James
Perry, the son of a builder, was born in Aberdeen
on 30th October, 1756. He attended Aberdeen University but was forced
to leave when his father's building business collapsed. After a period
working in a draper's shop, Perry became an actor. However, while
working in Edinburgh Perry was told
his strong Scottish accent would prevent him from having a career
on the stage.
In 1777 Perry moved to London where he
made his living by writing essays and poems for The
General Advertiser. His contributions on the trial of Admiral
Augustus Keppel helped to increase circulation of the newspaper to
several thousand copies a day. Perry began to develop radical political
ideas, but fearing prosecution, he published he anonymously several
political pamphlets.
Perry was now in great demand as a journalist and after editing the
European Magazine (1782-83) he
moved to the London Gazette. Perry
edited the newspaper for eight years but when it was purchased by
a group of Tories, he left and in 1789 he
formed a partnership with James Gray and purchased the Morning
Chronicle from William Woodfall.
The newspaper now became a firm supporter of the Whigs
in Parliament. At first the paper did not make money and Perry, Gray
and their printer, John Lambert, all lived in the same house together.
Perry's support for parliamentary reform
brought him into conflict with the authorities and in 1793 was charged
with seditious libel. Defended by Thomas Erskine,
the jury decided that he was "guilty of publishing, but with
no malicious intent". The judge refused to accept the verdict
and after another day's discussion, decided he was "not guilty".
Perry and Gray were less fortunate in 1798 when they were found guilty
of libelling the House of Lords and sentenced
to three months in Newgate Prison.
Sales of the Morning Chronicle
gradually increased and by 1810 the newspaper had a circulation of
7,000. Perry was now able to recruit Britain's best radical journalists,
including William Hazlitt and Charles
Lamb. Perry continued to be hounded by the government and in February
1818 was charged with Leigh Hunt and The
Examiner for criticizing King George
III. Perry defended himself well in court and was found not guilty.
In 1817 Perry developed an internal disease that compelled him to
undergo several hospital operations. When he failed to improve, his
doctor suggested that he should live by the sea. This was also unsuccessful
and James Perry died in Brighton on 5th
December, 1821.
Available from Amazon Books
(order below)
