thumb|Portrait by [[Samuel Lane (painter)|Samuel Lane, 1827]]
Luke Hansard (5 July 1752 – 29 October 1828) was an English printer. He printed the Journals of the House of Commons from 1774 until his death. His son Thomas Curson Hansard took over the business of William Cobbett in 1812, and added the name "Hansard" to the title of the official reports of parliamentary debates and proceedings in 1829. This led to such reports in the United Kingdom and in some Commonwealth countries being customarily known as Hansard.
Early life and education
Born in St Mary's Parish, Norwich, Hansard was the son of Thomas Hansard (1727–1769), a Norwich manufacturer. He was educated at Kirton Grammar School in Kirton, Lincolnshire, and was apprenticed to Stephen White, a Norwich printer.
Career
As soon as Hansard's apprenticeship expired, he started for London with only a guinea in his pocket, and became a compositor in the office of John Hughs (1703–1771), printer to the British House of Commons. In 1774 he was made a partner, and undertook almost the entire conduct of the business, which in 1800 came completely into his hands. On the admission of his sons the firm became Luke Hansard & Sons, based on Parker Street, off Drury Lane.
Among those whose friendship Hansard won in the exercise of his profession were Edmund Burke, Samuel Johnson and Robert Orme, while Richard Porson praised him as the most accurate printer of Greek. Harriet Martineau wrote: