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William CreechFRSE (12 May 1745 – 14 January 1815[1]) was a Scottish publisher, printer, bookseller and politician. For 40 years Creech was the chief publisher inEdinburgh. He published the first Edinburgh edition ofRobert Burns' poems, and Sir John Sinclair's influential "Statistical Accounts of Scotland". In publishing Creech often went under the pseudonym ofTheophrastus.[2]
Creer was the son of Mary Buley and Rev William Creech, a minister inNewbattle,Midlothian. His father died when he was four months old and he then spent time with his mother in both Perth and Dalkeith.[3] He was educated atDalkeith Grammar School then studied medicine at theUniversity of Edinburgh.
From 1766 to 1768 he travelled withWilliam Strahan andThomas Cadell toLondon,France and theNetherlands. After period of time back inEdinburgh he went on aGrand Tour in 1770 withLord Kilmaurs, visiting France,Germany,Switzerland and the Netherlands.[4]
His mother struck up a friendship withAlexander Kincaid and thereafter he trained as an apprentice printer in the firm of Kincaid & Bell. In 1771 he went into partnership with his former master (and erstwhile stepfather),Alexander Kincaid. Kincaid was a publisher (and laterLord Provost of Edinburgh) who had purchasedAllan Ramsay's bookshop in theLuckenbooths next toSt. Giles Cathedral. In 1773 Kincaid gave Creech the bookshop to concentrate on the printing side of his work. The building soon thereafter became known as "Creech's Land", Creech staying here for 44 years. Burn's poems were published from this building.[5]
He was elected a Fellow of theRoyal Society of Edinburgh in 1784 (in the first intake of members following its foundation in 1783). His proposers wereAndrew Dalzell,James Gregory andAlexander Fraser Tytler. In 1786 he was a founder member of the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce.[6]
In 1786, John 15thLord Glencairn introduced Creech toRobert Burns an important alliance was created, leading to Creech printing and selling the famousEdinburgh Editions of Burns' poems in 1787, 1793 and 1794. Creech is one of a small and elite group to have had two poems written about him byRobert Burns:Lament for the Absence of William Creech (usually called "Willie's Awa'"), marking Creech's absence from Edinburgh to visit London: andOn William Creech, a short, sharp poem following an argument.[7]
In 1788, he was a member of the jury in DeaconWilliam Brodie's trial for robbery. Within days, his account of the trial and execution was for sale in his High Street bookshop.
Serving as a Councillor from 1780 and Bailie from 1807, he served as Edinburgh'sLord Provost from 1811 to 1813.
He lived at the head of Craigs Close on theRoyal Mile until around 1800.[8] The house was formerly the property of the printerAndro Hart.[9] He then moved to 5 George Street in thenew Town for his final years.[10]
Creech's land (his shop) was demolished in 1817 to allow vehicles to pass on the north side ofSt Giles Cathedral.
He died at home in Edinburgh and is buried in the western extension ofGreyfriars Kirkyard. A plaque to his, and his father's, memory is atNewbattle Kirk.
Creech did not marry and had no children.[11]
Creech occasionally wrote the books which he published. The most notable are:
Due to Creech's position and standing he held a unique and pivotal role within theScottish Enlightenment and had both business relationships and friendships with many of the Edinburgh literati.
His most notable relationships include:Robert Burns, whom he published (their relationship, however, was eventually spoiled due to a misunderstanding about Publishing royalties),[12]Lord Kames,Hugh Blair,James Beattie andDugald Stewart.
{{cite book}}:|website= ignored (help)This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Wood, James, ed. (1907).The Nuttall Encyclopædia. London and New York: Frederick Warne.{{cite encyclopedia}}:Missing or empty|title= (help)
