Banbury Chap Books and Nursery Toy Book Literature: [of the XVIII. and Early XIX. Centuries] — John Shaqi
Banbury Chap Books and Nursery Toy Book Literature: [of the XVIII. and Early XIX. Centuries]Pearson, Edwin
History
Banbury Chap Books and Nursery Toy Book Literature: [of the XVIII. and Early XIX. Centuries]
Pearson, Edwin
Chapbooks, English -- Illustrations; Children's literature, English -- Illustrations
In 1708 John White, a Citizen of York, established himself as a printer
in Newcastle-on-Tyne, bringing with him a stock of quaint old cuts,
formerly his father's, at York, where he was Sole Printer to King
William, for the five Northern Counties of England. He entered into
partnership with Thomas Saint, who on the death of John White, at their
Printing Office in Pilgrim Street, succeeded in 1796 to his extensive
business as Printer, Bookseller, and Publisher. In this stock of
woodcuts were some of the veritable pieces of wood engraved, or cut for
Caxton, Wynken de Worde, Pynson, and others down to Tommy Gent--the
curious genius, historian, author, poet, woodcuter and engraver, binder
and printer, of York. We give some early examples out of this stock.
Thomas Saint, about 1770, had the honour of introducing to the public,
the brothers Thomas and John Bewick's first efforts in wood-engravings,
early and crude as they undoubtedly were. They are to be found in Hutton
"On Mensuration," and also in various children's and juvenile works,
such as AEsop's and Gay's Fables. We give some of the earliest known of
their work in this very interesting collection of woodcuts.
Some years ago a collection was formed of Newbury and Marshall's
Children's Gift Toy Books, and early educational works, which were
placed in the South Kensington Museum, in several glass cases. These
attracted other collections of rare little volumes, adorned with similar
cuts, many of which are from the identical blocks here impressed,
notably the "Cries of York," "Goody Two Shoes," etc. They are still on
view, near the George Cruikshank collection, and during the twenty years
they have been exhibited, such literature has steadily gone up to fancy
prices.
Charles Knight in his Shadows of the Old Booksellers, says of Newbury,
(pp. 233), "This old bookseller is a very old friend of mine. He wound
himself round my heart some seventy years ago, when I became possessed
of an immortal volume, entitled the history of 'Little Goody Shoes.'
I felt myself personally honoured in the dedication." He then refers to
Dr. Primrose, Thomas Trip, etc., and adds further on, "my father had a
drawer full of them [Newbury's little books] very smartly bound in gilt
paper." Priceless now would this collection be, mixed up with
horn-books--a single copy of which is one of the rarest relics of the
olden time.
Chalmer's in his preface to "Idler," regards Mr. Newbury as the reputed
author of many little chap books for masters and misses.
Mr. John Nichols brings forward other candidates for the honour of
projecting and writing the "Lilliputian histories, of Goody Two Shoes,
etc.;" and refers to Griffith Jones and Giles Jones, in conjunction with
Mr. John Newbury, as those to whom the public are indebted for the
origin of those numerous and popular little books for the amusement and
instruction of children, which have ever since been received with
universal approbation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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