William Lane (1746–1814) was a publisher and bookseller in London in the late 18th century best known now for his founding of the wildly successful Minerva Press.[1]
Around 1790 Lane established the Minerva Printing Press in Cree Church Lane, Leadenhall Street, moving ca.1792 to no. 31 Leadenhall Street.[2] The Minerva Press issued works by Courtney Melmoth and others.[1] Subscribers to Lane's Circulating Library (established circa 1774)[3] included Leigh Hunt.[4][nb 1] Around 1799 John Darling and Anthony King Newman joined Lane as "Lane, Darling, Newman & Co."[2] In 1804 Lane retired and Newman took over the business.[6][7]
^Competitors included circulating libraries of John Booth, Carpenter, Cawthorn, Cheesewright, Creighton, Thomas Dangerfield, Dutton, William Earle, Thomas Hookham, David Ogilvy, Parson, Tegg, and Thomas Vernor.[5]
Ian Maxted (2007), "William Lane", The London Book Trades 1775-1800: a preliminary checklist of members, Exeter Working Papers in British Book Trade History
