Bulgin, William
1758-1831

Bristol printer and trader, the son of John Bulgin, a clothier of Melksham, Wilts. After serving an apprenticeship with Thomas Mills, a Bristol bookseller, stationer and bookbinder, in 1786 he went into partnership with Robert Rosser (d. c.1802) at 15 Wine Street, Bristol. In 1786 John Wesley turned to this firm to publish the Minutes of Conference, in place of its previous publisher, William Pine. In time Bulgin acquired other premises, emerging also as a purveyor of patent medicines, as well as of 'books in many languages'. He attracted the favourable notice of the civic authorities and was appointed President of the Grateful Society (established to commemorate Edward Colston) in 1790. The second of his three wives, Hester, was the daughter of Henry Durbin.

Sources
  • D.F.Gallop, 'Chapters in the history of the provincial newspaper press', (unpublished MA thesis, Bristol, 1954
  • Frank Baker, 'Wesley's Printers and Booksellers', in WHS Proceedings, 22 (1939-40) pp.137-40

Occupations

Entry written by: CJS
Category: Person
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