| THE STATIONERS’ COMPANY. |
During the past few years there has been a very evident revival in the Printer’s Mark as a modern device, but the interest has much more largely obtained among publishers than among printers. We propose, therefore, to include in this chapter a few of the more interesting examples of each class. On the score of antiquity the Stationers’ Company may be first mentioned. Founded in 1403—nearly three-quarters of a century before the introduction of printing—its first charter was not received until May 4th, 1557, during the reign of Mary. The number of “seditious and heretical books, both in prose and verse,” that were daily issued for the propagation of “very great and detestable heresies against the faith and sound Catholic doctrine of Holy Mother the Church,” became so numerous, that the government were only too glad to “recognize” the Company, and to intrust it with the most absolute power. The charter was to “provide a proper remedy,” or, in other words, to check the fast-increasing number of publications so bitter in their opposition to the Court religion. But, stringent and emphatic as was this proclamation, its effect was almost nil. On June 6th, 1558, another rigorous act was published from “our manor of St. James,” and will be found in Strype’s “Ecclesiastical Memorials” (ed. 1822, iii. part 2, pp. 130, 131). It had specific reference to the illegality of seditious books imported, and others “covertly printed within this realm,” whereby “not only God is dishonoured, but also encouragement is given to disobey lawful princes and governors.” This proclamation declared that not only those who possessed such books, but also those who, on finding them, do not forthwith report the same, should be dealt with as rebels. It will be seen, therefore, how easy it was, in the absence of any fine definition, for books of whatever character to be proscribed. There was no appeal against the decision of the Stationers’ Hall representatives, who had the power entirely in their own hands. A few months after Mary’s futile attempt at checking the freedom of the press, a diametrically objective change occurred, and with Elizabeth’s accession to the throne in November, 1558, the licensed stationers conveniently veered around and were as industrious in suppressing Catholic books as they had been a few weeks previously in endeavouring to stamp out those of the new religion. The history of the Stationers’ Company however has been so frequently told that it need not be further entered upon here, and it must suffice us to say that, after many vicissitudes, all the privileges and monopolies had become neutralized by the end of the last century, till it had nothing left but the right to publish a common Latin primer and almanacks, and the right to the latter monopoly was annulled after a memorable speech of Erksine. The Company still continues to publish almanacks, and uses the two Marks or Arms here reproduced. The larger example is the older, and is used on the County almanacks; whilst the smaller one is used on circulars and notices.
| THE STATIONERS’ COMPANY. | THE RIVINGTONS. |
Of the existing firms of publishers and printers, that of Messrs. Longmans is the most memorable; vice the firm of Messrs. Rivingtons, which has now become joined to that of the Longmans. This gives us the opportunity to consider briefly the Marks of the two firms together. In the year 1711, Richard Chiswell, the printer of much of Dryden’s poetry, died, and his business passed into the hands of Charles Rivington, a native of Chesterfield, Derbyshire. Thoughtful and pious himself, Charles Rivington threw himself with ardour into the trade for religious manuals, and not only succeeding in persuading John Wesley to translate “à Kempis” for him, but also in publishing the saintly Bishop Thomas Wilson’s “Short and Plain Introduction to the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper,” the first edition of which bears Charles Rivington’s name on the imprint, and which is still popular. To the novelist Richardson, he suggested “Pamela.” Dying in 1742, he left Samuel Richardson as one of the executors of his six children, but his sons, John and James, continued to conduct the business. A few years later, it was deemed advisable for the brothers to separate, and while John remained at the “Bible and Crown,” St. Paul’s Churchyard, James joined a Mr. Fletcher in the same locality, and started afresh. One especially fortunate venture was the publication of Smollett’s continuation of Hume, which brought its lucky publishers upwards of £10,000, a larger profit than had previously been made on any one book. However, Newmarket had attractions for James, and eventually disaster set in; he died in New York in 1802 or 1803. His brother, meanwhile, had plodded on steadily at home, and admitting his two sons, Francis and Charles, into partnership. About this time there were numerous editions of the classics, the common property of a syndicate of publishers, and it says much for Mr. John Rivington that he was appointed managing partner. About 1760 he obtained the appointment of publisher to the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, a lucrative post, held by the firm for upwards of two generations. By the year 1889, the two representatives of this ancient firm were Messrs. Francis Hansard Rivington and Septimus Rivington; in this year the partnership was dissolved, and the goodwill and stock were acquired by Messrs. Longmans. They used at various periods no less than eight Marks, the design of which was in most cases based upon the ancient sign of their shop, “The Bible and Sun.”
LONGMAN AND CO.
| THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
The history of Messrs. Longmans may be said to commence with the birth of Thomas Longman in 1699. The son of a Bristol gentleman, he lost his father in 1708, and, eight years later, was apprenticed, on June 9, 1716, to Mr. John Osborn of Lombard Street, London. His apprenticeship expiring (he had come into the possession of his property two years earlier), we find him, in 1724, purchasing from his master, John Osborn (acting with William Innys as executors), the stock in trade of William Taylor, of the Ship and Black Swan in Paternoster Row. Readers of Longman’s Magazine turn to Mr. Andrew Lang’s genial gossip, “At the Sign of the Ship,” without recalling the origin of the title. Henceforward the Ship carried the Longman fortunes as cargo, and the prosperity of the vessel is not yet ended. Messrs. Longmans have used nearly a dozen Marks, all of which have been suggested, like those of the Rivingtons, by the sign of their shop, which has now grown into a very imposing pile of buildings. Of these Marks we give two of the most artistic and interesting. As taking us back into a comparatively remote period in the history of printing and publishing in England, the Mark of the Clarendon Press, or, in other words, the arms of the University of Oxford, may be here cited.
