HUTTON, WILLIAM, was born at Derby, of poor parents, on the 30th of September 1723. By frugality, industry, and integrity he raised himself to opulence and eminence. It has been said of him that "in many particulars of energy, perseverance, and prudence he deserves to be called the English Franklin." At the ago of seven he was sent by his father to work in the silk-mill at Derby, which occu pation he quitted at seventeen, and was bound apprentice to an uncle at Nottingham, who was a stocking-maker. He ran away during his apprenticeship, and wandered as far as Birmingham, the town in which he subsequently acquired a fortune ; but distress oompelled him to return to his uncle. The poor remuneration which he obtained for his labour, at the stockiug-frame induced him to look anxiously towards some other means of gaining a livelihood ; and iu 1746 be bought an old worn-down press, and taught himself the of book binding. In 1749 he walked. to London and back to purchase a few bookbinders tools. In the same year he commenced attending South well, fourteen miles distant from Nottingham, on the market-day; and there he rented a shop at tweuty ehillinge a year, end opened it for the sale of books. In his autobiography ho says: "During this rainy winter I set out at five every Saturday morning, carried a burden of from three pounds' weight to thirty, opened shop at ten, starved in it all day upon bread, cheese, and half a pint of ale, took from one to six shillings, shut up at four, and by trudging through the solitary night and the deep roads five more, I arrived at Nottingham by nine, where I always found a mess of milk-porridge by the fire, pre pared by my valuable sister." Hutton's sister was a women of supe rior mind, and he owed much to her encouragement. Hie object was to save a small sum to enable him to commence business in a large town • and in 1750, after having twice visited Birmingham io order to see the chances of success which the place offered, he on the third visit took the lesser half of a small shop, at a rent of one shilling per week, and furnished it with a small supply of books. The overseers
teased him for two years under the idea that he would become charge able to the parish. Five shillings a week covered all hie expeuaes, and at the end of the first year he had saved 204 Fortune continued to smile upon him, and iu 1755 ho married. In 1791 hie property was destroyed duriug the Church and King Riots at Birmingham iu that year, but after great difficulty he succeeded in recovering 53901. from the county. Ile now relinquished business in favour of his son. He had filled successively all tho local offices of the town. In 1781 he wrote and published his History of Birmingham ; and this was fol lowed by other works in the following order: 'Journey to London,' 1784; ' The Court of Requests,' 1784 ; ' The Hundred Court,' 1788 ; 'History of Blackpool,' 17S3; 'Battle of Bosworth Field,' 1789; History of Derby,' 1790; ' The Barbers, a Poem,' 1793 ; ' Edgar and Elfrida, a Poem,' 1798; The Roman Wall,' 1801 ; Remarks upon North Wales,' 1801; Tour to Scarborough,' 1803 ; 'Poems, chiefly Tales,' 1804; Trip to Coatham,' 1803.
Mr. Hutton died September 20th, 1815, a few days before the com pletion of his ninety-second year. In 1816 his daughter published The Life of William Hutton, Stationer, of Birmingham, and the History of his family : Written by Himself.' This work is one of the most entertaining and instructive pieces of autobiography in the language. Au edition of this work was published iu 1841, iu the series of ' Knight's English Miscellanies.' This edition contains some interest ing notes by Catherine Hutton, Mr. Hutton's daughter, who was then in her cighty.fifth year; and passages of a personal nature from Huttou's works are added as notes.