[415] Mores contradicts himself as to this date, giving it as 1738 in one place, and 1736 in another. As, however, he is particular to mention that John James, in 1736, after his father’s death, commenced his specimen of the foundry, the earlier date may be assumed to be correct.
[416] Timperley, who quotes this document (Encycl. p. 655), gives no particulars as to the letter in which it is printed.
[419] The Oxford University foundry must, of course, be included as a fourth foundry existing at this time, but does not rank as a trading establishment. Cottrell’s foundry was also started in 1757, but it is doubtful whether he had yet finished cutting his punches. Smith, in The Printer’s Grammar, 1755, in comparing the standard bodies in use at that time in England, names Caslon and James as the only English founders.
[420] Smith’s Printer’s Grammar, 1755, in referring to the use of flowers in typography, makes mention of “the considerable augmentation which Mr. Caslon has made here in flowers, and in which Mr. James likewise has so far proceeded that we may soon expect a specimen of them” (p. 137).
[421] Nichols, Illust. Lit., viii, 450.
[422] Edward Rowe Mores was born about the year 1729, at Tunstall in Kent, of which place his father was rector. He was educated at Merchant Taylors’ School and Queen’s College, Oxford, and being originally intended for holy orders, took his M.A. degree. He did not, however, enter the Church, but devoted himself to literary and antiquarian pursuits. Besides his Dissertation upon English Typographical Founders, he spent some time in correcting Ames, and in other investigations into the early history of printing. On one occasion, as he himself narrates, he assisted Ilive in correcting the Hebrew proofs of Calasio’s Concordance for the press. His latter life was marred by habits of negligence and intemperance, which hastened his death in 1778 at Low Leyton. His valuable library of books and MSS. was sold by auction by Paterson in August 1779, on which occasion the eighty copies of the Dissertation, being the entire impression, were bought up by Mr. Nichols and given to the public with a short Appendix.
[423] A Dissertation upon English Typographical Founders and Founderies, by Edward Rowe Mores, A.M. and A.S.S. (London) 1778. 8vo (only 80 copies printed).
[424] Consisting of eight founts of Hebrew, four of Samaritan, three of Arabic, four of Greek, five of Roman or Italic, three of Saxon, one of Anglo-Norman, and four of Black.