Thomas Astley Explained

Thomas Astley (died 1759) was a bookseller and publisher in London in the 18th century. He often wrote about relevant topics at the time, and contributed to many of those controversial topics. ^[1] He ran his business from Saint Paul's Churchyard (circa 1726-1742) and Paternoster Row (circa 1745). He belonged to the Company of Stationers. He published the celebrated^[2] Voyages and Travels which described localities in Africa and Asia, compiling information from travel books by John Atkins, Jean Barbot, Willem Bosman, Theodor de Bry, Francis Moore, Jean-Baptiste Labat, Godefroi Loyer, Thomas Phillips, William Smith, and Nicolas Villaut de Bellefond.^[3] It included engravings by G. Child and Nathaniel Parr.^{[4] [5]} Astley intended his Voyages to improve upon the previous travel collections of Samuel Purchas, John Harris, and Awnsham & John Churchill.^[6] It was read by patrons of Hookham's Circulating Library, Boosey's circulating library,^[7] London Institution, Royal Institution, Salem Athenaeum, and Cape Town public library.^[8] Astley's Voyages was translated into German and French .^[9]

Titles issued by Astley

• London Magazine
• Book: Dictionarium Rusticum, Urbanicum & Botanicum: or, a dictionary of husbandry, gardening, trade, commerce, and all sorts of country-affairs . 1726 . . John Worlidge . Printed for J. and J. Knapton, A. Bettesworth . 3rd . John Worlidge .
  • Book: The Choice: a Collection of the Newest and Most Celebrated English and Scotch Songs . 1733 . .
• Book: New Roman History, by Question and Answer . 1737 . John Lockman . John Lockman (author) .
• Book: Life and Entertaining Adventures of Mr. Cleveland, natural son of Oliver Cromwell . 1741.
• Book: Daniel Defoe . Memoirs of Cap. George Carleton, an English Officer: Who Served in the Two Last Wars Against France and Spain, and was Present in Several Engagements Both in the Fleet and Army. 1743 . Daniel Defoe.
  • Book: A New General Collection of Voyages and Travels: consisting of the most esteemed relations, which have been hitherto published in any language, comprehending everything remarkable in its kind, in Europe, Asia, Africa and America . John Green . 1745–1747 . 773118890 . + Index^[10]
  • v.1 (via Google Books). "First voyages of the Portugueze to the East Indies, 1418-1546. First voyages of the English to Guinea, and the East Indies, 1552-1598. First voyages of the English to the East Indies, set forth by the company of merchants, 1600-1620. Voyages to Africa and the islands adjacent, 1455-1721"
  • v.2 (via University of Virginia). "Voyages and travels along the western coast of Africa, 1637-1735. Voyages and travels to Guinea and Benin, 1666-1726. Description of Guinea"
  • v.3. "Voyages and travels to Guinea, Benin, Kongo and Angola. Description of Loango, Kongo, Angola, Benguela, and adjacent countries. Description of the countries along the eastern coast of Africa, from Cape of Good Hope to Cape Guarda Fuy. Voyages and travels in China, 1655-1722"
  • v.4 (via Google Books). "Description of China, of Korea, eastern Tartary and Tibet. Travels through Tartary, Tibet, and Bukhâria, to and from China, 1246-1698" + Table of contents
  • Book: 1968 . London . Frank Cass & Company . Cass Library of African Studies. Travels and Narratives . 47 . 1004945 . New General Collection of Voyages and Travels . (facsimile reprint)
• Book: New History of England, by Question and Answer . Rapin de Thoyras . 1752 . Paul de Rapin de Thoyras .
• Book: Bayle's Historical and Critical Dictionary .
• Book: History of the Affairs of Europe . W. Gibson .
• Book: Historico Geographical Description of Russia .
• Book: Life of Peter the Great, Czar of Muscovy . John Motley .
• Book: World in Miniature; or, Entertaining Traveller .
• Book: Universal Pocket Companion .
• Book: (Novels) . W.R. Chetwood .
• Book: Universal Spectator . Henry Stonecastle .
• Book: Natural Method of Teaching . Samuel Hoadly .

Further reading

• Book: Bibliographer's Manual of English Literature . William Thomas Lowndes . Henry G. Bohn . Henry George Bohn . London . Bell and Daldy . 1869 . Voyages and Travels . https://archive.org/stream/bibliographersma05lown#page/2797/mode/1up . 5 . William Thomas Lowndes .
• Book: Bibliotheca Americana . Joseph Sabin . Joseph Sabin . New York . 1875 . 13972268 . 7 . Green. A New General Collection of Voyages . https://archive.org/stream/dictionaryofbook07sabi#page/417/mode/1up .
• Book: R.M. Wiles . Serial Publication in England Before 1750 . 1957. 2010 . Cambridge University Press. 978-0-521-17068-0.

External links

• Digital Public Library of America. Digitized images from Astley's Voyages

Notes and References

1. Book: Charles Henry Timperley . A Dictionary of Printers and Printing. 1839. H. Johnson. Charles Henry Timperley.
2. Web site: Voyages + Travels . Johns Hopkins University . USA . Library Guides: Special Collections: Africa, Asia + Oceania . 30 July 2014 . Sheridan Libraries . https://web.archive.org/web/20140726034617/http://guides.library.jhu.edu/content.php?pid=27403&sid=199000 . 2014-07-26 .
3. Semper Aliquid Veteris: Printed Sources for the History of the Ivory and Gold Coasts, 1500-1750 . Adam Jones . Journal of African History . 27 . 2 . 1986 . 181134 . 10.1017/s0021853700036653 . 215–235. 162344095 . Adam Jones (Canadian scholar) .
4. Book: New General Collection of Voyages and Travels . Plate 14 . Nathaniel Parr . 3 . T. Astley . London . 1745–1747 . .
5. Book: New General Collection of Voyages and Travels . Plate 17: Bird's Eye View of Loango . 3 . T. Astley . London . 1745–1747 . G. Child . Atlas of Mutual Heritage, Netherlands .
6. Book: Edward Godfrey Cox . Reference Guide to the Literature of Travel . 1935. University of Washington . Seattle . 1: Old World . https://archive.org/stream/referenceguideto030515mbp#page/n28/mode/1up . 15 . Collections . Open Library .
7. Book: A New Catalogue of the Circulating Library at No. 39, King Street, Cheapside . 1787. John Boosey.
8. Book: Catalogue of the South African Public Library. 1829 . Cape Town.
9. Book: George Watson. George G. Watson. New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature . 1974. Cambridge University Press. 978-0-521-20004-2 . Travel: Collections and Histories . https://books.google.com/books?id=GwFJe0eFWMQC&pg=PA2111.
10. Book: John Russell Bartlett . Bibliotheca Americana: A Catalogue of Books Relating to North- and South-America in the Library of J. Carter Brown. 1870 . Thomas Astley . https://books.google.com/books?id=_XVWAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA212 . John Russell Bartlett.