William Blackwood

1776-1834

Opened a shop in South Bridge Street in 1804 for the sale of old, rare and curious books. On 1 April 1817 the first number of the Edinburgh Monthly Magazine was published, which on its seventh number became Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine. "Maga," as this magazine soon came to be called, was the organ of the Scottish Tory party, and round it gathered a host of writers.