chapman David Steel (1733-1799), Nautical Bookseller

David Steel (1733-1799), Nautical Bookseller.

David Steel v. J.H. Moore, 5 March 1789

On Wednesday last a cause was tried, before Lord Kenyon and a special Jury of the London Merchants, between Mr David Steel, Bookseller, of Union-row, Tower-hill, Plaintiff, and Mr John Hamilton Moore, teacher of Navigation, on Tower-hill, Defendant. — The action was to recover £3000 damages, alledged by the Plaintiff to have been sustained by him on account of the Defendant having published "A Chart of the East Coast of England, including the Navigation from the South Foreland to Flamborough Head", from the "latest Observation and Surveys", which Mr Steel contended to have been pirated from two charts of his, published by him in 1782, drawn by John Chandler; when it appeared by the evidence of Mr John Stevenson, and Mr Porteous, pilot to the squadron in the North Sea, during the last war, that there are a great many very material errors in Mr Steel's Charts, which are corrected in Mr Moore's. — Mr Stevenson pointed out one hundred and six places, in which Mr Moore's differed materially from Mr Steel's, besides many others of less note. — The Jury were prepared to give a verdict in favour of Mr Moore, but were prevented by Mr Steel's Counsel submitting to a nonsuit, which subjects Mr Steel to pay Mr Moore his costs of suit. — Lord Kenyon declared he heartily concurred with the Jury, and expressed his indignation that such erroneous charts as Mr Steel's should be published. Mr Moore was prepared, had it been necessary, with three other masters of the Royal yachts, besides many experienced navigators, to prove the correctness of his Chart, and the erroneousness of Mr. Steel's.

The Sunday Gazette, 8 March, 1789.

Transcribed by Lars Bruzelius

The Maritime History Virtual Archives.