08th October 2026
Edwin Story
Master Bookseller, Stationer, Bookbinder & Publisher in York
York has a well-deserved reputation as a city of booksellers, and we offer another taster by researcher Keith Watson from our forthcoming book about Blossom Street, which will be on sale from 21 October.
Micklegate Bar and Edwin Story Booksellers shopfront c1915
Edwin Story was born on 7 December 1871 at Naburn near York, son of William Robinson Story (1833-1897) and Hannah Tate. He was baptised at Naburn Church on 28 January 1872 and was later educated at the Manor School, York. By 1891, after his mother died in 1877, both Edwin and his father moved to live at 44 Clementhorpe, York.
He married Annie Elizabeth French on 5 August 1893 at St Mary Bishophill Senior Church. After their marriage, they set up home at 58 Russell Street York and had two children there: Annie Elizabeth born on 5 August 1894 and William Edwin born on 11 April 1897.
On 16 October 1886 he was made a bound booksellers’ apprentice to the Northern Educational Trading Company, York, which was subsequently merged with the York Stationery Company (Booksellers and Stationers), located in Bridge Street. By 1892 he had been appointed manager at the age of 21. In 1897 he took over the business and started running it under his own name. By now he was a master bookseller, having served his apprenticeship in bookselling. He commenced this new business at 79 Micklegate (later re-numbered 72) on 17 March 1897. They lived above the shop and had one servant. Later Edwin moved the business to larger premises at 6 & 8 Blossom Street, outside Micklegate Bar, in September 1912, where he and his family lived above the shop. 1920 saw him open a branch shop at 12 & 14 Bootham.
In 1921 he bought the bookselling business of J. Outhwaite at Monk Bar (10 Goodramgate), then in 1924 he bought the bookshop of Miss Chapman at 9 Minster Gates. The opening of the Minster Gates branch of Edwin Story was celebrated in 1925 with the sale of a pamphlet called 'The Sign of the Crown 1516-1924', telling the history of booksellers in Minster Gates, written by celebrated York Historian T.P. Cooper and published by Edwin Story himself.
He was a member of the Booksellers’ Yorkshire Branch Executive from its foundation, and became Chairman from 1925 to 1926.
Edwin Story Booksellers Advert pre-1960
He was also on the Council of the Booksellers’ Association from 1925 to 1928. On 22 February 1929 his business was registered as a private limited company, Edwin Story Limited, trading as Stationers, Publishers, Bookbinders and Fancy Goods Dealers with a capital of £9,000.
In September 1934, Edwin opened his own Lending Library at 2 Blossom Street, next to his bookselling business. This continued until the mid-1950s, when the premises were incorporated into a much larger bookshop, covering 2,4,6 and 8 Blossom Street. Edwin and his family continued to live above the shopfront.
Edwin Story Advertisement from Kelly's York Directory 1975
For 21 years he was churchwarden at Martin-cum-Gregory Church. He died on 25 November 1946, after a long illness, aged 74. The business was subsequently run by his son William Edwin, who was already a director of the firm along with another director, since 1929, George William French.
After Edwin passed away in 1946, the floors above the Blossom Street shopfront were divided into several flats. Edwin’s widow, Annie Elizabeth, passed away on 17 January 1965 in York. His daughter, Annie Elizabeth, who became a school teacher, never married and died in York in January 1968 aged 73.
