DIDIER, Peter (Pierre) (1773?-1816?) — London
Bookseller; publisher; circulating library; stationer; toyman. Published An historical game of England 1804, with a rule-book titled ‘An historical game of the kings of England : including the memorable events of their reigns, adapted to the juvenile capacity’; Jehoshaphat Aspin, ‘The geo-chronology of Europe; or, an epitome of the geography and chronology’ 1805, with a map by John M. Wauthier; Wauthier, Geochronology of Europe : chronology & geography are the eyes of history 1805; ‘The British youth’s Vade Mecum; being a brief history of the constitutional establishments of the British Empire’ 1806, with a map; Wauthier, Præliagraphy of England : being a map of that kingdom illustrative of the principal battles fought in it 1807; A new plan of the cities of London, Westminster &c 1807; Wauthier, Punchinellography of England 1808; The traveller’s guide through England and Wales : also an illustration to the Punchinellography 1808; Aloisius Edouard Camille Gaultier, ‘A complete course of geography, by means of instructive games’ 1808, with maps. Also published dissected puzzles, children’s books, a musical game for children, etc.
Reportedly born in Vennezey, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Lorraine, France, 9 Jun 1773, the son of Nicolas Didier and his wife Marguerite Dallot. Said to have arrived in London in 1792. His age was given as twenty-eight when he joined the masonic Ancient French Lodge in London in Nov 1800. He married Sarah Cecilia (Cecilia Flower Sarah) Tebbett (1782-1865), with whom he had several children, at St. George Hanover Square 13 Jan 1801. Traded at the ‘Juvenile Library of English, French, and Italian books, and Repository of Instructive Games’ 1806-1808; ‘au Dépot des Jeux Instructifs pour la Jeunesse’ 1809. The premises in St. James’s Street were on the corner of Little St. James’s Street North. Said to have become naturalised 18 Jun 1807. In partnership with his father-in-law William Tebbett from 1801 or earlier to at least 1810. The partners were declared bankrupt 15 Jan 1810 (dividends paid in 1811-1812) and Didier traded alone thereafter. For reasons unknown, but perhaps related to the bankruptcy, a daughter was baptised at Woodstock, Oxfordshire, 16 May 1810 and later buried there alongside Didier’s mother-in-law in 1812. The geographer Aloisius Edouard Camille Gaultier brought a legal case, presumably over copyright infringement, against Didier, John Harris 3 (see BME 2011), and others in 1815 (papers in NA). He disappears from land-tax records after 1816 and presumably died in or about that year. He had been succeeded by his widow by 1818.
Juvenile Repository, 75 St. James’s Street — 1800-1810
322 Oxford Street — 1809
Bolsover Street — 1811
7 Vere Street, Oxford Street — 1812-1816
Apprentice: William Bishop 1808.
BBTI. BNA. Brown. EWP. Hannas. Howgego. LG. LHD. NA. Tooley. Whitehouse.