John Mein (publisher)
| John Mein | |
|---|---|
| Born |
John Mein Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Died | London, England |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Other names | - |
| Occupation | Bookseller; newspaper publisher |
| Title | - |
| Spouse(s) | - |
| Family | - |
John Mein (b. Edinburgh, Scotland; d. London, England) was a Boston, Massachusetts, bookseller and publisher in the time before the American Revolution. Mein started Boston's first circulating library, and with his business partner, John Fleeming, Mein published the Loyalist newspaper, the Boston Chronicle, the first semi-weekly in New England.
Mein, son of John Mein, was born in Edinburgh where he received a good education before entering the bookselling business. In 1754, he apprenticed to Edinburgh bookseller, John Trail, and in 1760, he became Burgess and Guild Brother of Edinburgh. In 1761, Mein advertised a variety of children's books, and in November 1763, he announced that he would give up his business the following year.
Mein emigrated to Boston in October 1764 with a large quantity of books and linens. With Robert Sandeman (nephew of Robert Sandeman the theologian), Mein opened a store advertising English and Scottish prayer books, and beer from Edinburgh. Within the year, Mein dissolved the partnership with Sandeman.
Mein then opened his own bookstore that he named The London Bookstore, and began the first circulating library in Boston. His catalog advertised twelve hundred books, and he offered various payment schedules: "One Pound, Eight Shillings, lawful Mondey, per Year; Eighteen Shillings per Half-Year; or Ten and Eight Pence per Quarter." He sold the catalog for a shilling, and restricted loans to one book at a time. The library collection included works of history, literature, travel, law, medicine, and the like, in English and French, by authors such as:
In December 1767, to increase business, Mein started up The Boston Chronicle with Fleeming. Fleeming (or Fleming), the other partner in the firm, Mein and Fleeming, was also a "Scotchman". They also printed several books and almanacks, including the almanac Mein and Fleeming's register for New-England and Nova Scotia.
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