Very Early “Cock Robin” Series, “Postboy” byBewick for a Newcastle Newspaper, “Wife Joan,” etc., from J.White’s Stock. | ||
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Early “Mother Hubbard:” J. Evans, Long Lane, circa1770. | ||
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Early “Goody Two Shoes,” “Jack and Jill,”“Cock Robin,” The Fables, early Bewick School. | |||
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All Evans’s style of woodcut, Catnach, etc., all used atRushers Banbury Press. | |||
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Babes in the Wood. | |||
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Blue Beard. | |||
Providing ourselves with a variety of pens and ink, we select two of the best and proceed to describe the Banbury Printer’s old stock of cuts.
Banbury, Oxfordshire, was one of the chief provincial towns noted for its Children’s Books, Chap Books, Battledoes, Reading Easies, etc., also for locally printed works, notably for two, viz., Dr. Johnson’s Rasselas, and White and Beesley’s work on Bees, thin 12mo volumes, boards, printed in a curious phonetic character, called “Rusher’s Types.” Rusher, printer of this town, had some ingenuity and originality of his own, and was not such a plagiarist and imitator as some of his contemporaries. Many of the tales he cleverly adapted to the locality, which have become very valuable. His edition of the Rasselas realized £5 5s. This book was written by Johnson in a week to defray his mother’s funeral expenses.
We give several extracts from some of Rusher’s Penny Books which will show how well he adapted them to his town.
| [Early John Bewick,] Rusher’s Lilliputian Library, Banbury, circa. 1810. | At Rusher’s fam’d Warehouse, Books, Pictures and Toys Are selling to please all The good girls and boys. For youth of all ages There’s plenty in store, Amusement, instruction, For rich and the poor. |
| From the New House that Jack Built. See Jack in his study, Is writting a book, As pretty as this is In which you may look; The price is one penny, For girls or for boys, There’s more too at Rusher’s, And Pictures and Toys. | Poetic Trifles. Sing see-saw, Jack thatching the ridge, Which is the way to Banbury-bridge? One foot up and t’other foot down, And that’s the way to Banbury town. |
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As I was going to Banbury Upon a summer’s day, My dame had butter, eggs and fruit, And I had corn and hay, Joe drove the ox and Tom the swine, Dick took the foal and mare: I sold them all—then home to dine From famous Banbury Fair. Here’s something new Dear child for you, I will please you in a trice A halfp’ny chuse, Now don’t refuse, A penny is the price. Tho’ basely born Pray do not scorn A Tale no worse than many For I’m afraid More say in trade, A halfp’ny’s made a penny. Good things to engross, Near Banbury cross Where Tommy shall go on the nag, He makes no mistake, Buy a Banbury Cake, Books, Pictures, and Banbury Shag. |
Little Robin Redbreast Sat upon a tree He sang merrily As merrily could be. He nodded with his head And his tail waggled he As little Robin Redbreast Sat upon a tree. Now each lad and each lass Both sister and brother May have books for each class For Father or Mother. And when with much pleasure You’ve read them all o’er, Then hasten to Rusher’s, He’s printing some more. Where each daughter and son And each nephew and niece, Each good child may have one, For a penny a piece. Black your shoes, your Honour? Here’s Finiky Hawkes, As busy as any, Will well black your shoes, And charge but a penny. |