Although he accumulated a large quantity of matrices, Robert Andrews does not appear to have been a good workman. The very indifferent manner in which he cut the punches for Miss Elstob’s Saxon _Grammar_ has been elsewhere recorded,[370] and the fact that his apprentice, Thomas James, after quitting his {197} service and setting up for himself, furnished his new foundry entirely with foreign matrices, speaks somewhat unfavourably for the merits of the English letter then in common use. Three of the Greek founts, however, James did subsequently purchase, in 1724, for his own use; and nine years later, on Andrews’ retirement from business, he purchased the whole of his foundry, and that of his son, with the exception of the Canon Roman and Italic, which were acquired by Mr. Caslon. Robert Andrews was one of the Assistants of the Stationers’ Company. He only survived his retirement two years, and died November 27th, 1735, at the age of 80. His name appears as a contributor of £5 5_s._ towards the subscription raised by Mr. Bowyer’s friends in 1712, after the destruction by fire of that eminent printer’s office. JAMES GROVER, _circ._ 1675.     THOMAS GROVER, his son.[371] This foundry, which, according to Rowe Mores, was supposed to include founts formerly belonging to Wynkyn de Worde, was the most extensive, and in many respects the most interesting of the later seventeenth century foundries. It seems probable that James and Thomas Grover began business in partnership, about the year 1674, in succession to one of the “Polyglot” founders, whose matrices they appear to have acquired. Their foundry was situated in Angel Alley, Aldersgate Street; and, about 1700, at which date Rowe Mores fixes his summary, was evidently of considerable extent. Although many of the founts are of little importance, it is worthy of note that among the Roman and Italic matrices is included, for the first time, a Diamond; and that a Pica and Long Primer are distinguished as “King’s House” founts, and were probably reserved for the service of the Royal press at Blackfriars. The large-face Double Pica Roman and Italic, there is reason to suppose, is the famous fount cut by John Day about 1572, which had subsequently been in the possession of one of the Polyglot founders.[372] In Scriptorials, Cursives and other fancy letters, as well as in peculiar and mathematical sorts, the foundry was unusually rich. The Great Primer and 2-line Great Primer Black matrices are those reputed to have belonged to De Worde; and from these {198} founts, says Mores, were taken the two specimens shown on page 343 of Palmer’s _General History of Printing_.[373]