From 1730, Newbery was working as a journeyman for the printer William Carnan in Reading. Upon Carnan’s death, Newbery took over the running of the Reading Mercury and married Carnan’s widow, Mary. The family moved to London in 1744. Newbery became an important early publisher of works for children. He was an innovative and intelligent businessman, issuing the first children’s periodical and the first children’s encyclopaedia, advertising widely, offering discounts to teachers buying in bulk, and publishing other bestsellers, from the annual Ladies Complete Pocket-Book to works by Samuel Richardson and Oliver Goldsmith. From 1751, Newbery also published the works of poet Christopher Smart, a bond strengthened when his stepdaughter Anna Maria Carnan married Smart in 1752. He died a wealthy man in 1767 and was succeeded in business by his son, Francis Newbery. In recognition of Newbery’s contribution to children’s literature, the Newbery medal, introduced in 1922 in the United States, is awarded every year to an outstanding book for children.

Mearne was born in Reading in 1624, served Robert Bates as an apprentice 1637-1646, and had set up his own book bindery in Little Britain by 1653. Upon the Restoration, Mearne was appointed Bookbinder to the King and enjoyed royal favour for the remainder of his life. In 1668, Charles II intervened to see Mearne appointed to the Company’s Court of Assistants. In 1675 Mearne’s position as Binder to the King was expanded to the life-long offices of Bookbinder, Bookseller, and Stationer to the King, which he held with his son Charles. At the same time, Mearne consolidated his influence in the Stationers’ Company, serving as under-warden for two terms (1672-1674), upper-warden (1676-1677), and finally Maser of the Company (1679-1680, 1682-1683). He was particularly known in both the Company and to the King for being involved in searches for illicit printing activity. Mearne remains famous in the book trade to this day for his elaborate and highly desirable bindings. He is credited with creating the “cottage style”, often found in red and black leather.