Thomas Brooks

BROOKS, Thomas (1814-1896) — London

Engraver, printer & publisher. Published Charles Nash, ‘History of the war in Affghanistan’ 1843, with a map; later publications issued under the ‘Read & Co.’ imprint of his mother-in-law Mary Read are listed under her name. Later work, published as ‘Read, Brooks & Co.’ comprised mainly cheap children’s books, nursery rhymes, etc.

Born at Chatham in Kent and baptised at St. Mary on 5 Aug 1814, the son of John Brooks, a shipwright, and his wife Mary Elizabeth. He worked originally for the well-known publisher Henry Colburn, but was publishing independently in 1843-1845. He married Sarah Read (1822-1893), daughter of William Read (see BME 2011) and his wife Mary Read, née Blake, below, in the latter part of 1844. They had a number of children. After William Read’s death in 1845, Brooks became the principal figure in the Read business, which continued to operate under the style of ‘M. Read & Co.’ or just ‘Read & Co.’ until becoming ‘Read, Brooks & Co.’ in about 1868. He was recorded as the tenant at the Johnson’s Court address in a report of a small fire there in June 1855. George Cruikshank featured a caricature of Brooks being tweaked by the nose by Cruikshank himself in his ‘A pop-gun fired off by George Cruikshank in defence of the British volunteers of 1803’ 1853. He later explained “The person whom you will please to observe I have here taken by the nose with a pair of tongs, has been for some time past employing my nephew, Mr. Percy Cruikshank (who is a wood-engraver, and a very excellent, industrious, worthy, good fellow), to illustrate in a very cheap and common way, and at the lowest possible (I may say shameful prices), all the old fairy tales, and a variety of little story-books, publishing and advertising them as ‘illustrated by Cruikshank’. As most persons suppose when a work is advertised as illustrated by ‘Cruikshank’ that it means me, I need hardly say that it would appear as if this Mr. Brooks, publishing under the name of Read, is endeavouring to impose upon the public, and this course I find he had been pursuing for the last three years, and by thus advertising and using the name of ‘Cruikshank’ only, has done, and is doing me a very serious injury, for he cares not how slightly or commonly these illustrations are done so long as he gives the name to carry them off”. In 1868, a man called Edward Heritage, employed by Brooks as a “town traveller”, was given a sentence of fifteen months’ imprisonment for giving numbers of fictitious orders to Brooks in order to obtain fraudulent commission payments. He was required to furnish a list of debts and liabilities under the Bankruptcy Amendment Act in 1869. He was still publishing material in the 1880s, but had retired to Brighton by 1891. He died there at the Sussex County Hospital 7 Jan 1896. Probate on effects of £210 was granted to two unmarried daughters 3 Mar 1896.

8 Baker Street, Portman Square — 1843-1845
10 Johnson’s Court, Fleet Street — 1845-1867
24 Notting Hill Terrace, Kensington (home) — 1851
128 Aldersgate Street — 1868-1876
25 & 26 New Street, Cloth Fair — 1877-1885

BM. BNA. Census 1841-1891. LHD. OB.