author
Jr. (Josiah Henry) Josiah H. Benton
1843–1917
A Boston lawyer, library trustee, and avid collector, he wrote lively works on legal history, New England, and the story of books. His interests ranged from Civil War voting to the Book of Common Prayer, giving his writing a broad, curious spirit.
1 Audiobook
John Baskerville, type-founder and printer, 1706-1775
by Jr. (Josiah Henry) Josiah H. Benton
About the author
Born in Vermont in 1843, Josiah H. Benton Jr. built a career in Boston as a lawyer while also becoming a serious writer and historian. Records from library and book-history sources show him publishing on law, public affairs, local history, printing, and religion, with titles on subjects such as New England legal practices, Civil War voting, Daniel Webster, John Baskerville, and the Boston Town House.
He was also deeply involved with the Boston Public Library. The library’s historical records list him among its trustees, and the BPL notes that he assembled an important collection centered on the Book of Common Prayer, later bequeathed to the library. That mix of civic service and book collecting helps explain the range of his work: he wrote not only as an advocate and researcher, but as someone who cared about how knowledge was preserved and shared.
Benton died in 1917. Today he is remembered through his many digitized books and through the library collection that carries forward his interest in rare texts, bibliography, and the long history behind the books people read.