Thomas de la Rue
Thomas de la Rue (24 March 1793 – 7 June 1866) was a printer from Guernsey who, from modest beginnings, founded De La Rue plc, a printing company which is now the world's largest commercial security printer and papermaker.
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[edit] Biography
Born in La Forêt in Guernsey, Thomas de la Rue was apprenticed to a master-printer at St Peter Port in 1803.[1]
He went into business with Tom Greenslade and together they launched the newspaper, Le Publiciste. Shortly thereafter Thomas de la Rue launched his own publication, Le Miroir politique.[1]
In 1816 he left Guernsey for London where he initially established a business making straw hats.[1] Then in 1830 together with Samuel Cornish and William Rock he founded a business of cardmakers, hot pressers and enamellers.[1] De la Rue was the first company who began printing of playing cards, and it received the right to do that in 1831; 1832 was the year when the first deck of cards had been printed out by this company. Soon afterwards, Thomas hired Owen Jones, a well-known designer and architect of that time.[2] By 1837 his wife, both his sons and his eldest daughter were involved in the business.[1] In 1855 Thomas was made a Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur.[1] In 1858 he retired from De La Rue handing over the management of the business to his sons William Frederick and Warren.[1]
Thomas de la Rue died in London in 1866.[1]
[edit] Family
He married Jane Warren in 1814.[1]
[edit] Memorials to his life
The Guernsey Post Office has issued two sets of postage stamps commemorating his life and achievements, in 1971 and 1993.
There is a pub in the Pollet, St Peter Port, Guernsey named after him.
[edit] References
[edit] Further reading
- Houseman, Lorna, The House That Thomas Built: the Story of De La Rue, Chatto & Windus (1968) ISBN 070111343X
- Marr, L. James, Guernsey People, Phillimore (1984) ISBN 0850335299
[edit] External links
- Works by or about Thomas de la Rue in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
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