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

 

 

Eighteen months later

Unbelievable that it is already 18 months since I arrived in Brugge, to change the narrative of my life. The speed with which elderly time passes is yet another illustration of the deeply unfair odds stacked against the more mature! However, if one is lucky enough to jump over the Channel and fashion a new life, then one can afford to be insouciant about these minor travails.

Last week was A Birthday which I still enjoy celebrating. Having no kith or kin to hand as I am a few hours' effort away, I entertained several girl friends from the Wednesday morning coffee group I meet at Hotel Martin's [It has the grand title of the International Women's Club I now learn!] for coffee and a look around the estate it being too wet to actually sit on the terrace.

Then my English Group which meets to drink beer and coffee on Thursday evenings, [secondary purpose] and to chat in English, [primary intention] came for the same purpose to my flat nearby, bringing bouquet, champagne and wine. Just delightful and a great way to mark the passing of another year. A week later I have just had a few more girl friends round for coffee for belated birthday wishes; this was a flagrant act of spreading a party further than its weight could carry it, but it worked a treat.

 Justin Taylor, young French harpsichordist
playing Forqueray & Fils 11 Aug. 

And now the MA Festival is almost here; the annual reason why Eric and I came on the annual pilgrimage to Brugge from 1989 though he had then been following it for at least twenty years. MA = Musica Antiqua and it is Early Music in many forms and guises. It was rather like a religion to us as we returned, year after year, as it still is to the group of young Germans, and the Dutch couple who also come every year and with whom I have become firm friends. It is slightly harder to go to all the concerts as Eric and I did, [and later I continued, solo] though I manage most. It is a little different when one lives here; there are other imperatives but mostly the pattern-as-usual continues. Concert-going in abundance; long conversations in bars and cafes with due reverence paid by all to the wondrous Belgian beer; one luncheon party at a flat on Schaarstraat hosted by the boys and one hosted by me, in the past, wherever I had laid my head. Now held in my apartment but last year, the first in my own accommodation, I chose to serve Brunch and not Lunch in deference to the reducing energy and the increasing disinclination to drag large amounts of food along cobbled streets in my caddy. Brunch-with-bubbly worked beautifully and engendered more time and energy for other things. This annual prolonged get-together between Belgian, German, Dutch and English is much anticipated and enjoyed by us all; it has become an affirmation of friendship and continuity. It is one of the high spots of my year. Prima!

Yesterday I went to the City Archives in the Burg to follow the trail of William Caxton and had a marvellous time. I shall write about William next week but for now must record the hushed pleasure of visiting the Archives; the scholarly intent of people studying; the interested kindness of the woman on desk duty who helped me fill in forms, found me books, introduced me to the computer in the reading room and made me feel entitled to her help! The Archives are placed in the oldest part of the Palace of the Liberty of Bruges in the Burg from where the extensive rural hinterland around Brugge was governed from the eleventh century to 1795 when the Liberty itself was dissolved under the occupation by the French republic during the Revolutionary Wars. The Palace then served until 1984 as the Courts of Justice for Brugge and the archives were moved there in 1988. In the sixteenth century the Liberty of Bruges was governed by a burgomaster and 24 aldermen and the former Aldermen's Chamber is now a museum containing, among many artefacts, the monumental fireplace of the Liberty of Bruges.

The old archives contain most of the city's administrative records from the late 13th century and thus all the surviving documents produced by the City government between 1280 and 1795 are there. The modern archives, available for viewing by the public, date from 1795 to the present day. Nothing could better illustrate the astonishing continuity, despite wars and occupation over the centuries, of this city of Brugge. Wherever I turn, I seem destined to be dazzled!





Panorama of Brugge Grote Markt
to celebrate my 18 months here.