George Newnes

Sir George Newnes, 1st Baronet (13 March 1851 – 9 June 1910) was an English publisher and editor. His company George Newnes Ltd continued publishing long after his death.

Background and education

His father, Thomas Mold Newnes, was a Congregational church minister at the Glenorchy Chapel, Matlock. George Newnes was born in Matlock Bath, Derbyshire, and educated at Silcoates School and then at Shireland Hall, Warwickshire, and the City of London School. In 1875 he married Priscilla Hillyard.

Career

In 1867 he entered commerce in the "fancy goods" trade, working in London and Manchester.

He began his career in publishing in 1881 when he founded Tit-Bits. The magazine was initially published in Manchester, containing extracts from books and other publications. He funded the magazine by opening a vegetarian restaurant in Manchester. The addition of competitions increased the readership of the periodical, and in 1884 Newnes moved publication to London. He began to work with W T Stead, with whom he founded the Review of Reviews in 1890.Tit-Bits reached a circulation of 700,000 by the end of the 19th century. It paved the way for popular journalism — the Daily Mail was founded by Alfred Harmsworth, a contributor to Tit-Bits, and the Daily Express was launched by Arthur Pearson, who worked at Tit'Bits for five years after winning a competition to get a job on the magazine.