About John Limbird
Lived 1796 – 1883 (aged 86–87). John Limbird was a bookseller and publisher.
John Limbird (1796? – 1883) was an English stationer, bookseller and publisher, characterised by an obituarist as "the father of our periodical writing".
John Limbird was christened on 1 May 1796 in the parish of St. Nicholas, Glatton, Huntingdonshire, the sixth child of John Limbird and Elizabeth Hitchcock. He married Lucy Glover on 7 April 1817 in Godmanchester, Huntingdonshire. He had two daughters, Elizabeth Limbird born 1818 and Sally Dolby Limbird born 1823, both baptised at the Church of St Anne, Soho, London.
From 1822 to 1847 Limbird published a tuppenny weekly, The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction, which has been characterized as "the first long-lived cheap periodical" in Britain. It was edited by Thomas Byerley, John Abraham Heraud, Percy Bolingbroke St John, and John Timbs. Late in 1847 it became the Mirror Monthly Magazine; and from 1849 to 1850 appeared finally as the London Review. He had a shop situated in London's Strand.
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
People in John Limbird's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped John Limbird's
Frequently asked questions
Who was John Limbird?
English stationer, bookseller, publisher (1796?–1883)
When was John Limbird born?
John Limbird was born in 1796.
When did John Limbird die?
John Limbird died in 1883.
What was John Limbird's occupation?
John Limbird was a bookseller and publisher.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Limbird. https://biography.guide/john-limbird/
MLA: "John Limbird." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-limbird/.
Chicago: "John Limbird." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-limbird/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 04:58 UTC