William Caxton





William Caxton in stained glass,
Guildhall, London

As mentioned in last week's blog, I went to the City Archives to see if I might find the area of Brugge in which William Caxton lived. I found nothing about that but did discover lots about him of which I knew nothing. My interest had been aroused because someone told me he had lived in Brugge, quite possibly in 'my' area, a mercantile district in mediaeval times, though there is nothing to authenticate that at all. I spent a happy two hours plus in the City Archives and the historian in me cannot resist sharing a brief biography of the man who printed the first English book in the world, and in Bruges to boot!
 

Margaret of York
Third wife of Charles the Bold
Sister of Edward IV

William was born around 1422 in the Weald of Kent and went to London at 16 to become apprenticed to a merchant; he was later sent to Brugge, where English merchants had a settlement, the English Nation, controlled from London by the Merchant Adventurers. Here he became a successful and important member of the merchant community during a stay of some thirty years in Flanders, mainly in Brugge. From 1462 to 1471 he served as Governor of the English Nation of Merchant Adventurers which allowed him to represent his fellow merchants as well as act as a diplomat for the King of England, Edward 1V. As this important representative of English interests, he became inextricably connected to a wide circle of administrators, diplomats and members of the nobility. He was especially active in the negotiations leading to the marriage in Damme in July 1468 of Edward 1V's sister, Margaret of York ,to the Burgundian Duke, Charles the Bold. Caxton subsequently entered into some form of service with Margaret.

15th century Cologne

Caxton was dismissed from his Governorship in 1471, an act probably associated with fluctuating political allegiances in England where the then King, Edward 1V, had been temporarily deposed. William went into exile to Cologne for eighteen months and it was there where he learned about printing. Thus, he cannily transformed his misfortune in Brugge, developing it into an important turning point in his life. He already had strong connections with the merchant community in Cologne and through its members, became acquainted with the men who had introduced the revolutionary art of printing to Cologne in 1466, developing it into a thriving industry. It could boast several outstanding practitioners of the art and Caxton, ever the astute merchant, decided to take part in this expanding enterprise and published three substantial books in Latin, aimed at the lucrative Cologne market.


A page from Caxton's 1474 edition of
The Recuyell of the Historye of Troye
[British Library]



When he returned to Flanders at the end of 1472, Caxton had found his new direction; he determined to print books in English and the first was his translation of the Recuyell of the Historye of Troye, by Raoul Lefevre which appeared in 1473/4, printed in Bruges. The trade of printing was strictly controlled in Brugge; only members of the Guild of Sint Jan were allowed to print; only citizens of Brugge could become Guild members. Therefore Caxton had to find an approved associate; the pre-eminent printer of the day in Brugge was Colard Mansion and although there is no historical evidence to prove a partnership, it is highly likely that it was to Mansion that Caxton turned. Mansion's life is extensively documented and thus it is known that he rented a shop adjoining Sint Donaas's Church in the Burg [now the Crowne Plaza Hotel] which is the nearest to discovering Caxton's house as one can get! The first one reads of Caxton's premises is the space he rented in Westminster Abbey in 1476 when he had moved back to London.

Caxton printed around 100 books renowned for their craftsmanship and careful editing; many of them were translated by him. By common consent, the most prestigious books Caxton printed were considered to be The Canterbury Tales and Mort Darthur. He was  multi-talented: a translator, diplomat, importer of books into England; printer but essentially, he was a highly successful merchant whose major enterprise of printing in English, and of printing the first book ever in English, has ensured his immortality.  

 Page from Caxton's The Canterbury Tales



 15th century printing press.

 Presentation copy of The Recuyell of The Historye of Troye
showing Caxton giving the first copy to Margaret of York