John Weale (1791 – 18 December 1862, in Maida Vale) was an English publisher of popular scientific, architectural, engineering and educational works.

Life He first began publishing with George Priestley in St Giles, London who died around 1812, and worked then with Priestley's widow. He took a particular interest in the study of architecture. In 1823 he issued a bibliographical Catalogue of Works on Architecture and the Fine Arts, of which a new edition appeared in 1854. He bought the architectural publishing business at 59 High Holborn built up by Isaac Taylor and his son Josiah Taylor as The Architectural Library, after Josiah's death in 1834.

He followed the Catalogue in 1849–50 with a Rudimentary Dictionary of Terms used in Architecture, Building, and Engineering, a work which reached a fifth edition in 1876.

Weale died in London on 18 December 1862.

Publications Books Among other books issued by Weale were the following:

Steam Navigation, Tredgold on the Steam Engine, Appendix A, edited and published by John Weale, London, 1839 A Series of Examples in Architectural Engineering and Mechanical Drawing, London, 1841; supplemental Description, London, 1842. Designs of Ornamental Gates, Lodges, Palisading, and Ironwork of the Royal Parks adjoining the Metropolis, edited by John Weale’ London, 1841. The Theory, Practice, and Architecture of Bridges of Stone, Iron, Timber, and Wire, edited by John Weale, London, 1843, 2 vols.; a supplemental volume, edited by George Rowdon Burnell and William Tierney Clark, appeared in 1853. Divers Works of Early Masters in Christian Decoration, London, 1846, 2 vols. The Great Britain Atlantic Steam Ship, London, 1847. Letter to Lord John Russell on the Defence of the Country, London, 1847. Joseph Glynn, On the Construction of Cranes, and Machinery for Raising Heavy Bodies, London, 1849 Edmund Beckett Denison, Clock and Watch Making, London, 1850 Alan Stevenson, On the History, Construction, and Illumination of Lighthouses, London, 1850 London Exhibited in 1851, London, 1851; 2nd edit., 1852. Joseph Glynn, On the Power of Water, as Applied to Drive Flour Mills, and to Give Motion to Turbines and other Hydrostatic Engines Designs and Examples of Cottages, Villas, and Country Houses, London, 1857. Examples for Builders, Carpenters, and Joiners, London, 1857. Old English and French Ornaments, Comprising 244 Designs. Collected by John Weale, London, 1858 John George Swindell, Rudimentary Treatise on Well-Digging, Boring, and Pump-Work, London, 1861 Thomas Roger Smith, Acoustics, London, 1861Dictionary of National Biography, Smith, Thomas Roger (1830–1903), architect, by Paul Waterhouse. Published 1912. William Snow Harris, On Galvanism, London, 1869

Serial publications Wealed edited: Weale's Quarterly Papers on Architecture, London, 1843–5, 4 vols. Weale's Quarterly Papers on Engineering, London, 1843–6, 6 vols.

Book series Weale's Classical SeriesPublisher's advertisement in: Robert Kipping, Rudimentary Treatise on Masting, Mastmaking and Rigging of Ship, London, John Weale, 1861, p. 10. Weale's Educational SeriesPublisher's advertisement in: Robert Kipping, Rudimentary Treatise on Masting, Mastmaking and Rigging of Ship, London, John Weale, 1861, p. 12. Weale's Rudimentary Series Weale's Scientific & Technical SeriesWeale's Scientific & Technical Series (Crosby, Lockwood and Son), publishinghistory.com. Retrieved 4 December 2025.

Weale's Rudimentary Series Weale was on good terms with many men of science, and published cheap literature for technical education. His Rudimentary Series (over 130 works, usually selling at one shilling) and other educational series comprised standard works, both in classics and science. They were suggested initially by William Reid, and were continued after his death, first by Virtue Brothers (James Sprent Virtue) and by Crosby Lockwood and Son. The Rudimentary Series was later followed by the Weale's Scientific & Technical Series (1881-1923), published by Crosby, Lockwood and Son.Weale's Scientific & Technical Series (Crosby, Lockwood and Son - Book Series List, publishinghistory.com. Retrieved 28 October 2021.

