Blackie, John (1782–1874)

Scottish publisher. He established the Glasgow publishing business of Blackie and Son Ltd in 1831. From 1870 its main output has been in educational publishing.

Blackie was born in Glasgow, where, at the age of 12, he was apprenticed to a weaver. He left weaving in 1805 to work for the publishers W D and A Brownlie and, on their retirement in 1807, he acquired the business, forming a partnership in 1809, which in 1831 became Blackie and Son Ltd. Initially the firm was prominent in the subscription trade.