Anne Dodd
Encyclopedia
Anne Dodd (c. 1685–1739) was the most famous English
news seller and pamphlet
shop proprietor in the 18th century. In 1708, she married a Nathaniel Dodd, who had purchased a stationer's license. She was described in the marriage license as a "spinster
" of about twenty-two years of age. Nathaniel and Anne set up their shop at the sign of the Peacock outside Temple Bar
in late 1711, and the shop would operate successfully for nearly half a century afterward.
Nathaniel was the de jure owner of the business, but Anne's was the only name to appear on the imprints for the wholesale
and retail sale of newspapers and pamphlets. Nathaniel would purchase newspapers and pamphlets in bulk from printers and then sell them to the street hawkers as well as offer them to public sale in the shop at the Peacock. In October of 1723, Nathaniel died, and Anne became the legal as well as effective owner of the business.
During this period, printers and book sellers, as well as authors, were prosecuted for dissemination of politically vexatious works. The government summoned Nathaniel Dodd twice, once in connection with Nathaniel Mist
's Mist's Weekly Journal, and Anne Dodd was similarly prosecuted. She was imprisoned in 1728 for selling anti-ministry pamphlets, and she made the plea at the time that she carried and sold many more pro-ministry papers than anti-ministry ones and that she was merely selling what the people wanted. Also in 1728, Alexander Pope
feigned the imprint of Anne Dodd for the early versions of The Dunciad
, probably as an extension of the poem's parody
of the emerging culture of hack-written political papers rather than as a satire on Mrs. Dodd herself.
When she died in October of 1739, she left very generous sums to her three daughters. To her eldest daughter, already married, she left £500, and she left her two younger daughters £600 each, as well as her jewels and the shop lease. Her youngest daughter, also named Anne, continued operating the shop, and Henry Fielding
refers to the impressive array of dour looking newspapers stacked in the racks of Anne Dodd's shop in The Covent Garden Journal in 1752.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
news seller and pamphlet
Pamphlet
A pamphlet is an unbound booklet . It may consist of a single sheet of paper that is printed on both sides and folded in half, in thirds, or in fourths , or it may consist of a few pages that are folded in half and saddle stapled at the crease to make a simple book...
shop proprietor in the 18th century. In 1708, she married a Nathaniel Dodd, who had purchased a stationer's license. She was described in the marriage license as a "spinster
Spinster
A spinster, or old maid, is an older, childless woman who has never been married.For a woman to be identified as a spinster, age is critical...
" of about twenty-two years of age. Nathaniel and Anne set up their shop at the sign of the Peacock outside Temple Bar
Temple Bar, London
Temple Bar is the barrier marking the westernmost extent of the City of London on the road to Westminster, where Fleet Street becomes the Strand...
in late 1711, and the shop would operate successfully for nearly half a century afterward.
Nathaniel was the de jure owner of the business, but Anne's was the only name to appear on the imprints for the wholesale
Wholesale
Wholesaling, jobbing, or distributing is defined as the sale of goods or merchandise to retailers, to industrial, commercial, institutional, or other professional business users, or to other wholesalers and related subordinated services...
and retail sale of newspapers and pamphlets. Nathaniel would purchase newspapers and pamphlets in bulk from printers and then sell them to the street hawkers as well as offer them to public sale in the shop at the Peacock. In October of 1723, Nathaniel died, and Anne became the legal as well as effective owner of the business.
During this period, printers and book sellers, as well as authors, were prosecuted for dissemination of politically vexatious works. The government summoned Nathaniel Dodd twice, once in connection with Nathaniel Mist
Nathaniel Mist
Nathaniel Mist was an 18th century British printer and journalist whose Mist's Weekly Journal was the central, most visible, and most explicit opposition newspaper to the whig administrations of Robert Walpole. Where other opposition papers would defer, Mist's would explicitly attack the...
's Mist's Weekly Journal, and Anne Dodd was similarly prosecuted. She was imprisoned in 1728 for selling anti-ministry pamphlets, and she made the plea at the time that she carried and sold many more pro-ministry papers than anti-ministry ones and that she was merely selling what the people wanted. Also in 1728, Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope was an 18th-century English poet, best known for his satirical verse and for his translation of Homer. He is the third-most frequently quoted writer in The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, after Shakespeare and Tennyson...
feigned the imprint of Anne Dodd for the early versions of The Dunciad
The Dunciad
The Dunciad is a landmark literary satire by Alexander Pope published in three different versions at different times. The first version was published in 1728 anonymously. The second version, the Dunciad Variorum was published anonymously in 1729. The New Dunciad, in four books and with a...
, probably as an extension of the poem's parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of the emerging culture of hack-written political papers rather than as a satire on Mrs. Dodd herself.
When she died in October of 1739, she left very generous sums to her three daughters. To her eldest daughter, already married, she left £500, and she left her two younger daughters £600 each, as well as her jewels and the shop lease. Her youngest daughter, also named Anne, continued operating the shop, and Henry Fielding
Henry Fielding
Henry Fielding was an English novelist and dramatist known for his rich earthy humour and satirical prowess, and as the author of the novel Tom Jones....
refers to the impressive array of dour looking newspapers stacked in the racks of Anne Dodd's shop in The Covent Garden Journal in 1752.