Frederick Pitman (publisher)

Not to be confused with the rowers Frederick I. Pitman and Frederick Pitman.
Frederick Pitman
Pitman in his later years
Born(1828-05-09)9 May 1828
Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England
Died21 November 1886(1886-11-21) (aged 58)
Crouch End, London, England
Resting placeHighgate Cemetery
Occupations
  • Publisher
  • writer
  • educator
Years active1847–1886
Relatives

Frederick Pitman (9 May 1828 – 21 November 1886) was an English publisher, writer, and educator. A younger brother of Isaac Pitman, the inventor of Pitman shorthand, he was a prominent figure in the dissemination of shorthand literature and education in the mid-19th century. He established a publishing firm in London that became the principal outlet for his brother's shorthand works and related periodicals. In 1862, he founded a music publishing business that specialised in domestic and popular compositions, including works by Michael William Balfe. Pitman published vegetarian literature, and edited several journals devoted to shorthand. He was a member of the Royal Society of Arts, serving as its first shorthand examiner, and was active in the cause of spelling reform.

Biography

Early life and education

Frederick Pitman was born on 9 May 1828 in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, the youngest of eleven children (seven sons and four daughters) of Maria (née Davis) and Samuel Pitman, a long-serving clerk and overseer at James Edgell's cloth factory.[1][2]

His brothers included Isaac, the creator of Pitman shorthand;[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 building dating from the reign of Charles II. Frederick spent his early childhood there.[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 a solicitor, Mr Viner, but found the legal profession unappealing. In 1845, he joined the shorthand movement, travelling to Yarmouth, Exeter, and the eastern counties to lecture and teach shorthand alongside figures such as Thomas Allen Reed and Joseph Pitman.[1]

Publishing career

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 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 Michael William Balfe.[6] The venture grew steadily and developed into a large and successful enterprise.[4] Pitman's 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]

Frederick also published vegetarian literature. He was involved in the publication of The Vegetarian Messenger, the official journal of the Vegetarian Society,[7] and issued works including John Smith's Vegetable Cookery (1866) and Howard Williams' The Ethics of Diet (1883).[8][9] He published a new edition of A Vindication of Natural Diet by Percy Bysshe Shelley in 1884.[10]

Other activities

Frederick was elected a member of the Royal Society of Arts in 1861.[11] He served as their first shorthand examiner in 1864.[4]

He authored several works on shorthand and edited magazines including the Shorthand Magazine, which he founded in 1866 and edited until his death, and the Phonographic Lecturer.[1][12]

In addition to his publishing work, he was an advocate for spelling reform.[12] He also worked as a shorthand teacher and reporter in London, later conducting classes at institutions including the City of London College.[5]

Death

Frederick died on 21 November 1886, aged 58, at his residence in Crouch End, London.[1] He was buried at Highgate Cemetery on 25 November.[5]

Publications

Magazines

  • The Shorthand Magazine (1866–1886)
  • The Phonographic Student (1867–1876)
  • The Phonographic Pulpit (1869–1876)
  • The Phonographic Lecturer (from 1871)[13]

Books

  • 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)[13]
  • A Vindication of Natural Diet by Percy Bysshe Shelley. A New Edition (1884)

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Death of Frederick Pitman". Cosmopolitan Shorthand Writer. Vol. 8. Toronto: Bengough Bros. 1887. p. 42 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ a b Muirden, Bruce (1974). "Jacob Pitman (1810–1890)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 5. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 24 January 2026.
  3. ^ "Throwback Thursday: Benn Pitman and the Expansion of Phonography in America". Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library. 2 June 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
  4. ^ a b c Young, Sue (4 October 2012). "Isaac Pitman (1813-1897)". Sue Young Histories. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
  5. ^ a b c "Frederick Pitman". Publishers' Circular and Booksellers' record. Vol. 49. 1886. pp. 1474–1475 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ a b "Pitman, Hart". International Music Score Library Project. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
  7. ^ "The Vegetarian Messenger". Vegan Literary Studies: An American Textual History, 1776-1900. University of Geneva. 20 December 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
  8. ^ Smith, John (1866). Vegetable Cookery: Including a Complete Set of Recipes for Pastry, Preserving, Pickling, the Preparation of Sauces, Soups, Beverages, Etc., Etc. London: Frederick Pitman.
  9. ^ "The Ethics of Diet - A Catena". International Vegetarian Union. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
  10. ^ "A Vindication of Natural Diet". Henry S. Salt Society. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  11. ^ "Death of Frederick Pitman". American Gas Light Journal. 45 (660): 367. 16 December 1886 – via Internet Archive.
  12. ^ a b "Pitman Collection" (PDF). The Library. University of Bath. 2023. p. 42. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
  13. ^ 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. Truro: Netherton and Worth. p. 1548.

Further reading

  • Media related to Frederick Pitman at Wikimedia Commons
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