Black John

Black, John, journalist, was born in 1783 near Dunse, Berwickshire. After acting as a clerk in Dunse and in Edinburgh, he removed in 1810 to London, and was appointed parliamentary reporter for the Morning Chronicle, of which he became practically the editor in 1817. He was greatly assisted in this position by the advice and inspiration of the Mills, and under him Charles Dickens began his newspaper career. In 1835 he fought a duel with John Arthur Roebuck, who had published a pamphlet accusing him of cowardice. His editorship ended in 1843, when his friends, he having saved no money, bought him an annuity of £150 a year. Besides some translations from Italian, French, and German authors, Black also wrote a Life of Tasso. He died June 15, 1855.