Publisher's Synopsis
Knight (1791-1873) was an English publisher, editor and author who published and contributed to works such as The Penny Magazine, The Penny Cyclopaedia and The English Cyclopaedia, and he established the Local Government Chronicle. He was the son of a bookseller and printer to whom he was apprenticed, and on completion of his indentures he took up journalism and had an interest in several newspaper speculations. In 1823, together with friends he had made as publisher of The Etonian (1820-21), he started Knight's Quarterly Magazine which lasted for only six issues but made his name as a publisher and author, beginning a career covering over 40 years. As a publisher he brought out many illustrated editions of standard works, including The Pictorial Shakespeare which appeared in parts from 1838-41, and also undertook the series known as Weekly Volumes in which many famous books appeared for the first time, himself contributing a biography of William Caxton to the series. He was the author of several books including an autobiography, and continued to write to the end of his life. This work was first published in 1854 and includes 14 illustrations.
