Bentham continued to hold the office of printer until 1766. On 13 December of that year he resigned and John Archdeacon, an Irishman, was elected in his place, his salary being fixed two years later at £140 a year. Archdeacon had been appointed Inspector of the Press two months before, and, as appears from certain passages in Nichols's _Literary Anecdotes_[118], had been associated with a scheme by which Bowyer had contemplated taking over the management of the University Press: In consequence (writes Nichols) of overtures from a few respectable friends at Cambridge, Mͬ Bowyer had some inclination, towards the latter end of 1765, to have undertaken the management of the University Press, by purchasing a lease and their exclusive privileges, by which for several years they had cleared a considerable sum. To accomplish this he took a journey to Cambridge; and afterwards sent the Compiler of these Anecdotes to negotiate with the Vice-Chancellor. The treaty was fruitless; but he did not much regret the disappointment. Evidently it was intended that Archdeacon should be the printer under Bowyer's management, since Nichols wrote to Bowyer in September, 1765: I write to you now from the house of Mͬ Labutte[119], with whom I have dined, and who has most obligingly shewn me all in his power. Mͬ Archdeacon is not at home. I have opened to Mͬ Labutte my plan, who is of opinion something may be done. I have talked also with a _Compositor_, who is sensible, and who now works in the house. _Six hundred_ a year I believe may carry it. They _talk_ of _ten_ having been _offered_. For 7 years last past the University have _cleared one-thousand-three-hundred pounds_ annually; besides farming the _Almanack_ (200 l. more). This might at least be _doubled by opening the trade_ in new channels. If any bookseller of reputation would enter into a scheme with you, _an immense fortune would certainly be raised_.... and Bowyer, in his reply, wrote: Mͬ Archdeacon, as you observe, must be a leading person, and there is some delicacy necessary to be shewn to him. This proposal, however, came to nothing, and no university documents relating to it have been preserved. From the business point of view, the printing and selling of bibles and prayer-books no doubt continued to be the most important branch of Archdeacon's activities. In a collection of agents' accounts for the years 1766 and 1767 the well-known names of Edward Dilly, John Rivington, James Waugh, T. and J. Merrill appear. One of these accounts, made out in Archdeacon's own hand[120], is reproduced here as showing the numbers and prices of bibles supplied to Rivington during the period of six months and also the way in which the accounts were examined and approved by the Syndics of the Press.