William Lane (1746 â 1814) was an English publisher and bookseller in London, best known now for his founding of the wildly successful Minerva Press.
Around 1790, Lane established the Minerva Printing Press in Cree Church Lane, Leadenhall Street, moving to no. 31 Leadenhall Street. The Minerva Press issued works by Courtney Melmoth and others. Subscribers to Lane's Circulating Library (established circa 1774) included Leigh Hunt. Around 1799 John Darling and Anthony King Newman joined Lane as "Lane, Darling, Newman & Co." In 1804 Lane retired and Newman took over the business.