My great-great grandfather William Higinbotham's parents and grandparents worked in the printing industry in Derby.
William's 1860 birth certificate states that his father Andrew was a bookbinder. The census returns show that Andrew continued working as a bookbinder-finisher in Derby until the 1870s, when the family moved to Leeds.
His wife Elizabeth, formerly Elizabeth Longbottom, wasn't only a bookbinder's daughter and then a bookbinder's wife, but also worked in this trade, in the traditionally female roles of book folding and sewing.
Elizabeth's parents were Thomas Longbottom and Ann (formerly Pegg). Thomas was a bookbinder - as recorded at the time of his marriage to Ann in 1837, and on all the census returns. Ann's work as a book folder is stated on the census return after her husband's death, but as a "bookbinder's wife" it's likely that she worked in the folding and sewing of books while they were married.
For many years in the mid-19th century, Thomas Longbottom's family lived next door to the printing offices of Thomas Richardson and Son. It seems reasonable to assume that this was the company the Longbottoms and Higinbothams were working for.
On just one of the census returns Thomas Longbottom gives his name as Thomas Richardson Longbottom. My research suggests that his mother was an Elizabeth Richardson.
The shared name, the proximity to the printing offices, and several other factors combine to suggest to me that my Thomas Richardson Longbottom was related to Thomas Richardson the publisher, though as yet I've been unable to clarify and confirm the relationships.
I've included further pages on Thomas Richardson and the company of Thomas Richardson & Son, and notes on a selection of their publications, as well as a page of interesting links I discovered while doing my research.