James Lackington (1746-1815) was a London bookseller who is credited with revolutionizing the British book trade. A shoemaker's son, Lackington taught himself to read and eventually became a wealthy man. He is best known for refusing credit at his shop--no exceptions--and by instead receiving cash in return for every item was able to reduce the price of books throughout his store. He also saved remaindered books from destruction and resold them at bargain prices, firmly believing that books were the key to knowledge, reason and happiness and that everyone, no matter their economic background or class/gender, had the right to access books at cheap prices.

Lackington wrote two autobiographies: Memoirs of the Forty-Five First Years of the Life of James Lackington (1794) and The Confessions of James Lackington. He considered himself to have been blessed with two happy marriages, the first to Nancy, who died of fever, then Dorcas.

Lackington's main bookstore in Finsbury Square was called "The Temple of the Muses" and was said to have been large enough "that a mail-coach and four were driven round the counters at its opening" in 1793. ~ Wikipedia.