Printing Press--William Caxton

William Caxton



William Caxton was known as the first English printer, translator, and importer of books to England.

According to BBC History: "Caxton was born in around 1422 in Kent. He went to London at the age of 16 to become an apprentice to a merchant, later moving to Bruges, the centre of the wool trade, where he became a successful and important member of the merchant community. From 1462 to 1470 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."

Caxton is similar to Chaucer because they were both diplomats and translators. They both traveled to different countries, spoke French & Latin, and they both worked for an English King. Chaucer worked for Richard II, and Caxton worked for Edward IV. In 1470, Caxton spent time in Cologne, and learned the art of printing (BBC). He returned to Bruges in 1472 where he and Colard Mansion, a Flemish calligrapher, set up a press (BBC). Caxton's own translation of 'The Recuyell of the Histories of Troye' was the first book printed in the English language. It appears that during the transition from the illuminaton era into the printing era, there were many people who knew different languages and chose to translate works into different languages so people could read books written by other ethnicities. For instance, a translation of a Latin story into English.    

The first printing press in England was established by Caxton in 1476. Among the first books to be printed was Chaucer's Canterbury Tales,  Gower's 'Confession Amantis' and Malory's 'Le Morte d'Arthur' (BBC). He printed more than 100 books in his lifetime, books which were known for their craftsmanship and careful editing. Even with a printing press, the printers had to function as editors, which is interesting. The printing of Chaucer's tales, also shows that the work was of major importance to be among the first to be printed.


References

BBC History. William Caxton.  Accessed 23 March 2012 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/caxton_william.shtml

More on Caxton's Chaucer
http://www.bl.uk/treasures/caxton/printingtype.html