Archibald Constable

Constable was first married to Mary Willison (d.1814) daughter of David Willison, a rival Edinburgh printer. They lived in Craigcrook Castle in western Edinburgh. Among their children were a son, Thomas, and a daughter, Elizabeth.

Their son, Thomas Constable FRSE (1812-1881) took over his printing business on his father's death. In 1839 he was appointed printer and publisher in Edinburgh to Queen Victoria, and issued, among other notable series, Constable's Educational Series, and Constable's Foreign Miscellany.

After Mary's death, Constable remarried in 1818, to Charlotte Neale, daughter of John Neale.

Thomas Constable married Lucia Anne Cowan, daughter of Alexander Cowan, an Edinburgh paper-maker (who clearly would have had business links with a major publishing firm such as Constables). They lived at 11 Thistle Street in Edinburgh's First New Town. Their son was also Archibald David Constable FRSE LLD (1843-1915), named after his grandfather, and followed in the family tradition as a printer. In 1865 he became a partner in the firm, and when Thomas retired in 1893 the firm continued under the name of T. & A. Constable and in 1902 the firm was publishing under the name of Archibald Constable & Co. Ltd.

Their daughter, Elizabeth Constable (d.1818) married his junior publishing partner, Robert Cadell of Ratho.