HANSARD, Luke (1752-1828), English printer, whose mm3 is familiar in connexion with the parliamentary reports, was born July 5, 1752, in St Mary’s parish, Norwich. Reverses in business compelled his father, a manufacturer there, to apprentice him to Mr Stephen White, printer. Immediately on the expiry of his apprenticeship Hansard started for London with only a guinea in his pocket, and obtained there in 1772 a situation as compositor in the office of Mr Hughs, printer to the House of Commons. There his ability and energy commended him so well to his master that in two years’ time he was made a partner, and undertook almost the entire conduct of the business, which in 1800 was resigned completely into his hands, through the retirement of Mr Hughs. Among those whose acquaintance Hansard made in the exercise of his profession and retained by his amiable private qualities, were Orme, Burke, and Dr Johnson; while Pυrson eulogized him as the most accurate printer of Greek. The promptitude and accuracy with which Hansard printed parliamentary papers were often of the greatest service to Government,—notably on one occasion when the proof-sheets of the report of the Secret Committee on the French Revolution were submitted to Pitt twenty-four hours after the draft had left his hands. On the union with Ireland in 1801, the increase of parliamentary printing was so great that Hansard was forced to give up all private printing except when parliament was not sitting. He devised numerous expedients for reducing the expense of publishing the reports; and in 1805, when his workmen struck at a time of great pressure, he and his sons did not scruple themselves to work as compositors, and to instruct the new hands they had procured. Shortly after printing the report of the session ...