James Thin

The former premises of James Thin, now Blackwells Bookshop, South Bridge Edinburgh

The grave of James Thin, Grange Cemetery

James Thin (1824–1915) was a Scottish bookseller, stationer and founder of a publishing company.

Life

James Thin was born in 1824 the son of George Thin. His family moved to Edinburgh in 1840 where his father became a victual and spirit dealer at 4 Castle Barns.^[1]

In 1838 he was apprenticed to James Macintosh a bookseller at 5 North College Street.^[2] The street was later redeveloped and renamed Chambers Street.^[3]

In 1848 he took over the assets of an earlier bookseller on Infirmary Street^[4] later expanding into the adjacent property on South Bridge. His father at this stage had moved to larger premises at 20 Lauriston Street.

The business grew and expanded, and brought James Thin a significant role in Edinburgh intellectual society. The author Muriel Spark wrote all her novels on 72-page notebooks from James Thin.^[5]

In 1870, James Thin purchased a plot of land in Stow of Wedale in the Scottish Borders and had a house built which was completed in 1873. The house was named Ashlea, and is still a private residence but is no longer owned by the Thin family.

He died at 22 Lauder Road in the Grange, Edinburgh. He is buried with his family in the main south-east section of Grange Cemetery towards the west side.^[6]

Family

In 1849 he married Catherine Traquair (1822-1879). They had seven sons of whom James Hay Thin (1853-1943) took over most of the family business. His youngest son Robert Thin (1861-1941) served as President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh from 1931 to 1933.

Following his wife's death he married Elizabeth Darling (1834-1905).

His great grandchildren included Dr Robert Nicol Traquair Thin FRCPE OBE (1935-2010).^[7]

The Firm after James' Death

The firm developed branches in George Street, The Gyle, Waverley Centre, Buccleuch Street and Edinburgh University’s King’s Buildings, Heriot-Watt University, Napier University, and Queen Margaret University, as well as the St. Andrews University Students’ Association, Crichton College in Dumfries and University of Huddersfield, and also school bookshops at Fettes College, Merchiston Castle School and Edinburgh Academy.

It was, until 2002, the principal academic bookshop in Edinburgh, with its main premises near the University of Edinburgh on Infirmary Street. It also had branches in other cities, including Perth, Dundee, and Inverness.

In January 2002 the business went into administration. The company’s general bookstores were sold in March 2002 to another chain, Ottakar’s. In April 2002 the publishing division Mercat Press was bought out by its management, and the rest of the business sold to Blackwell’s of Oxford, who now operate the former flagship branch on Edinburgh’s South Bridge.

The accounts, administrative and staff records of the firm are deposited in the National Library of Scotland (Acc. 12384).^[8]

References