Mrs. Behn in 1718 and 1722; and (3) Richard II, who was at work in 1735–40. Dunton [p. 212] says that Wellington "has the intimate acquaintance of several excellent pens, and therefore can never want copies; and trust him for managing and improving them. He has a pretty knack at keeping his word and I expect to see him master of the Company at least, if not a gold chain about his neck, before he dies".