Henry Robert Plomer

“ The closing years of the period under review were marked by two great disasters, the outbreak of plague in London, in the autumn of 1665, and the great fire of 1666. By the first, trade in the City was brought to a standstill and printers and stationers were reduced to idleness. By the second, the chief printing houses and booksellers' shops, with all their contents, were destroyed, and the ashes of books and manuscripts were carried by the wind as far as Eton and Windsor. ”

“ In the first place it must be remembered that during this period, when the censorship of the press was severe, printers and booksellers often contented themselves with placing their initials in the imprints, and almost every name that figures in this volume might have been duplicated amongst the initials, thus swelling the volume to an inordinate size, without any corresponding advantage to the student. Identification of such initials as, say, "T. B.," which may apply to half a dozen different men, must be largely guesswork, unless based on a special study of the work in which they occur. ”

“ For the better discovery of malignant (read Royalist) booksellers, magistrates were entrusted with full powers for searching any packs or packages which they might suspect of containing books or pamphlets of a seditious character. The clauses relating to printing contain a surprise. Printing was restricted to the City of London and the two universities, "Provided, That this clause shall not be construed to extend to the Printing Press now used in the City of York, nor to the printing press now used in Finsbury for the printing of Bibles and Psalms." ”

“ The largest printing house in London during this period was that of Miles Flesher and his partners in Little Britain. They also held the King's printing house by virtue of a mortgage executed by Robert Barker. The little good work done was mainly done by them. The press of Felix Kyngston was also a busy one, and his best work was creditable. Richard Cotes was also one of the largest printers of this time, while much of the hack work was turned out by Bernard Alsop, Andrew Coe, and Thomas Brudenell. ”

“ Every publisher is a bookseller in so far that he sells the books he publishes, but some publishers, Longmans and Methuen for example, are not booksellers in the sense of selling all kinds of books. On the other hand, Hatchards, of Piccadilly, and others that could be named, are not only retail booksellers in a large way of business, but they are also publishers. ”

“ Another Ordinance of the year 1643 must not be passed over, as it shows that amongst the much despised Roundheads, there were some in authority who sympathized with the book lover. It was the outcome of the wholesale sequestration of Royalist property that was then taking place, and let us hope that it had the effect of preventing the dispersal of many a valued library of books. ”

“ THE BOOKS printed by the Bibliographical Society can only be supplied to its own members, but new members may purchase the publications of previous years, and members who have lost or damaged any of their books can obtain a second copy at the prices named. ”

“ He boldly placed his imprint on their writings, and this at a time when the writers and the printers were thrown into prison for their share in the publications. This appointment of Giles Calvert as one of the official "printers," shows clearly that he stood well with Cromwell and those in power, and accounts for his being able to publish Quaker writings as boldly as he did. Several of the men mentioned above were not "printers" by trade, they gave out the work to others, and shared the profits. ”

“ S. Papers, Chas. II. Vol. 78. (96) This document needs no comment. Nor is it necessary to say much about the Act of 1662, except that it was in a large measure a re-enactment of the Star Chamber decree of 1637, and the Act of 1649. York was again expressly mentioned as a place where printing might be carried on, and the printing house of John Streator was exempted from interference. Armed with ample power Sir Roger L'Estrange harassed the printers and booksellers without remorse. One of his unfortunate victims was Elizabeth Calvert, the wife of Giles Calvert, whom he imprisoned several times. ”

“ But where an asterisk is prefixed, the books can only be supplied in sets, and in no case can more than one duplicate copy of any book be supplied to the same member. Subject to this condition purchase for presentation is also allowed, but the Council retains the right of refusing any application, without necessarily assigning a reason. ”

“ But I trust the reader will accept it as "spade" work in a field which has hitherto been almost totally neglected, and as a foundation upon which in time to come another builder will erect a more lasting edifice. ”

“ Printed for the Bibliographical Society, at the Oxford University Press. September, 1905. [5s.]
Alien Members of the Book-Trade during the Tudor Period. Being an index to those whose names occur in the returns of aliens, letters of denization, and other documents published by the Huguenot Society. With notes by Ernest James Worman. London: Printed, etc., Decrmber, 1906. [3s. 6d.]
Abstracts from the Wills and Testamentary Documents of Binders, Printers and Stationers of Oxford, from 1493 to 1638. By Strickland Gibson. London: Printed, etc., February, 1907. [3s. 6d.] ”

“ Haz. Hazlitt. Hist. MS. Comn. Historical Manuscripts Commission. Interr. Interregnum. Lutt. Coll. Luttrell Collection. P.C.C. Prerogative Court of Canterbury. P.R.O. Public Record Office. Rep. Report. Sayle Early English Printed Books in the University Library, Cambridge. Stat. Reg. Stationers' Registers. T.C. Term Catalogues.
The Ames Collection of Title-pages is that at the British Museum catalogued under Title-pages (463 h. 4, 5) .
The volumes of the Bagford Collection of Title-pages referred to in this work are Harl. ”