Walking with the Ancestors - Literary Connections

Literary Connections

Wellington's literary associations effectively began in 1779 when Edward Houlston opened the town's first booksellers, paving the way for a business that eventually became one of England's largest provincial publishing houses. After his death in 1800, Houlston's son Edward took over the business, which began printing from its premises at 3 Market Square four years later when Alfred's Letters, an instructive treatise on the threat of an imminent French invasion, was the first title to roll off the presses. The pamphlet proved to be atypical of what was to follow and Houlston's quickly established a reputation for publishing religious and educational material, from the sermons of the local clergy to self-help manuals and morally instructive fictional stories for children. As the business grew, Edward Houlston began to transfer more of its trade to London, where he had opened a branch of the family firm at Paternoster Row in 1826. The company ceased publishing in Wellington around the time of his death in 1840, although the printing and bookselling side of the business continued for another ten years until its proprietor John Houlston moved to Oakengates and became an auctioneer.