Edward Stanley Gibbons - Early Life

Early Life

Edward Stanley Gibbons was born at his father William Gibbons' chemist shop at 15 Treville Street, Plymouth on 21 June 1840, interestingly on the same year that Britain issued the Penny Black, which was the world's first postage stamp. Edward’s interest in postage stamps began whilst at Halloran’s Collegiate School. Gibbons owned a book containing stamps for exchange. Some of these stamps included the 1d. black Western Australia and a 1d. Sydney View. He left school at the age of 15 and worked for a short while in the Naval Bank, Plymouth, before joining his father’s business after the death of his eldest brother. William Gibbons encouraged his son's hobby and allowed him to set up a stamp desk in the chemist.

Between 1861 and 1871 Gibbons was developing his own stamp business, although there is no evidence to suggest that he had advertised prices prior to 1864. In 1867, Edward’s father died and Edward took over the business. However, by this time he was heavily involved in stamp dealing and the pharmaceutical business his father had left him was sold.

Read more about this topic:  Edward Stanley Gibbons

Famous quotes containing the words early and/or life:

    “The shift from the perception of the child as innocent to the perception of the child as competent has greatly increased the demands on contemporary children for maturity, for participating in competitive sports, for early academic achievement, and for protecting themselves against adults who might do them harm. While children might be able to cope with any one of those demands taken singly, taken together they often exceed children’s adaptive capacity.”
    —David Elkind (20th century)

    “You might come here Sunday on a whim.
    Say your life broke down. The last good kiss
    you had was years ago.”
    —Richard Hugo (1923–1982)