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Some Account of the Oxford University Press 1468-1921

Anonymous

9781465639332
118 pages
Library of Alexandria
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Overview
The first book printed at Oxford is the very rare Commentary on the Apostles’ Creed attributed to St. Jerome, the colophon of which is dated 17 December, Anno domini Mcccclxviij. It is improbable that a book was printed at Oxford so early as 1468; and the bibliographers are on various grounds agreed that an x has been omitted. If so, Oxford must be content to date the beginning of its Press from the year 1478; while Westminster, its only English precursor, produced its first book from Caxton’s press in 1477. The first printer was Theodoric Rood, who came to England from Cologne, and looked after the Press until about 1485; soon after which date the first Press came to an end. The second Press lasted from 1517 until 1520, and was near Merton College. Some twenty-three books are known to have issued from these Presses; they are for the most part classical or theological works in Latin. There is no doubt that this early Press was really the University Press; for many of the books have the imprint in Alma Universitate Oxoniae or the like, some bear the University Arms, and some are issued with the express privilege of the Chancellor of the University. After 1520 there is a gap in the history, which begins again in 1585. The Chancellor of that time was Queen Elizabeth’s favourite, the Earl of Leicester, who in the first issue of the new Press is celebrated as its founder. Convocation in 1584 had appointed a committee De Libris imprimendis, and in 1586 the University lent £100 to an Oxford bookseller, Joseph Barnes, to carry on a press. In the next year an ordinance of the Star Chamber allowed one press at Oxford, and one apprentice in addition to the master printer. Barnes managed the Press until 1617, and printed many books now prized by collectors, among them the first book printed at Oxford in Greek (the Chrysostom of 1586), the first book with Hebrew type (1596), Richard de Bury’s Philobiblon, and Captain John Smith’s Map of Virginia.

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