After some tortuous ferretting I've managed to assemble some sort of life-history for William Oxlade, one-time printer in Portsea (Hants.) The result is uneven and even dubious in parts - and I'm only giving an outline here (I know that he married and had children). As far as I can tell WO was born in 1738 in Chatham and died in Gravesend (parish of St. George) in 1829 - obviously at a very advanced age.
His early career seems to have been in the St. Luke, Old Street area of London - during the 1770s. I don't yet know when he moved to Portsea though I suspect that it was around the turn of the century. A son, John, was involved with the London Corresponding Society and would seem to have served a prison sentence around 1799-1800. Might this have precipitated WO's move from London?
I know that WO was printing in Portsea around 1815...But when he did he leave for Gravesend (if, indeed, it is he!)?
If anybody can confirm that this is my man and that the brief details as I've noted them are correct I'd be grateful...and even more happy if anybody can add to the life-history. Obviously, I'm still on the trail.
roly
