John Baxter

Who was John Baxter?

John Baxter, was an English printer and publisher.

Baxter was born at Rickhurst, Surrey, 20 October 1781. Early in life he settled in Lewes as a bookseller and printer. Among the earliest of Baxter's enterprises was the publication of a large quarto Bible, annotated by the Rev. John Styles, D.D., and illustrated with wood engravings.

This work, known as Baxter's Bible, met with an immense sale, especially in America. His other publications include several important works on the topography of Sussex, and ‘The Library of Agricultural Knowledge’ Along with his youngest son, W. E. Baxter, he started the ‘Sussex Agricultural Express.’ He was an enthusiastic cricketer, and the joint, if not the sole, author of the book of rules for that sport, the first ever published, named ‘Lambert's Cricketer's Guide,’ after the celebrated professional cricketer William Lambert of that name. He died 12 November 1858. Baxter's second son, George Baxter, was the inventor of the process of printing in oil colours.