Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Caslon, William (1720-1778)
CASLON, WILLIAM, the younger (1720–1778), type-founder, eldest son of the preceding, by his first wife, became a partner with his father about 1742, and succeeded him at his death in 1766. He had not the remarkable ability of the elder Caslon, but he was able to maintain the reputation of the house against Baskerville, Jackson, Cotterell, and others. The universities and the London trade still gave the preference to the Caslon founts, which combined the clearness of Elzevir with all the elegance of Plantin, and Baskerville's successors were less regarded. Caslon married Elizabeth, only daughter of Dr. Cartlich of Basinghall Street, with a fortune of 10,000l. His wife assisted in the management of the great letter-foundry up to the death of her husband, which took place in 1778. The property was equally divided between his widow and his two sons, William and Henry, who eventually became the heads of distinct families and chiefs of two separate firms of type-founders. William Caslon (third of the name) sold his share to his mother (d. 24 Oct. 1795) and sister-in-law, the widow of Henry Caslon. He set up a separate business, which in 1819 was moved to Sheffield, where the firm still exists as Stephenson, Blake, & Co. The other firm was represented by Henry William Caslon, last of the name, who died 14 July 1874, and the business is still carried on as A. W. Caslon & Co.
[The Caslon Specimen Books; Rowe Mores's English Letter-founders, pp. 63, 97; Hansard's Typographia, 1st edit. p. 368; Nichols's Lit. Anecd. ii. 355; Nichols's Illustrations, ii. 337, iv. 173, 231, viii. 447, 474, 521; Hawkins's History of Music, v. 127; Dibdin's Decameron, ii. 379; West's Views of Shropshire, p. 121; Bigelow's Bibliog. of Printing, i. 103–6; Universal Magazine, November 1750; Gent. Mag. xxi. 284, xxxvi. 47, xlix. 271, lv. 329, lvii., 1129, lxx. 796, lxxix. 579, 589, lxxxvi. i. 377, lxxxviii. i. 587, xxxiv. new ser. 96; Ann. Reg. 1850, p. 232; Works and Life of Franklin, 1812, i. 72; Lemoine's Typographical Antiquities, p. 79; Timperley's History of Printing, pp. 683, 714, 744, 749, 806, 834, 942; Printing Times and Lithographer, October 1874; documents of the Chiswell Street firm and family papers.]