Nicholas Boddington (fl. 1687–1717)

BODDINGTON (NICHOLAS), bookseller in London, Golden Ball, Duck Lane, 1687–1717. This bookseller was perhaps a descendant of George Boddington (1648). He began as a publisher in 1687, when he advertised The Gentleman's new Jockey or Farrier's approved guide. [T.C. II. 188.] In 1693 he published the thirteenth edition of the First Part of Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress for R. Ponder. In a law suit instituted in 1697 by Nathaniel Ponder, who held the copyright, against Thomas Braddyll, Boddington deposed that he bought ten thousand copies of this edition and paid Braddyll at the rateof five shillings per ream for them, although he had agreed with Ponder that he was to have them at four and sixpence a ream. Boddington gave his age as forty-five or thereabouts. Dunton [p. 209] has the following account of him: "By an industrious management he has gathered a good estate, and makes a considerable figure in the Parish where he lives. He deals much in Bibles, Testaments and Common Prayer Books. He purchased Mr. Reach's Travels of true Godliness of me, and deals much in the country." From 1711 he was publishing in partnership with M. Boddington (q. v.) who succeeded him.