1571-72 GRAFTON, Richard
Richard Grafton (c. 1506/7 or 1511 – 1573), a member of the Grocers' Company, and Edward Whitchurch, a member of the Haberdashers' Company, were both interested in the printing the Bible in English, and both men became printers and publishers, more by chance than by design. Together they published the Matthew Bible in 1537 (though it was printed abroad) and in 1538 they brought presses and printers from Paris to print the first edition of the Great Bible. In 1541 they obtained a joint exclusive privilege for printing the Church of England's new liturgical books, including the first Book of Common Prayer.
Printing was a precarious occupation and in April 1543, Grafton and seven other printers, among them Whitchurch, were sent to prison "for printing such books as were thought to be unlawful". In Grafton's case it was for having printed the Great Bible. He spent six weeks in prison and was bound in £300 neither to sell nor to print any more Bibles until the King and clergy should agree upon a translation.
The Almanac is generally believed to have appeared only two years before his death in 1573. He was buried on 14 May in Christ Church Greyfriars in London, leaving four sons and one daughter, Joan, who married the printer Richard Tottel, who printed the first issues. Grafton's device was a tree bearing grafts issuing from a tun or barrel of the kind in which books were packed for transport – hence "graft-tun", an example of a rebus.[1]
The little book is an Almanac complete with law terms, calendar, computation of dates, King's reigns and year numbers, computation of hours, table of tides, sunrise, planets, Oxford & Cambridge colleges, Cities & Boroughs, Bishoprics, London wards & churches, Fairs in England & Wales, and the Hygh Waies.
Although the initial year of publication is often given as 1571, a copy at Folger Shakespeare Library has a copy with manuscript date 1568. The copy is available online. However, the volumes (with legible date) after 1591 were published by Adams and have an extra line Perused, corrected & augmented by W W London and the Folger volume was printed by I C for Robert Walley. This could be a volume of 1588 with Robert taking over from John Walley and handing over to Thomas Adams.
London: Richard Totelli: 1571. (NLW, Hunt.).[2]
The
volume appeared in 1572, at the end of the 5th edition of Grafton's
Abridgement of the Chronicles of Englande, newely corrected and augmented, to
thys present yere of our Lord 1572. (BL, CUL[3],
NLS, QMU).
It
was issued as a separate publication with a variant title and the roads reset
as:
A
brief treatise conteinyng many proper Tables & easie rules, verie necessary
& needeful, for the vse & commoditie of all people, collected out of
certaine learned mens workes the contents whereof, the Page that followeth
doeth expresse. Newly set fourth & allowed, accordyng to the Queenes
Maiesties Iniunctions, Imprinted at London By Ihon Waley.
London:
John Waley (or Walley from c.1579): 1573 Imprinted at London: By [H. Middleton for] Ihon VValey, (BL, LPL, QMU, UCL).
Further
examples are known for 1576 Imprinted
at London: By [J. Charlewood for] Ihon VValey, (BL, FSL), 1579 Imprinted at London: By [J. Charlewood
for] Ihon VValey, (BL), 1582 (BL), 1585 (IA).
It
was issued as Perused, corrected & augmented by W W London, from circa
1588.
1588. Printed by I C for Robert Walley. (FLS.).[4] See text above.
1591. Printed by John Charlwood for Thomas Adams. (BL).
1593.
Printed by the Widdowe Charlewood for Thomas Adams. (BL).
1595.
London. Printed by V S for Thomas Adams, dwelling in Paules Church-yard at the
signe of the white Lion. (BL).
1596.
London. Printed by Gabriell Simson for Thomas Adams, dwelling in Paules
Church-yard at the signe of the white Lion.
The
last issues were - And now newley perused, corrected, and in many places
augmented this present yeare.
1599.
London. Printed by Valentine Simmes for Thomas Adams, dwelling in Paules
Church-yard at the signe of the white Lion. (Hunt.)
1602
(B), Printed [by R. Read] for Thomas Adams,
dwelling in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the white Lion
1608
(B), printed [by G. Eld] for Thomas Adams,
dwelling in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the white Lion
1611.
London. Printed [by G. Eld] for Thomas Adams,
dwelling in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the white Lion. (Hunt.,
Harvard)
Distances are shown between towns are listed under The high wayes from any notable towne in England to the Citie of London. And like-wise from one notable towne to another, newly collected and set forth in a more larger and better maner then heretofore it hath bene.
The first section (1571) is From S. Buryen in Cornwall to Excester: other roads listed in this way are From Excester to London via either Basingstoke or Dorchester - From Totnes to Excester - From Dartmouth to Excester - From Excester to Barstable - From Excester to Bristow via either Glastonbury (Glassenbury) or, in good weather, via Brentmarsh.
The layout was altered for later editions (see 1573 above and Folger copy below).
[1]
Two copies: one at Cambridge Univ. Library; one
at Kings College.
[3] See much longer article in Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Grafton.
[4] In ædibus Richardi Tottelli. Cum priuilegio ad
imprimendum solum. NLW is known to hold a copy. An incomplete list is on BL
catalogue. All the works listed above are available to view via Internet
Archives, but there is no attribution.
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