John Mennons (d. 1843) was a Scottish printer in the town of Greenock, and publisher of the Greenock Advertiser . In 1821 or thereabouts he ventured into book publishing, and began corresponding with James Lawson of New York regarding the inclusion of American authors in his Literary Coronal anthologies of prose and verse. His father, also John Mennons (1747-1818), was a printer and publisher in Edinburgh and later in Glasgow.
James Lawson (1799-) was born in Scotland but came to New York in 1815 to join the counting-house of his maternal uncle. Although not an author or publisher himself, Lawson was a devotee of American letters and was personal friends with many authors of his day. He evidently supplied Mennons with both content and materials for some of his publications. In 1826 Lawson began writing articles and criticism, first for the New York Literary Gazette and later novels and a play; he eventually later entered into publishing as well.
From the guide to the John Mennons Letters, 1821-1830, (Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries)
