Caxton
William Caxton (c.1422-1491) was the first English printer, setting up a press at Westminster in 1476. His first printed book was Earl Rivers' Dictes and sayenges if the Phylosophers published in 1477.
Born in Kent, by 1446 Caxton was serving as a mercer's apprentice at Bruges. In 1465 he was appointed to the post of Governor of the Merchant Adventurers, where he was heavily involved in negotiating commercial treaties on their behalf.
In the early 1470s Caxton learnt the art of printing at Cologne, and also found time to translate a French Romance as the Recuyell of the Historyes of Troy which he printed at Bruges in 1474.
Returning to London in 1476 Caxton set up the first Printing Press in England at Westminster, and from then until his death printed about 80 volumes including Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and Morie d' Arthur. He also found time to work on various translations.
On his death, Caxton's Press at Westminster was taken over by his Chief Assistant, Wynkyn de Worde.
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Article added: 2006-10-06 @ 12:50 am
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