His father was a prosperous coal merchant, and provided his son with the capital to purchase a share in Lackington, Allen, & Co.'s large shop in Finsbury Square.
Selling cheaply in large quantities, for cash only, was the business model, but the firm also went into publishing.
Besides Lackington, the other members of the firm were Allen, who possessed a great knowledge of books acquired from early training with James Lackington, and Richard Hughes, also lessee of Sadler's Wells.
[2] The Egyptian Hall in Piccadilly was bought by Lackington, and let for miscellaneous exhibitions.
Many well-known booksellers received their training there; the "last of the Lackingtonians", Kanes James Ford, died 11 December 1886, at the age of 94.