Frederick Pitman (publisher)
Frederick Pitman | |
|---|---|
 Pitman in his later years | |
| Born | 9 May 1828 Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England |
| Died | 21 November 1886 (aged 58) Crouch End, London, England |
| Resting place | Highgate Cemetery |
| Occupation(s) | Publisher, writer |
| Years active | 1847–1886 |
| Relatives |
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Frederick Pitman (9 May 1828 – 21 November 1886) was an English publisher and writer who was active in the fields of shorthand, music, and vegetarian literature. A younger brother of Isaac Pitman, the inventor of Pitman shorthand, also known as phonography, he was involved in the dissemination of phonographic literature and shorthand education. He later established a music publishing business in London, which became a notable enterprise in the publication of domestic and popular music.
Biography
[edit]Early life and education
[edit]Frederick Pitman was born on 9 May 1828 in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, the youngest of eleven children, seven sons and four daughters,[1] of Maria (née Davis)[2] and Samuel Pitman, a long-time clerk and overseer at the cloth factory of James Edgell.[1] His brothers included Isaac, the creator of the Pitman shorthand (phonographic) system;[1] Jacob, a builder and architect who later settled in Australia;[2] and Benjamin, a stenographer, author, artist, and teacher who later lived in the United States.[3]
In the year of Frederick's birth, his father began a cloth-making business. Around 1833, the family moved to Bradford-on-Avon, where they lived in Ringston House, a historic building dating back to the time of Charles II. Frederick spent his early childhood in this setting.[1]
Frederick received his early education from his brother Isaac in Wotton-under-Edge, before attending school in Bradford-on-Avon and later rejoining Isaac in Bath. While in Bath, he was articled to solicitor Mr. Viner, but found the legal profession unappealing. In 1845, he joined the phonographic movement, travelling to Yarmouth, Exeter, and the eastern counties to lecture and teach phonography alongside figures such as Thomas Allen Reed and Joseph Pitman.[1]
Publishing career
[edit]In 1847, Frederick settled in London.[1] Upon reaching the age of majority in 1849, he established his own publishing firm at 20 Paternoster Row, London. There, he became the principal publisher of his brother Isaac's phonographic (shorthand) books and periodicals, working alongside their father, who remained involved in the business during his later years.[4] He partnered with Thomas Allen Reed for seven years under the name Pitman and Reed. After the partnership ended, Frederick continued in publishing while Reed focused on shorthand reporting.[5]
In 1862, Frederick established a music publishing business, focusing primarily on domestic and popular repertoire, including works by composer Michael William Balfe.[6] The venture grew steadily over the years and developed into a large and successful enterprise.[4]
Frederick also published literature related to vegetarianism. He was involved in the publication of The Vegetarian Messenger, the official journal of the Vegetarian Society,[7] and issued works promoting vegetarian principles and lifestyle, including John Smith's Vegetable Cookery[8] and Howard Williams' The Ethics of Diet.[9]
Other activities
[edit]Frederick was elected a member of the Royal Society of Arts in 1861.[10] He served as their first shorthand examiner in 1864.[4] He authored several works on phonographic shorthand and was the editor of magazines including the Shorthand Magazine, which he founded in 1866 and edited until his death, and the Phonographic Lecturer.[1][11] In addition to his publishing work, he was an active advocate for spelling reform.[11] He also worked as a shorthand teacher and reporter in London, later conducting classes at institutions such as the City of London College.[5]
Death
[edit]Pitman died on 21 November 1886 at his residence in Crouch End, London.[1] He was buried at Highgate Cemetery on 25 November.[5]
His company continued to operate under his name until 1900, when it was acquired by Hart & Co., a firm founded in 1881. The combined enterprise, known as Pitman, Hart & Co., remained active until approximately 1960, at which point it was absorbed by J. B. Cramer & Co.[6]
Publications
[edit]Magazines
[edit]- The Shorthand Magazine (1866–1886)
- The Phonographic Student (1867–1876), ten volumes
- The Phonographic Pulpit (1869–1876), seven volumes
- The Phonographic Lecturer (from 1871)[12]
Books
[edit]- Second Book in Phonetic Reading for Adults (1850)
- Pitman's Reporters' Reading Book (1867)
- Learning to Report (1883)
- How to Get Speed in Shorthand (1884)
- Pitman's Shorthand Library: Tom Brown's School Days (1884)[12]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h "Death of Frederick Pitman". Cosmopolitan Shorthand Writer. Vol. 8. Toronto: Bengough Bros. 1887. p. 42.
- ^ a b Muirden, Bruce, "Jacob Pitman (1810–1890)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 18 April 2025
- ^ "Throwback Thursday: Benn Pitman and the Expansion of Phonography in America". Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library. 2 June 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
- ^ a b c Young, Sue. "Isaac Pitman (1813-1897)". Sue Young Histories. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
- ^ a b c "Frederick Pitman". Publishers' Circular and Booksellers' record. Vol. 49. 1886. p. 1474.
- ^ a b "Pitman, Hart". International Music Score Library Project. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
- ^ "The Vegetarian Messenger - Vegan Literary Studies: An American Textual History, 1776-1900". UNIGE. 20 December 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
- ^ Smith, John (1866). Vegetable Cookery: Including a Complete Set of Recipes for Pastry, Preserving, Pickling, the Preparation of Sauces, Soups, Beverages, Etc., Etc. Frederick Pitman.
- ^ "History of Vegetarianism - The Ethics of Diet". International Vegetarian Union. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
- ^ "Death of Frederick Pitman". American Gas Light Journal. 45 (660): 367. 16 December 1886 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ a b "Pitman Collection" (PDF). The Library. University of Bath. 2023. p. 43. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
- ^ a b Boase, Frederic (1897). "Pitman, Frederick". Modern English Biography: Containing Many Thousand Concise Memiors of Persons who Have Died Since the Year 1850, with an Index of the Most Interesting Matter. Netherton and Worth. p. 1548.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
- 1828 births
- 1886 deaths
- 19th-century British publishers (people)
- 19th-century English writers
- 19th-century English male writers
- 19th-century English non-fiction writers
- British magazine founders
- Burials at Highgate Cemetery
- English-language spelling reform advocates
- English male non-fiction writers
- English music publishers (people)
- Publishers (people) from London
- People from Trowbridge
- Writers from London
- Writers from Wiltshire
- English magazine editors
- 19th-century English educators