William Brodie Gurney

William Brody Gurney (1777-1855) was a famous 19th-century English stenographer and philanthropist. Gurney was the youngest son of Joseph Gurney, a stenographer who died in Walworth, Surrey, in 1815 from the daughter of William Brody of Mansfield. He was the grandson of Thomas Gurney (1705-1770), the stenographer and brother of Sir John Gurney (1768-1845), Born in Stamford Hill, London, December 24, 1777, he was taught by Mr. Burnside at Walworth in 1787, and then by Mr. Freeman. On August 1, 1796, he was baptized for adults in the chapel of the labyrinth in Southwark. Accepting the profession of his father and grandfather, he began to practice in 1803 as a stenographer, and between this date and 1844 he recorded in abbreviated form many of the most important appeals, trials, military courts, addresses, speeches and libel cases, some of which were printed in the form of volumes from his notes. In search of his calling, he often visited Ireland, Scotland and many parts of England.