The English provincial printers, stationers and bookbinders to 1557Duff, E. Gordon (Edward Gordon)
History
The English provincial printers, stationers and bookbinders to 1557
Duff, E. Gordon (Edward Gordon)
Book industries and trade -- Great Britain; Printing -- Great Britain -- History
Of the _Antonius Andreæ_ three copies are known, one in Norwich
Cathedral, another wanting two leaves in Jesus College, Cambridge,
and the last wanting eight leaves in Wadham College, Oxford. The
Cambridge and Norwich copies are both in their original bindings. The
signatures in this book are curious, for the printer, having come to
the end of his first alphabet, continued with contractions and then
signed two more sheets one “est” and the other “amen.” Bradshaw,
comparing the Cambridge and Norwich volumes side by side, found some
variations pointing to the reprinting of certain sheets. The _Exempla
Sacræ Scripturæ_ is known from two copies, one in the British Museum,
and one said to be in the Inner Temple Library, though its existence
is doubtful. For a long time the Museum copy was lost sight of. When
Blades began to work on the St Alban’s printer with a view to writing
a preface to the facsimile of the _Book of St Alban’s_, he was anxious
to see a copy of this book. Herbert had quoted copies as in His
Majesty’s library and the Inner Temple, but neither were forthcoming.
The authorities in London thought it probable that the book was in the
Bibliothèque Nationale. In those days there were no special catalogues
of the British Museum Incunabula, or Early English Books, though as a
matter of fact this book has not been included in the latter, and his
researches were at a standstill. Finally, quite by accident, Bradshaw
found it in the general catalogue, under the heading, “Bible, Latin,
Parts of, Incipiunt.”
The book is a quarto of eighty-eight leaves, the Museum copy wanting
five. It has a plain colophon stating that it was printed in the town
of St Alban’s in 1481.
After the issue of these six books within a period of about two years,
the printer seems to have ceased work for a time. When he recommenced
in about three years, both the character of his work and of the books
he issued had changed. He gave up the printing of Latin and discarded
the very confused type he had been using previously.
The _Chronicles of England_, one of the two English books issued by
the St Alban’s printer, is undated, but is ascribed to the year 1485.
It agrees generally with the _Chronicles_ printed by Caxton, but
has histories of popes and ecclesiastical matters interpolated. The
prologue states that it was compiled at St Alban’s in 1483, and W. de
Worde tells us that it was compiled and printed by the schoolmaster.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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