Another stationer and binder whose work can fortunately be identified is Thomas Symonds, a stationer of St Paul’s Churchyard. His name first occurs in 1514 when he was a witness in a lawsuit quoted by Foxe in his Book of Martyrs. He was employed by the officials of London Bridge, and in their accounts for 1525-6 is the entry “paid to Thomas Symonds for binding in boards 17 quires in parchment containing 17 accounts of the bridge works, 6s.” This original binding is still preserved and is ornamented with a broad roll containing the binder’s mark, a castle and portcullis, a fleur-de-lys, a unicorn, a rose, a pomegranate and the royal arms.
Lewis Sutton was apparently a very important stationer, and must I think be identified with the Ludovicus Suethon who in partnership with John Reynes and W. de Worde commissioned the great Sarum Gradual printed for them at Paris by Prevost in 1527. In foreign printed books mistakes in names are not uncommon, and the rare Christian name Lewis combined with two such similar sounding names as Suethon and Sutton, renders the suggestion probable. In 1526 he and Henry Pepwell were the two wardens of the Company of Stationers, which shows that he must have held a high position in the trade. In 1534-5 he was defendant along with Richard Draper, warden of the Goldsmiths, in an action brought by John Gough and John Rastell the printer concerning the latter’s printing-office. A later notice of him occurs in the letters and papers of Henry VIII under the date of August 12, 1539. “Receipt by Lewys Sutton, bookbinder of London, of 5 marks from William Hatton of Haldenby for lands in Northamptonshire sold to him.” The will of a Lewis Sutton described as belonging to the parish of St Michael le Querne, London, and dated 1541, is amongst those preserved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, and is probably that of the stationer. There was another Sutton named Nicholas who was a stationer in London and died shortly before 1531, who lived in St Paul’s Churchyard and was probably related to the stationers named Toy.
A stamped binding is known having upon it the initials N. S. followed by a tun, apparently a rebus on the name N. Sutton, and may very likely be his work.
Another person who ought to be mentioned, though neither printer nor stationer, is William Marshall, quoted by many writers as both. He was strongly interested in the Reformation, and spent both time and money in procuring the printing of books in support of the movement. He was a friend of Cromwell, who assisted him with money, and there are in the State papers many interesting letters from the one to the other relating to the publication of such works as the Gift of Constantine printed by Godfray, and Erasmus on the Creed by Redman, issued in 1534; De veteri et novo Deo, printed by Byddell, and the Defence of Peace by Wyer, both of 1535. Of this latter book he sent twenty-four copies to the monks of the Charterhouse, which they, under the order of their superior, returned, with the exception of one copy which they burnt. Two books, his Pictures and Ymages and The Chrysten Bysshop and Counterfayte Bysshop, were apparently printed by Gough, though according to Herbert the latter book has a distinct colophon “Emprynted by Wyllyam Marshall.” The most beautiful book printed for him was the reformed Prymer of 1535, the work of John Byddell. It is much superior to the usual work of the time, and at least three copies are known printed upon vellum. Like William Bretton, Marshall has printed at the end of some of the books he had commissioned a large woodcut representing his coat of arms.
John Growte, stationer and bookbinder, lived in the Blackfriars next the church door. In 1532 and 1533 he commissioned the widow of Thielman Kerver to print for him two editions of the Sarum Horae, which were followed by another in 1534. Growte is identical with the mythical Rouen stationer Jean Groyat, an error which has arisen through the misreading of a colophon. An edition of the Horae was printed in 1536 at Rouen “per Nicolaum le Roux pro Johanne groyat et Johanne marchant in parochia sancti Macuti ad signum duarum unicornium manente.” A hasty glance has assured someone that Groyat and Marchant were partners living at the sign of the two unicorns, overlooking the fact that the last word used in the colophon “manente” must apply to Marchant alone. Groyat may very well be the proper spelling of Growte’s name, for he was a foreigner, as we know from his being entered in the Returns of Aliens.
During the period of which we are now treating the presses of Paris and Rouen were actively at work producing books intended for the London market. At Paris, Hopyl, Kerver, Petit, Chevallon, Hardouyn, Prevost, Pigouchet, Higman, Rembolt, in fact all the best known printers and stationers were thus employed. At Rouen we find Morin, Caillard, Olivier, Violette, Bernard, Cousin, Richard, and others, and when we consider that many printed twenty or thirty different editions, we can arrive at some idea of the magnitude of the trade. The most important of the Paris printers was Hopyl; his Lyndewode, his Sarum Missals, and above all his Antiphoner, are splendid specimens of work which no English printer of the time could have attempted to rival. Prevost among other books is represented by a magnificent Gradual. Chevallon issued the great Sarum Breviary of 1531. Pigouchet and Kerver continued the work they had done so well in the previous century, and issued many editions of the Sarum Horae, while Higman and Rembolt printed Missals.
Among the Rouen printers Martin Morin undoubtedly took the leading position for beautiful work. He and Olivier produced a large number of Sarum Missals remarkable for their fine printing. With regard to these missals there is one point to which I should like to draw attention. Both Morin and Olivier possessed a very large initial M for the title Missale, round the middle stroke of which their name is engraved, Morin or Holivier. Now these letters being practically indestructible, passed to their successors and were still used. This at any rate in the case of Olivier has given rise to considerable confusion, for he is quoted as the printer of books, as for instance the York Missal of 1530, which were issued long after he was dead. Among other printers and stationers connected with the English trade may be mentioned Macé, Bernard, Cousin, Violette, and Caillard.
Almost the entire French output consisted of liturgical books. Verard however issued three—well, British—books, for two were in Scottish, and we have it on Pynson’s authority that no one could understand them. The third was Barclay’s translation of Gringore’s Castle of Labour, printed when Barclay was himself in Paris about 1503.
Besides these a few grammatical tracts were issued, Violette issued an English Donatus and Jacques Cousin a Stanbridge at Rouen.
The series of beautiful liturgical books which came from the presses of Paris and Rouen afford us information also about many visiting foreign stationers. The Missal issued in 1500 by Jean du Pré, but generally ascribed through a misreading of the colophon to 1502, speaks of several new prayers just brought over from England by Jean Antoine the stationer. A Terence of 1504, of which the only copy known is in the University Library (picked up from a small old-book shop in Liverpool), and a Sarum Breviary of 1507 were printed for several stationers living in London, one of whom was a certain Michael Morin, no doubt a relative of the famous Rouen printer Martin Morin. Another stationer whose name is found in the Terence is John Brachius, but his name occurs nowhere else, and I have not been able to find out anything about him. Guillaume Candos, at whose cost a Sarum Missal was printed in 1509 by Pierre Violette, was apparently in England for a time. Another Sarum Missal quoted by Herbert, of which I can trace no copy, was printed for W. de Worde and Michael de Paule, both living in London. Jean Richard of Rouen, who printed so many fine Sarum service books, also came over and was one of the parties in a lawsuit in England at the beginning of the century. From another lawsuit we find that Frederick Egmont, an important stationer of London in the fifteenth century, was still in England, after 1500. I think it will be found, as more documents come to light, that all the principal foreign stationers paid visits to this country or kept agents in London. In very many foreign printed service books we find the expression “to be bought of the booksellers in Paul’s Churchyard.” I do not know whether that is the equivalent of the modern “to be obtained of all booksellers” or whether it only refers to a small clique of foreign stationers.