1642          GALLEN, Thomas and William

 

Gallen´s A new almanack for the said year. Being the [bissextile, or leap-year]. Containing the lunations, eclipses, aspects of the planets, and daily disposition of the air. With directions to such as use marts, or fairs, also to travellers that coast the kingdom. Lately amplified with many notes of good consequence appeared from circa 1642 until circa 1683 when it became A complete pocket almanack for the year of our Lord. Compiled originally by Tho(mas) Gallen, mathemat, this changed in 1686 to Will(iam) Gallen, also mathematician.

 

The following editions have been reported:

 1642 (B, Printed by Rob. Young for the Companie of Stationers),

1643 (BL, Printed by James Young for the Companie of Stationers),

1647 (BL, printed by M[iles] F[lesher] for the Company of Stationers),

1648 (Hunt., Printed by M. F. for the Company of Stationers),

1649 (BL, printed by M.F. for the Company of Stationers),

1658 (B, printed by J[ames]. F[lesher]. for the Company of Stationers),

1662 (Balliol, printed by J[ames]. F[lesher]. for the Company of Stationers),

1663 (Balliol, Oxford, printed by J[ames]. F[lesher]. for the Company of Stationers),

1664 (Huntingdon, printed by J[ames]. F[lesher]. for the Company of Stationers),

1668 (FSL, printed by J[ames]. F[lesher]. for the Company of Stationers),

1671 (Hunt., printed by E[lizabeth] Flesher for the Company of Stationers),

1672 (B, printed by E. F[lesher]. for the Company of Stationers),

1673 (BL, printed by E. F[lesher]. for the Company of Stationers),

1674 (FSL, printed by E. F[lesher]. for the Company of Stationers),

1675 (Toronto, printed by E. F[lesher]. for the Company of Stationers),

1680 (Private, printed by M.F. for the Company of Stationers)

 

A complete pocket almanack for the year of our Lord 1686. Being the second after leap-year. Containing the lunations, eclipses, aspects of the planets, and inclination of the air. And accommodated with variety of necessary rules, tables and directions, sutable to all mens occasions. With the measuring of land, and gauging of vessels of all sorts. Also the fairs and roads in England and Wales, alphabetically disposed, in a more plain and orderly manner, than they were ever yet published in … By Will. Gallen, Mathemat

 

1683 A compleat pocket almanack … by Tho. Gallen (B, TCD, Printed by T.H. for the Company of Stationers),

 

1686 A complete pocket almanack (John Johnson Coll., B, Notts., Printed by M.F. for the Company of Stationers),

1689 (TCD, B, Printed by E.F. for the Company of Stationers)

1690 (NLW, B, Printed by T.H. for the Company of Stationers) and

1692 (B, printed by T. H. for the Company of Stationers).

1693 (LL, printed by T. H. for the Company of Stationers).

 

    

Above illustrations courtesy of Internet Archive. Original held at British Library.

As was customary, the almanacks were printed for the Company of Stationers and only the initial letters of these printers appears on the covers. The first two issues (extant) were printed by Robert and James Young but the printing had been turned over to the Flesher family by 1647. Miles Flesher (or Fletcher[1]) was a well-known printer in Little Britain, London between 1611-64. He took up his freedom November 4th, 1611 [Arber, iii. 683], and in 1617 joined George Eld, who died in 1624. Fletcher then petitioned the Archbishop of Canterbury to be appointed a master printer in his place, and the request was granted. From this time his business prospered and he joined partnership with Robert Young, q.v., and John Haviland. These three men were the largest capitalists in the trade for many years. By 1652 his son James was also working in the company.

Miles Fletcher was Master of the Company of Stationers in the years 1652, 1653; 1662, and 1663 and a prominent man in the parish of St. Botolph without Aldersgate, serving as churchwarden. Miles Fletcher died November 13th, 1664 and he left everything to his son James, no one else being mentioned. James Fletcher married a daughter of Cornelius Bee the bookseller. In the survey of the press made in July, 1668, he is returned as keeping five presses, thirteen workmen and two apprentices. He died in 1670. [Smyth's Obituary, p. 89; Plomer, Short History, pp. 224, 225.]

The puzzling aspect is the name of the third Flesher which is prominent from 1671 to 1689. This is Elizabeth Flesher, widow of James. She acquired the business and ran it for another 18 years after his death. However, although Elizabeth Flesher was then very active as a printer she is omitted from Plomer´s listing and not named under her father´s entry (presumably this was Cornelius Bee). She not only printed the almanacks but also law books including French translations.

Above illustration courtesy of Tennant Auctioneers (on sale 2024). The Auction Centre,  Leyburn, North Yorkshire, UK.

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[1] See A Dictionary of the Booksellers and Printers who Were at Work in England, Scotland and Ireland from 1641 to 1667; by Henry R Plomer for the Bibliographical Society; London; 1907. This is freely available online through WikiSource.