DURSTON, THOMAS (d. 1767), bookseller and printer at Shrewsbury .
Although there is no certainty that Thomas Durston was Welsh-speaking, he printed so many Welsh books and ballads at Shrewsbury that he deserves a short mention in this work. He started to print Welsh books in 1711 (for example Y Llyfr Gweddi Gyffredin y Cydymaith Goreu: Yn y Tŷ a'r Stafell) and continued to be in business until he d.; he was buried 26 Sept. 1767. He had become a freeman of the ‘Cornbrethren of Saddlers’ at Shrewsbury on 23 May 1714. For his malpractices in regard to the publications of some fellow-printers see J. H. Davies, ‘Early Welsh Bibliography,’ in Trans. Cymm., 1897-8; for the titles of some of his Welsh publications, including ballads, consult the source-books listed below.
Bibliography:
- W. Rowlands, Llyfr. y Cym. and his articles in Y Traethodydd, 1850;
- J. H. Davies, Bibliog. Welsh Ballads;
- Ifano Jones, Hist. of Printing and Printers in Wales;
- Llewelyn C. Lloyd, ‘The Book-Trade in Shropshire’ in Trans. Shrops. Arch., 1935, 1936.
Author:
Sir William Llewelyn Davies, M.A., LL.D., F.S.A. (1887-1952), Aberystwyth
