I. (Isaac) Slater

Born in Manchester in 1803, Isaac Slater entered the world of publishing early. In 1818 he became an apprentice to James Pigot, a well-known publisher of trade directories, and later joined him in business as the firm became Pigot & Slater.

After Pigot's death in 1843, Slater continued publishing directories under his own name. His books gathered together street listings, trades, businesses, and local information across places including Manchester, Ireland, Wales, and Scotland, making them practical tools for readers of his own time.

Slater died on December 3, 1883. Although he is not remembered as a novelist or literary figure, his directories have had a long afterlife: they remain valuable records of Victorian commercial and local history.