Source: Lists at end of the publications. The series was later taken on by the publisher Crosby Lockwood, who added volumes while retaining the system of reference numbers (across editions). Series numberFirst publishedAuthorTitleComments11849?George FownesRudimentary ChemistryWorldCat editionsarchive.org Read Online (1853).21848Charles TomlinsonIntroduction to the Study of Natural PhilosophyWorldCat editions31849Joseph Ellison PortlockRudimentary GeologyWorldCat editions There was an 1871 rewrite as Rudimentary Treatise on Geology by Ralph Tate: WorldCat editions4, 51848Delvalle VarleyRudimentary MineralogyWorldCat editionsLater editions with James Dwight Dana, as Rudimentary Treatise on Mineralogy. Delvalle Varley was the second wife of John Varley, and daughter of Wilson Lowry; her mother Rebekah Eliza Delvalle was a mineralogist.61849Charles TomlinsonRudimentary MechanicsWorldCat editionsarchive.org Read Online71848William Snow HarrisRudimentary ElectricityWorldCat editionsGoogle Books, 1851 edition8, 9, 101850William Snow HarrisRudimentary MagnetismWorldCat editions111852Edward HightonThe Electric Telegraph: its history and progressEdward Highton was the brother of Henry Highton, and they both experimented with electricity, taking a particular interest in telegraphy. WorldCat editionsarchive.org12TomlinsonPneumatics13, 14, 15, 15*1848Henry LawRudiments of Civil EngineeringHenry Law (1824–1900) was a civil engineer, a pupil of Brunel much involved in the Thames Tunnel.WorldCat editionsarchive.org Read Online, 1852 edition161852William Henry LeedsRudimentary Architecture (Orders)Internet Archive171849Thomas Talbot BuryRudimentary Architecture (Styles)WorldCat editionsInternet Archive (2nd edition)18, 19Edward Lacy GarbettArchitecture (Principles of Design)Garbett (died 1900) was son of the architect Edward William Garbett.20, 21G. PynePerspective22Edward DobsonArt of Building Dobson emigrated to New Zealand where he had a successful career as an engineer.23, 24Edward DobsonArt of Tile-making, Brick-making25, 26Edward DobsonMasonry and Stone-cutting27, 28George FieldArt of Painting29G. R. DempseyArt of Draining Lands30DempseyArt of Draining and Sewage of Towns and Buildings31BurnellArt of Well-sinking and Boring32J. F. HeatherArt of the Use of Instruments331853Samuel HughesA treatise on gas worksSamuel Hughes (c. 1816–1870), son of the engineer Thomas Hughes,A. W. Skempton, A biographical dictionary of civil engineers in Great Britain and Ireland, p. 378 was a civil engineer and Fellow of the Geological Society.'Obituary - Samuel Hughes', Geological Magazine, vol. 9 (1872)WorldCat edition45G. R. BurnellLimes, cements, mortars, concretes, mastics, plastering etc.George Rowdon Burnell (1814–1868) was a writer on architecture and engineering, "one of the very few who have united a Fellowship of the Royal Institution of British Architects with a Membership of the Institution of Civil Engineers".Minutes of the Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Volume 31 (1871), pp. 211 –212 WorldCat edition611850Thomas BakerRudimentary treatise on mensuration63-651852-53G. H. AndrewsRudimentary treatise on agricultural engineeringGeorge Henry Andrews (1816–1898), though trained as an engineer, was better known as a marine watercolorist.Martin Hardie & Dudley Snelgrove, eds., Water-colour Painting in Britain: The Victorian period, 1966, p. 80 WorldCat edition661852John DonaldsonRudimentary treatise on clay lands and loamy soilsJohn Donaldson (1799–1876) described himself as a 'Professor of Botany'.ODNB He taught at the Agricultural Training College at Hoddesdon, established in the 1840s under the headmastership of William Haselwood. WorldCat edition69-70Charles Child SpencerA rudimentary and practical treatise on musicCharles Child Spencer (1797–1869) was an organist and choirmaster of St. James's Chapel, Clapton, London.Jamie Croy Kassler, The science of music in Britain, 1714–1830: a catalogue of writings, lectures, and inventions, Volume 2, 1979, p, 961 WorldCat edition80Robert MurrayRudimentary treatise on marine engines and steam vesselsWorldCat edition831853Editor Charles Tomlinson, materials by Alfred Charles Hobbs, compiler by George DoddRudimentary Treatise on the Construction of Locks911867James HannElements Of Plane Trigonometry99–100John Radford YoungTables intended to facilitate the operations of navigation and nautical astronomyJohn Radford Young (1799–1885) was professor of mathematics at Belfast College from 1833 to 1849.Norman St. John Stevas, ed., The Collected Works of Walter Bagehot: Letters, Harvard University Press, 1986, p. WorldCat edition1011852W. S. B. WoolhouseThe elements of differential calculusWorldCat edition1021852Homersham CoxThe integral calculusAt archive.org1852Robert MainRudimentary Astronomy132S. H. BrooksErection of Dwelling-housesWorldCat edition

Steam Navigation

One of John Weale's earliest books published was Steam Navigation, Tredgold on the Steam Engine Appendix A which was edited and published under direction from Thomas Tredgold himself. Steam Navigation, Tredgold on the Steam Engine, Appendix A was printed by W. Hughes, King’s Head Court, Gough Square.

Its cover price in August 1839 was twelve shillings.

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