EDDOWES, JOSHUA (1724-1811), printer and bookseller at Shrewsbury ;
chr. 26 April 1724, son of Ralph Eddowes, grocer, Whitchurch, Salop. Joshua Eddowes was in partnership with John Cotton in 1749 if not earlier (see J. H. Davies, Bibliog. of Welsh Ballads); Cotton had been made a freeman of the Combrethren of Saddlers on 6 June 1740, Eddowes being admitted on 26 May 1749. The partnership continued until 1765, Eddowes continuing on his own until 1788, when he took his son, WILLIAM EDDOWES (b. 1 Oct. 1754), into partnership. Until the death of Joshua Eddowes on 25 Sept. 1811 the firm traded as J. and W. Eddowes; father and son began to publish the Salopian Journal on 29 Jan. 1794. William Eddowes d. 4 Feb. 1833. W. Rowlands (Llyfryddiaeth y Cymry) gives the titles of several Welsh books printed by Cotton and Eddowes, Joshua Eddowes, and afterwards by J. and W. Eddowes. They appear to have printed some very important works in their time, e.g. Lloffion Prydyddiaeth … Mr. Rees Prichard, 1766, Gweledigaethau y Bardd Cwsg, 1768, as well as many almanacs by Gwilym Howell (q.v.). J. Eddowes's wife, whom he m. on 13 Sept. 1753, was Lydia, daughter of William Phillips.
Bibliography:
- W. Rowlands, Llyfr. y Cym.;
- 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
