Wandsworth in Greater London, England, United Kingdom — Northwestern Europe (the British Isles)
John Walter
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, March 28, 2026
1. John Walter Marker
John Walter
1739-1812
Founder of The Times
lived here
Erected 1977 by Greater London Council.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Communications.
Location. 51° 27.69′ N, 0° 9.612′ W. Marker is in Wandsworth, England, in Greater London. It is at the intersection of Clapham Common North Side and Elspeth Road, on the right when traveling east on Clapham Common North Side. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 113 Clapham Common North Side, Wandsworth, England SW4 9SN, United Kingdom. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Greater South East. Globally, it is on the Atlantic Ocean, in the North Atlantic Region, in Europe, in Atlantic Europe, on one of the British Isles, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Roman Empire.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: John Burns (about 90 meters away, measured in a direct line); Clapham Common (about 120 meters away); George Alfred Henty
this page online
Also see . . . Walter, John (1739-1812) (English Heritage). Excerpt:
John Walter was the founder of The Times newspaper, one of the worlds most influential broadsheets. He is commemorated with a blue plaque at 113 Clapham Common North Side, where he lived between 1773 and 1783.(Submitted on April 16, 2026.)
The Times: By the time he left 113 North Side, Walter had become interested in typography. In 1782, he bought the patent to, and developed, the logographic system, which was said to speed up the printing process. Two years later, he founded the Logographic Press in Blackfriars, where he began to print books. On 1 January 1785, publication started on a small newspaper called the Daily Universal Register. Three years later, the newspaper was renamed The Times.
The early years of the newspaper proved troublesome for Walter. In 1789he was sentenced to a years imprisonment at Newgate Prison for publishing libels on the Duke of York. A further years imprisonment followed shortly after, for libels on the Prince of Wales and Duke of Clarence. Despite this, The Times still experienced success and by 1793, 4,000 copies were sold per day. Walter retired to Teddington in 1795 and left the management of the newspaper to his sons.Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, March 28, 20262. John Walter Marker - wide view, as seen from Elspeth Road
Additional keywords. blue plaque
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, March 28, 2026
3. John Walter Marker - wider view, as seen from Clapham Common North Side
Credits. This page was last revised on April 16, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 16, 2026, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 8 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 16, 2026, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.
