Caxton, de Worde, and Treveris
William Caxton, England’s First Printer
Polycronicon (Westminster, 1482)
William Caxton (1422-1491 or 1492) introduced printing into England, having learned the art during a visit to Cologne beginning in 1471. From his home in Bruges, in 1473 he produced the first book printed in English, the Recuyell of the Historyes of Troye. He returned to England in 1476 to set up the first press on the grounds of Westminster Abbey. Caxton most frequently printed books he had translated himself, or English texts which he edited and to which he contributed additional material. Caxton’s edition of Ranulph Higden’s Polycronicon, written around 1344, a universal history concentrating on Britain, is an example of this second kind of work. Higden’s Latin chronicle had been translated into English by John of Trevisa in 1387, and had been widely circulated in manuscript. In printing this text, Caxton “modernized” the translation and provided a continuation of the text up to his own time.
The Queen’s University copy of the Polycronicon contains more than 360 printed leaves, virtually the entirety of Higden’s text. It is printed in Caxton’s signature bastarda typeface, and has manuscript running titles and marginal chronological notes in red, added after printing during a process called rubrication. Our copy is also annotated throughout by early readers, providing features of use and response that are themselves worthy of study. The binding of our copy dates from the mid-18th century, and shows that it once belonged to James West who put together one of the first great collections of Caxton. In 1773, after West’s death, much of his collection was purchased for the English royal library. Copies not sold then found their way into other collections and eventually into institutions. We are very fortunate to be able to acquire a Caxton of this significance at such a late date.
Wynkyn de Worde, England’s Second Printer
St. Albans Chronicle (London, 1515)
Also on display is a work printed by Caxton’s apprentice and successor, Wynkyn de Worde (d. 1534). Wynkyn de Worde came from Holland and worked closely with Caxton until the master’s death. In 1495, de Worde officially took over Caxton’s press and in 1500 moved it to Fleet Street, in London. He also set up as a bookseller in St. Paul’s Churchyard. These locations became synonymous with printing and bookselling until modern times. De Worde was a prolific printer, and his output includes editions of works first printed by Caxton as well as books for school and religious audiences. De Worde introduced new styles of type and he made more use of woodcut illustration than Caxton.
The Queen’s University copy of the St. Albans Chronicle, printed by Wynkyn de Worde in 1515, also contains The Descrypcyon of Englonde, and features the first printed illustration depicting England. De Worde took over Caxton’s printer’s device, boldly displaying the initials “W C”—a beautiful example of that device is also present in our copy.
Peter Treveris, Printer, and
John Reynes, Bookseller
Polycronycon (Southwark, 1527)
Printed in 1527, Peter Treveris’ edition of Polycronycon is a reprint of Wynken de Worde’s 1495 with the addition of several woodcut illustrations including the magnificent title page depicting St. George and the dragon. Treveris (fl. 1525-1532) is known for printing small grammatical texts and a few significant works such as the Noble Handiwork of Surgery (1525), The Grete Herball (1526), and John Skelton's Magnificence, printed for John Rastell (1530). Arguably Polycronycon printed at the expense of John Reynes in 1527 is his most attractively printed work.
John Reynes (d.1545) was the foremost foreign stationer in England. He first opened his shop at the sign of St. George in St. Paul’s Churchyard in 1516. His name appeared in a book for the first time in the colophon of Polycronycon. His initials are prominently displayed at the bottom of the title page. Reyens was also a renowned bookbinder and scholars have been able to identify 400 of his bindings through panel stamps, blind stamped decorations on the front and back of a book.
The Queen’s University copy of Polycronycon (1527) is an extremely fine example of early English printing. It was previously the oldest printed book in the Schulich-Woolf Rare Book Collection. Thanks to the continued support of Mr. Schulich, the other books on display have superseded this position.