His name is known around the world

September 23, 2003

HANSARD ROAD (Mile Cross Road)

THIS is the story of the boy from Norwich who borrowed a guinea, went off to seek fame and fortune in London . . . and gave a new word to the English language.

Hansard — the official report of Parliamentary proceedings.

Luke Hansard (right) was the founder of the family whose name is now known all over the world. He was born on July 5, 1752, in the parish of St Mary, Norwich.

His father, Thomas, was a merchant and his mother, the daughter of a Lincolnshire vicar, sent him to the grammar school at Boston to be educated.

After schooling, Luke returned to Norwich and was apprenticed to Stephen White, a printer, in Cockey Lane. A quick learner, Luke soon rose through the ranks and was often left in charge of the works when the boss was away. Norwich has always had a strong printing tradition — it was a good place to learn the trade from skilled craftsmen.

And Stephen White ran a flourishing business. He was also a medicine vendor, painter, boat-builder and general artist and operated from the Bible and Crown in Magdalen Street.

Luke left home and lived in his master’s house. Sleeping in the press room, he was devoted to White.

Much later in life, Luke wrote about White, saying he was rarely in the office: “In a short time I became expert: I was proud in being compositor and pressman, corrector and manager, copperplate printer and shopman, book-keeper and accountant to this chequered business.”

But the young Luke needed to earn more money to help out his father who was not the most successful cloth merchant in the city.
So he borrowed a guinea and set off to walk to London where he found both fame and fortune.

As a Norwich-trained printer, Luke found little difficulty in getting work and fate led him to the office of John Hughs, printer to the House of Commons. He was taken on as a compositor and his competence soon brought him to the notice of great figures in the literacy world. They all wanted Luke to print their work, including the likes of Dr Johnson.

Within two years, he had become a partner in the business, and by 1800 the firm was completely in his hands. Luke worked non-stop printing the journals and reports of the House of Commons.

It is Hansard’s claim to fame that he not only accelerated the work, but also raised the standard of accuracy. He was known by all as Hansard the Printer . . . and reports say he never lost his Norwich burr. And whenever he did manage to take a few days off work, he usually headed home to “beautiful Norwich, my home.”

Eventually, his two younger sons carried on the Government work and it was his eldest boy, Thomas Curson Hansard, known as TC, who decided the family name should be used on the reports.

That name was to become one of Britain’s lesser known, but enduring exports. In Canada and Australia, Hansard became the recognised name of parliamentary reports as they followed the Westminster way.

Luke died in 1828 — a wealthy and respected craftsman. One thing is for sure, his name will never be forgotten.

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