Henry S. King (Publisher)

Born in 1817, Henry Samuel King built an unusually varied career as a bookseller, banker, India agent, and publisher. Sources agree that he began in bookselling in Brighton with his brother, later became associated with Smith, Elder, and then launched his own London publishing house, Henry S. King & Co., in 1871.

His firm was active through the 1870s and published a substantial list of Victorian titles. Reference works on publishing history note that King sold the business in 1877 to Charles Kegan Paul, one of his employees, and the imprint soon evolved into the better-known Kegan Paul name.

Because reliable biographical information on him is scattered, the outline of his life is clearer than many personal details. Even so, he stands out as a figure who linked commerce, empire, and literature in late 19th-century Britain.