Transcript

Of

James George Commin [Obituary]

Trans. Devon. Assoc. vol. 47, (1915), pp. 43-44.

by

Maxwell Adams (Ed.)

Prepared by Michael Steer

The obituary was read at the Association’s July 1915 Exeter meeting. The Exeter Memories website provides a complete list of the City’s Mayors spanning 800 years. Mr Commin’s entry in the list as Mayor in 1908 is linked to a copy of his portrait in full civic regalia, courtesy of the Westcountry Studies Library. The obituary, from a copy of a rare and much sought-after journal can be downloaded from the Internet Archive. Google has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. These books, on which copyright has expired, are available for free educational and research use, both as individual books and as full collections to aid researchers.

Mr. Commin belonged to a family whose members had been citizens of Exeter for upwards of three centuries. His father, Mr. James Commin, was a solicitor and conveyancing barrister, whose chambers were situated on the site on which the tower of St. Mary Major now stands. Mr. James George Commin was born in Exeter on 3 December, 1856, and as a young man was apprenticed first to Messrs. Drayton and Sons, the well-known booksellers of High Street, Exeter, and afterwards to Messrs. Sotheran and Co., of the Strand and Piccadilly, London, with which firm he completed his business training, and on his return from London set up as a bookseller at 230 High Street, Exeter, and remained in the same premises during the whole of his business career. But Mr. Commin was no mere bookseller, and, although a keen business man, he was rather more a book-lover. His knowledge of books, their authors, titles, bindings and formats was exceptional, and under his direction his establishment soon gained a world-wide reputation, and he himself was well known to all book-lovers and book-collectors.
Mr. Commin was the publisher of several works. He undertook the publication of Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries (originally Devon Notes and Queries) in 1900, and the success this periodical has attained is mainly due to his enterprise. Among his many other publications may be mentioned the third edition of the Perambulation of Dartmoor, by S. Rowe, edited by Mr. J. Brooking-Rowe, and Devon: Its Moorlands, Streams, and Coasts, by Lady Rosalind Northcote, illustrated from water-colour drawings especially drawn for this work by his friend, Mr. F. J. Widgery, of Exeter.
Mr. Commin will also always be gratefully remembered by those who take an interest in the history and antiquities of Devonshire for his encouragement of local research work and the publication of a large number of local monographs, many of which, though of the highest value to antiquaries, must have proved of little account from a commercial point of view.
Mr. Commin became a member of the Association in 1900, and it was through him that the Association was invited to celebrate its jubilee in 1912 in Exeter, its birthplace. He took an active part in the arrangements for the reception and entertainment of its members, and contributed greatly to the success of the meeting, at which he was one of the Vice-Presidents.
Early in life Mr. Commin interested himself in public affairs, and more particularly in those pertaining to his native city, of which he was chosen Mayor in 1908, and discharged the duties of chief magistrate with great distinction and conscientiousness. His year of office was notable for many important events, including the visit to the city of H.M. King George V and Queen Mary, then Prince and Princess of Wales, and the holding in Exeter of the Bath and West of England Agricultural Show.
Mr. Commin also took an active interest in, and was a great supporter of, most of the public institutions of Exeter, including the Exeter Literary Society, and the Royal Albert Memorial College, Library and Museum. Besides presenting many books himself to the library, he was largely instrumental in obtaining the Fisher and Brooking-Rowe bequests for it.
Mr. Commin married a daughter of Mr. Webber, of Hills Court, Longbrook Street, Exeter, who predeceased him. He died on 15 September, 1914, leaving two sons, who carry on his business, and two daughters.