Charles Corbett (1710–1752; fl. 1732–1752)

Identifiers

Occupations

  • Bookseller
  • Publisher
  • Newspaper Proprietor
  • Music Publisher
  • Magazine Publisher

Names

  • Charles Corbett
  • Charles Corbet

Charles Corbett, publisher, bookseller, newspaper proprietor, publisher of music and magazines, at Addison's Head in Fleet Street within Temple Bar / against St. Dunstan's Church, 1732–52.

Notes & Queries "London Booksellers Series" (1931–2)

CORBETT, C. He was probably the son of T. [Thomas] Corbett (see below), in conjunction with whom he was publishing at Addison's Head by 1739. On his father's death in 1743 he became sole proprietor of the business, which was still nourishing under his name in 1750.

—Frederick T. Wood, 1 August 1931

 

CORBETT, Charles. Corbett was publishing as early as 1732 when he printed an opera 'The Devil of a Duke' (Kidson's 'British Music Publishers'). His shop, Addison's Head, is variously described as being Within or, Without Temple Bar. Hilton Price, in his articles on London Signs, includes Addison's Head in his Fleet Street list and also in his Strand list. Kidson calls it in "Fleet Street within Temple Bar," and Plomer gives it as "next the Rose Tavern without Temple Bar." I have a dozen of his advertisements inserted in the London Evening Post during 1747, and in each of these he is stated to be in Fleet Street, so we may take it that the correct form is Within Temple Bar.

—Ambrose Heal, 5 September 1931

 

A Dictionary of the Printers and Booksellers who were at work in England, Scotland and Ireland from 1726 to 1775, by Henry Plomer et al. (1932)

CORBETT (CHARLES), bookseller and publisher in London, Addison's Head, next the Rose Tavern without Temple Bar, 1732–52. Son of Thomas Corbett, was born on February 16th, 1709/10, at St. Mary's Hill, London. Succeeded his father in the business before June 17th, 1732. Dealt in plays, political tracts, children's books, and shared in many large undertakings, such as the Complete System of Geography (1747), Boyer's Dictionary and Bayle's Dictionary (1734). Charles Corbett was also the publisher of the British Magazine, which commenced in March 1746. It was run on the same lines as the Gentleman's Magazine, but was sold at threepence instead of sixpence. He had a private house in Islington, where he died after a lingering illness on February 24th, 1752. He was spoken of as "a man well respected by his acquaintance". [Read's Weekly Journal or British Gazetteer, Saturday, February 29th, 1752.] He married Ann, daughter of Nathan Horsey of Norfolk, and left one son Charles, who succeeded him in the business and assumed the title of baronet. [G. E. C., Complete Baronetage, 1907, II. 184.]