Charles Dilly

Charles Dilly (1739–1807) was an English publisher and bookseller.

Life He was born 22 May 1739 at Southill, Bedfordshire, in a yeoman family. After making a short trip to America, he returned to London, his elder brother Edward, took him into partnership, and the business was carried on under their joint names. The brothers published James Boswell's Life of Johnson (first three editions), Tour to the Hebrides, and An Account of Corsica, Lord Chesterfield's Miscellaneous Works, and other standard books.

They were also hospitable at The Poultry, and gave dinners described in the memoirs of the period. Samuel Johnson was frequently their guest, and had his famous meeting with John Wilkes at their table, 15 May 1776; with whom he dined a second time with them, 8 May 1781. Other frequent guests were Richard Cumberland, Oliver Goldsmith, John Hoole, Vicesimus Knox, Samuel Parr, Joseph Priestley, Isaac Reed, Samuel Rogers, Sutton Sharpe and James Thomson were among the frequent dinner guests. Charles Dilly, a dissenter, belonged to the Club of Honest Whigs circle, and was a member of the Society for Constitutional Information.