18 Facts About Robert Harrild

Robert Harrild, born in Bermondsey, London, England, was the second son of Robert Harrild of Surrey and his wife Sarah Johnson.

In 1801, at the age of 21, Robert Harrild set up in partnership with Edward Billing at the Bluecoat-Boy Printing Office, Russell Street, Bermondsey.

In 1807, Robert Harrild branched off on his own to premises at 127 Bermondsey Street.

In 1809, Robert Harrild started up in business making printers' materials and working as a printers engineer.

Robert Harrild is noted for having improved the process by introducing 'composition rollers' which sped up printing and became an indispensable innovation.

At first this change was met with opposition from the workforce, and Robert Harrild had to bring all his tact and energy to the situation to persuade people that it was in their interests to work with the new rollers.

Robert Harrild continued to make both balls and rollers for inking after 1810, but his new rollers vastly increased the production of newspapers, whereas the old ball method of inking limited printing to between 150 and 200 copies per hour.

Robert Harrild introduced the rollers for inking at his London factories in Farringdon Road; as printers and compositors from all over England visited to see the invention, his new method quickly became known and adopted throughout the industry.

Robert Harrild himself came to be considered one of the heads of the printing trade, and gained esteem in part due to his energetic character and philanthropic work.

Around 1819, Robert Harrild moved the business to 20 Great Eastcheap, London.

Robert Harrild specialized at this time in printing books for children.

In 1824, Robert Harrild moved the business again, this time to 25 Friday Street and 3 years later took over 10 and 11 Distaff Lane.

Robert Harrild was responsible for preserving the Benjamin Franklin printing press.

Robert Harrild exhibited the machine in public, sending the money raised by the exhibition to the London Printers' Pension Society.

Robert Harrild made his home at Sydenham and for many years he was a parish guardian, having been one of the first to be appointed after the passing of the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834.

Robert Harrild had been instrumental in developing much of the new housing on Sydenham Common and he had built 'Round Hill' as the family home.

Robert Harrild purchased the spire removed in 1829 from St Antholin, Budge Row church in the City and had it erected at Round Hill.

Robert Harrild's will excluded all but a minor provision for Henry.