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 (1588) 1879    SMITH, William 

William Smith (c.1550–1618) is the second writer whose works werre not published n his lifetime.
Smith had an unusual background and spent six years living in Germany. Born in Cheshire about 1550, William is said to have been educated at Oxford. In March 1561–2 his mother died, and in July 1568 he paid a visit to Bristol. About 1575 Smith became a citizen of London and a member of the Haberdashers' Company. He proceeded to Germany about 1578, and for some years kept an inn at Nürnberg with the sign of the Goose. Here he met and married Veronica, daughter of Francis Altensteig of Nürnberg. On the death of his father, on 6 Oct. 1584, he returned to England, and in 1585 took up his residence in Cheshire. On 23 Oct. 1597 he was created rouge dragon pursuivant on the recommendation of Sir George Carey, knight marshal. He died on 10 Oct. 1618.
 


Smith was a prodigious author and the Forward to his The Particuler Description of England, with Portratures of certaine of the cheifest Citties and Townes, written in 1588 but not published until 1879, includes a long list of mainly unpublished works. The works broadly divide into three main areas: descriptions of England or parts thereof, including works on London, Cheshire and Dorset; works and especially drawings of the armorial shields and genealogy; and notes on Germany such as How Germany is devyded into 10 Kreises, his brief description of Nuremburg, or German Coats collected by William Smith during his abode in Germany.

Notes on leaf 150b (page 69 in printed book); The High Wais, from any notable towne in England to the Citie of London, and Lykewyse from one notable towne to another.

Includes twelve roads and 29 cross-roads and variation of routes with: St. Burien to London; Excester to London; Excester to Barstable; Excester to Bristow; Southampton to Helford; Barstable to Bristow.

 

 

The Shakespeare Society has illustrations of a coat of arms awarded to John and William Shakespeare and included in one of the many compilations of armorial bearings drawn up by William Smith.

 
 

 Harold Bowditch Collection, Mss 1180, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections, page 66 detail. Illustrated on the Shakespeare Documented website. Shakespeare Arms right. [1]

The Particular Description of England With the Portratures of Certaine of the Chieffest Citties & Townes. (1588). (BL).

The Particular Description of England 1588. With views of some of the chief towns & armorial bearings of Nobles & Bishops. By William Smith Rouge Dragon. Edited, from the original MS in the British Museum, with an introduction by Henry B Wheatley FSA & Edmund W Ashbee FSA London: Printed for Subscribers only MDCCCLXXIX. (Yale, FB).


 

Illustrations from 1879 facsimile on Internet Archives – University of California[2]

 

    

 RETURN to Book II Introduction - Almanacks and Itineraries

 

 

 


[1] https://shakespearedocumented.folger.edu/file/harold-bowditch-collection-mss-1180-r-stanton-avery-special-collections-page-66-detail

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