Francis Buck was accordingly elected in 1630, but seems to have taken no active share in the printing business. When he resigned two years later he claimed nothing for his patent and afterwards declared:
I only did beare the name of it to do them [Thomas and John] a pleasure or benefitt; and likewise when I did give it over to Mr Daniel I thought it would be a benefitt to my brothers.
From this it seems clear that the appointment of Roger Daniel as printer on 24 July, 1632 (three days after the resignation of Francis) was in accordance with the plans of the brothers Buck[42].
Another family arrangement, made earlier (31 May) in the same year, was one by which John Buck demised the "benefitt of his patent of Printer to the Universitie for the terme of vii yeares to Thomas Buck, he paieing yearely the summe of lvili for the same and John Buck should exercise his brother Thomas Buck's place of Bedell during the said terme."[43]
With two bedellships and two printer's patents in the family, Thomas evidently felt it better that each brother should specialise in one department.
By his first agreement with Thomas Buck Daniel promised to take
that Capitall messuage and tenement called the Augustine Fryers wherein the said Thomas Buck now dwelleth together with the printing house and all other houses yards orchards closes wayes and all other easements and commodities thereunto belonging. Except ... all that chamber over the parlor commonly called the great chamber together with the green chamber and cole house thereunto adjoyning, as also two studies in the correcting roome[44].
This paragraph has a special interest in that it describes the only one of the early printing-houses of which a pictorial record has been preserved. The sketch here shewn is described by Cole as
The West Prospect of what remains of the Priory of St Austin in Cambridge, late the Dwelling House of Mr Buck, and now the House belonging to the Curator of the Botanic Garden. It was taken Jan. 19, 1770 by Mr Tyson, Fellow of Benet College, from a Chamber Window in that College, and just opposite to it. It is drawn rather too short at the North end[45].
The building was "just behind the East End of St Benedict's Church and Corpus Christi College."