1585/6, Jan. 10. A Committee of Convocation at Oxford appointed to consider De libris imprimendis (Oxf. Univ. Archives, Reg. L. 10, fol. 283).
1586, June 23. An Ordinance of the Star Chamber allows only two presses outside London, one at Oxford and one at Cambridge, and only one apprentice to each press (printed in full in Arber’s Transcript, ii. 807).
1588. In about this year occurs an Inventory of the goods of John Pigot, scrivener, implying his previous death (Oxf. Univ. Archives—Wills).
1590, Nov. 27. Robert Foxon, adm. bookseller (Clark, i. 321): but on 7 Mar. 1590
1 an Inventory of his goods was taken, implying previous death (Oxf. Univ. Archives—Wills).
—— —— Thomas Middleton, adm. bookseller (Clark, ibid.): he died before 28 March 1604 (Oxf. Univ. Archives—Wills).
—— —— Francis Peirce, do. (ibid.): still bookseller in 1616
7 (Clark, i. 521): died before 4 Jan. 1622
3 (Oxf. Univ. Archives—Wills).
—— —— Stephen Wilson, do. (ibid.): in 1591 he is a bookbinder also (Clark, i. 342).
1591, May 25. A patent was granted to Richard Wright of Oxford and his assigns to print Tacitus’s History in English, for life. (Patent Roll 33 Eliz., part 17, Arber’s Transcript, ii. 16). This partly explains the peculiarity noticed in 1591, no. 5 (p. 31, above): clearly it was printed nominally by Barnes, but published in London and perhaps in part printed there. Wright appears as belonging to both cities.
1593/4, Feb. 21. Thomas Gowre resigns the office of parchment seller and is succeeded by William Jennings (Fenninge?) (Clark, i. 322).
1594, Sept. 3. John Barnes, son of Joseph Barnes, is apprenticed to Rich. Watkins of St. Paul’s Churchyard, London, for seven years from Mich. 1594 (Arber’s Transcript, ii. 195: see the same work under date 7 June, 1602, &c.).