WILLIAM

See also:

• WILLIAM JERDAN (1782-186g)

JERDAN (1782-186g)  , Scottish journalist, was horn on the 16th of April 1782, at Kelso, Scotland . During the years between 1799 and 18o6 he spent short periods in a country lawyer's office, a London West India merchant's counting-house, an Edinburgh solicitor's chambers,and held the position of surgeon's mate on board H.M. guardship "Gladiator" in Ports-mouth Harbour, under his uncle, who was surgeon . He went to London in ,8o6, and became a newspaper reporter . He was in the lobby of the House of Commons on the 11th of May 1812 when Spencer Perceval was shot, and was the first to seize the assassin . By 1812 he had become editor of The Sun, a semi-official Tory paper; he occasionally inserted literary articles, then quite an unusual proceeding; but a quarrel with the chief proprietor brought that engagement to a close in 1817 . He passed next to the editor's chair of the Literary Gazette, which he conducted with success for thirty-four years . Jerdan's position as editor brought him into contact with many distinguished writers . An account of his friends, among whom Canning was a special intimate, is to be found in his Men I have Known (1866) . When Jerdan retired in 1850 from the editorship of the Literary Gazette his pecuniary affairs were far from satisfactory . A testimonial of over 90o was subscribed by his friends; and in 18J3 a government pension of too guineas was conferred on him by Lord Aberdeen . He published his Autobiography in 1852-18J3, and died on the 11th of July 1869 .