William Sancho (1775–1810; fl. 1784–1810)

Ian Maxted, Exeter Working papers in Book History
May 2025

William Sancho was a bookseller in London from 1784 to 1810 in Charles Street, Westminster 1802–1806 and Mews Gate 1806–1810. He was born in London on 20 October 1775,  and was baptized in St. Margaret's Church, Westminster. He was the son of Ignatius Sancho (1729–1780), who had been born on board a ship in the slave trade, and Ann Osborne (1733–1817), a black woman from the Caribbean, whom he married on 17 December 1758 in St. Margaret's Church, Westminster. He appears to have started trading as a bookseller in association with his mother Anne in the premises established as a grocery store by his father Ignatius in 1774.  

A main source for his life is in The New Wonderful Museum, and Extraordinary Magazine, vol. 5 (1807), p. 2629: "Characters and characteristics: Abolition of the Slave-Trade ; with a Sketch of the Life of Ignatius Sancho, the ingenious African, and Father of Mr. W. Sancho, the Bookseller, Mews Gate":  "Mr. W. Sancho, was brought up to the profession of a bookseller by Mr. Edward Jeffery, of Pall-Mall, and at present is the worthy successor of Mr. Henry Paine at Mews Gate in Castle-street. He is also, we believe, librarian to Sir Joseph Banks, and collects literary curiosities with the most unwearied diligence." While he may have worked in some capacity for Banks, Jonas Dryander (1748–1810) was librarian to Sir Joseph Banks 1777–1810. He published a catalogue of his collection in five volumes (1796–1800) and on his death he was succeeded by Robert Brown.

Thomas Frognall Dibden writes in The Bibliographical Decameron, p. 438: "Mr. Payne was succeeded, on his departure from the Mews Gate, by poor Sancho, the black [...] who ran a short but fallacious career. [... He] had a most ardent passion for books: and especially for English topography and black letter: and I could tell a right pleasant tale about vending him a beautiful copy of Sir Thomas More's Workes of 1557, folio, and an uncut Churchyard’s Worthiness of Wales, original edition. [...] Alas, poor Sancho! He happened, unluckily, to have an ardent attachment to pursuits of a more mischievous nature than that of black letter lore—and, withal, thought that these pursuits could only be substantially enjoyed with a glass of Champagne and Madeira, and with cherries at a guinea a pound! But he has paid the forfeit of his temerity. He died of a brain fever, and his property was meted out to his creditors under a commission of bankruptcy. The late Bishop of Ely was very kind to him; and he had the character of being affectionate and attentive with all to whom he was allied. He was without doubt a strange compound of thoughtlessness, good humour, and book-ardour: a ‘rara avis,’ in his way."

That he shared his father's literary and intellectual interests is shown in the list of his imprints. Not unsurprisingly, as the son of a liberated slave, he was also associated with the movement to abolish slavery. William Roberts, The book-hunter in London, p. 239, states: "William Sancho died before 1817, and was succeeded at the Mews Gate by James Bain, who afterwards removed to No. 1, Haymarket ..." There are two Sun insurance policies for the family: Guildhall Library MS 11936/437 policy 798258, 27 December 1806 for William Sancho, the Mews Gate, Castle Street Leicester Square, bookseller and MS 11936/440 policy 804280 26 June 1807 for Ann and William Sancho, of Castle Street Leicester Square, booksellers. He died on 3 May 1810.

Imprints, all of them after 1800:

1802: Bartolozzi, Francesco. Ignatius Sancho / Gainsborough pinxt.; F. Bartolozzi sculp. London: published ... by Wm. Sancho, Charles Street, Westminster, 20th December 1802.

1802: Sancho, Ignatius, Sancho's Letters: With Memoirs of his Life, by Joseph Jekyll, Esq. London: Printed for Wm. Sancho, 1802.

1803: Sancho, Ignatius, Letters of the late Ignatius Sancho, an African: To which are Prefixed, Memoirs of his Life, by Joseph Jekyll, Esq. M.P. - The fifth edition. - London: Printed for William Sancho, 1803. Printer statement at foot of title-page: Wilks and Taylor, printers. (Previous editions of the letters had appeared: 1782, 2nd ed. 1783, 3rd ed. 1784).

1803: The Report on the Cow-pock Inoculation, from the Practice at the Vaccine-Pock Institution, During the years 1800, 1801, and 1802, Read at the General Meeting of the Governors, February 7th, 1803, at the Shakespeare Tavern, by George Pearson, L. Nihell and Thomas Nelson. London: Printed and sold by Henry Reynell, and may be had of Beckett, Miller, and of W. Sancho, 1803.

1807: Wilberforce, William, A letter on the abolition of the slave trade : addressed to the freeholders and other inhabitants of Yorkshire, by W. Wilberforce. London: Printed by Luke Hansard & Sons, for T. Cadell and W. Davies, Strand; sold also by J. Hatchard, Piccadilly and W. Sancho, at the Mews Gate, 1807.

1807: A Fly-flap Presented to The Director. January, 1807. London: [printed by A. Macpherson] published by W. Sancho; and by J. Hatchard, [1807]. A criticism of T.F. Dibdin's periodical The Director.

1807. Voltaire, The Henriade ..., translated by Daniel French, Esq. London: William Sancho, 1807.

1808: Am I Not a Friend and a Brother?: A Sermon Preached at the Free Chapel, West Street, St. Giles's, on Wednesday Evening June 15th, 1808: For the Benefit of the African and Asiatic Society and Published at the Request of the Committee for the Benefit of the Institution, by William Gurney. London: Printed by W. Nicholson, for Hatchard, Ogle, Williams and Smith, Button, and Sancho, 1808.

1810: Tusser, Thomas, A Hundreth Good Pointes of Husbandrie [...] / Set Forth by Thomas Tusser [...] Copied from the First Edition, 1557. London: reprinted for Robert Triphook [...] and William Sancho, 1810. Printed by T. Bensley on wove paper watermarked: J WHATMAN 1808.

1810: The Paradise of Dainty Deuices, Reprinted from a Transcript of the First Edition, 1576, With an Appendix: Containing Additional Pieces from the Editions of 1580 & 1600. And Introductory Remarks, Biographical and Critical, by Sir Egerton Brydges. London: Printed for Robert Triphook and William Sancho, 1810. London.

Sources: JISC; Worldcat; Oxford dictionary of national biography; Nichols viii, 109; Musgrave; The London Book Trades 1775–1800, Ian Maxted; and sources mentioned in the notice.