Abstracts from the Wills of English printers and stationers : from 1492 to 1630 / by Henry R. Plomer.

  • Plomer, Henry R. (Henry Robert), 1856-1928.
Date:
1903
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Abstracts from the Wills of English printers and stationers : from 1492 to 1630 / by Henry R. Plomer. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ABSTRACTS FROM THE WILLS OF ENGLISH PRINTERS AND STATIONERS, FROM 1492 TO 1630. JOHN RUE1 \Bookseller\. St. Paul’s Churchyard. Succeeded by A. Rue, or Ruwe. Dated 23rd December, 1492. Proved 15th January, 149I. Testator described as of Frankfort. To be buried in Pardon churchyard. Bequest : To Andrew Rue, his brother. Executors : The Secretary to the German Merchants of the Hanseatic League and “magistrum [ ] impressorem librorum de West1-.” Witnesses: Gregory, curate of St. Faith’s, Master John Petytt,2 and Master Peter Martin. [P.C.C. Q. Dogett.] (1) . This is one of the earliest wills of a London bookseller. Rue was evidently in busi¬ ness with his brother, whose will is also in this series. The omission of the names of the printer at Westminster may be accounted for by the death of Caxton in 1491, and Rue’s ignorance of his successor. Wynkyn de Worde’s name is not found in any book before 1493. In this, and other instances where the name of an executor is given in Latin, the nominative case is here substituted for the accusative. (2) . See the will of Robert Toye in this volume, where mention is made of Master Petytt’s house in the churchyard. Ames inclined to the belief that Thomas Petytt, who flourished between 1536—1555, was a relative of Jean Petit, of Paris.