1565     STOW, John

John Stow (also Stowe; 1524/25 –1605) was an English historian and antiquarian. Stow was born in the City of London parish of St Michael, Cornhill, then at the heart of London's metropolis. His father, Thomas Stow, was a tallow chandler. As a youth Stow would fetch milk every morning from a farm on the land nearby to the east owned by the Minoresses of the Convent of St. Clare. There is no evidence that he ever attended a grammar school and his learning appears to have been largely self-acquired.

Stow did not take up his father's trade of candle maker, instead becoming an apprentice of the Merchant Taylors' Company. In 1547 he became a freeman, setting up in premises close to the Aldgate Pump in Aldgate, near to Leadenhall Street and Fenchurch Street.

In about 1560 he started upon his major work, the Survey of London. His antiquarian interests attracted suspicion from the ecclesiastical authorities as a person "with many dangerous and superstitious books in his possession", and in February 1569 his house was searched.

Stow was in close contact with many of the leading antiquarians of his day, including Archbishop Matthew Parker, John Joscelyn, John Dee, William Fleetwood, William Lambarde, William Camden and Thomas Hatcher. He was a member of the Society of Antiquaries, established in about 1586. He built up an extensive library of manuscript and printed historical sources, which became known to contemporaries as his "storehouse", and which he was generous in making available to others.[1]

As well as his Survay of London, he wrote a series of chronicles of English history, published from 1565 onwards under such titles as The Summarie of Englyshe Chronicles, which became The Chronicles of England, and The Annales of England.

Stow compiled a list of fairs (added to the calendar pages) and a table of roads "How a man may journey from any notabl town in Englande, to the Citye of London, or from London to any notable towne in the Realme".

This list, nine routes over five pages, is first found in A summarie of Englyshe chronicles conteynyng the true accompt of yeres, wherein euery kyng of this realme of England began theyr reigne, howe long they reigned: and what notable thynges hath bene doone durynge theyr reygnes. Wyth also the names and yeares of all the baylyffes, custos, maiors, and sheriffes of the citie of London, sens the Conqueste, dyligentely collected by Iohn Stovv citisen of London, in the yere of our Lorde God 1565. Whervnto is added a table in the end, conteynyng all the principall matters of this booke. Perused and allowed accordyng to the Quenes maiesties iniunctions. This was published in London: In ædibus Thomæ Marshi, 1565. One route was that St Burien in Cornwall to London, by way of (as written) mount, Thury, Bodnam, Launston, Dcomton, Crokehorswell, Exceter and Honiton, with mileages between stations in latin small script.

The title was amended later: A Summarie of the Chronicles of England, from the first coming of Brute into this land, Vnto this present year of Christ 1574. Diligently collected, corrected & enlarged by lohn Stowe citizen of London. lmprinted at London: By Henry Binneman, dweling in Knightriders streate at the signe of the Mermayd.

 

    

Illustrations courtesy of Google Books from BL copy (1575) and GM (1604). 

A summarie of Englyshe chronicles

London: In ædibus Thomæ Marshi, 1565. (Hunts.).
London: In Fleetestreate by Thomas Marshe, 1566 (BL).
 
A Summarie of the Chronicles of England
London: In Fleetestreate by Thomas Marshe, 1570 (BL, Hunts.), 1573 (NLS).
London: By Henry Binneman, dwelling in Knightriders streate at the signe of the Mermayd, 1574. (B, UML).
London: Richard Tottle & Henry Binneman: 1575 (BL), 1579 (Hunts., LL), 1584,
London: Imprinted by Raph Newberie and Henrie Denham, 1587. (BL)
London: By Ralph Newbery. 1590 (BL, B),
London: Imprinted by Richard Bradocke, 1598. (BL, C, NLS).

London. John Harison. 1604. (GM, Harvard).

 
Posthumous editions were issued by Edmund Howes, in 1607, 1611 and 1618. In 1611 and 1618 the table of roads was included in The Abridgement of the English Chronicle, First collected by M John Stow, & after him augmented with very many memorable Antiquities, & continued with matters foreine & domesticall, vnto the beginning of the year 1610, 1618. By E.H. Gentleman. London.
London: Company of Stationers: 1611. (BL, C, QMU, Liv).
London: Company of Stationers: 1618. (BL, B, AU, LPL, Win).

Page of road routes from 1565 edition. 

 RETURN to Book II Introduction - Almanacks and Itineraries

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[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Stow

[2] Illustrations courtesy of Google Books from BL copy (1575) and GM (1604).