Humphrey Robinson
Encyclopedia
Humphrey Robinson was a prominent London
publisher and bookseller of the middle seventeenth century.
Robinson was the son of a Bernard Robinson, a clerk from Carlisle; other members of his family were important clergymen and church office-holders. Humphrey Robinson became a "freeman" (a full member) of the Stationers Company
on June 30, 1623. He was active as an independent bookseller in the years 1624–70. Based in his shop at the sign of the Three Pigeons in St. Paul's
Churchyard, he was "one of the largest and most important booksellers of this period."
; he partnered in these works with colleague Humphrey Moseley
. The most important of these collections was the first Beaumont and Fletcher folio
of 1647
; they also issued a significant collection of James Shirley
's dramas titled Six New Plays in 1653
. The two Humphreys also published a volume of the Duke of Newcastle's plays, and Sir William Davenant
's Love and Honour, both in 1649
. (After Moseley's death in 1661, Robinson worked with widow Anne Moseley when she continued her late husband's business; conjointly they published the 1661
edition of the Beaumont and Fletcher play Beggars' Bush
.)
's masque
Comus
(1637), and Peter Hausted
's scandalous play The Rival Friends (1645). Beyond the confines of the drama, Robinson published a range of works of various types, from the miscellaneous works of Sir Francis Bacon
(1629
) to Robert Norton's The Gunner (1664
). Robinson may also have been involved in the private news service business that was a significant enterprise in his era; when newspapers were still in their infancy, many people relied on manuscript subscription news services for information. [See: Nathaniel Butter
; John Pory
.]
Robinson partnered with stationers other than Moseley on various projects. In one venture important in his own era, he was involved in the 1657
publication of Bishop Brian Walton's polyglot Bible. Robinson published an abundant supply of religious literature, as was standard for the booksellers of his period.
(1666). In the mid-1650s, during the Commonwealth
era, Robinson maintained an important correspondence with Joseph Williamson
, who later became Secretary of State; their letters are preserved in the State Papers, and provide abundant data on the role Robinson played as a leading publisher of the period. (Williamson, at this early point in his career, regularly travelled to France as a tutor of young aristocrats; he simultaneously worked as Robinson's agent and business contact with French publishers.)
At his death he was survived by two children, a son, Humphrey, and a daughter, Grace. At the time of the father's death, the son was a fellow of All Souls' College, Oxford. Grace Robinson received two houses in St. Paul's Churchyard in her father's last will and testament. The stationer John Baker II leased the Three Pigeons shop from Robinson's heirs and continued the business to 1684.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
publisher and bookseller of the middle seventeenth century.
Robinson was the son of a Bernard Robinson, a clerk from Carlisle; other members of his family were important clergymen and church office-holders. Humphrey Robinson became a "freeman" (a full member) of the Stationers Company
Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers
The Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The Stationers' Company was founded in 1403; it received a Royal Charter in 1557...
on June 30, 1623. He was active as an independent bookseller in the years 1624–70. Based in his shop at the sign of the Three Pigeons in St. Paul's
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
Churchyard, he was "one of the largest and most important booksellers of this period."
With Moseley
Robinson is most noted for publishing two collections of plays in English Renaissance dramaEnglish Renaissance theatre
English Renaissance theatre, also known as early modern English theatre, refers to the theatre of England, largely based in London, which occurred between the Reformation and the closure of the theatres in 1642...
; he partnered in these works with colleague Humphrey Moseley
Humphrey Moseley
Humphrey Moseley was a prominent London publisher and bookseller in the middle seventeenth century.Possibly a son of publisher Samuel Moseley, Humphrey Moseley became a "freeman" of the Stationers Company, the guild of London booksellers, on 7 May 1627; he was selected a Warden of the Company on...
. The most important of these collections was the first Beaumont and Fletcher folio
Beaumont and Fletcher folios
The Beaumont and Fletcher folios were two large folio collections of the stage plays of John Fletcher and his collaborators. The first was issued in 1647, and the second in 1679. The two collections were important in preserving many works of English Renaissance drama.-The first folio, 1647:The 1647...
of 1647
1647 in literature
The year 1647 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:* Thomas Hobbes becomes tutor to the future Charles II of England.* Plagiarist Robert Baron publishes his Deorum Dona, a masque, and Gripus and Hegio, a pastoral, which draw heavily on the poems of Edmund Waller and John Webster's...
; they also issued a significant collection of James Shirley
James Shirley
James Shirley was an English dramatist.He belonged to the great period of English dramatic literature, but, in Lamb's words, he "claims a place among the worthies of this period, not so much for any transcendent genius in himself, as that he was the last of a great race, all of whom spoke nearly...
's dramas titled Six New Plays in 1653
1653 in literature
The year 1653 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:* James Shirley's masque Cupid and Death is performed on March 26.* Pierre Corneille retires from the theatre for six years.* John Evelyn buys Sayes Court, Deptford....
. The two Humphreys also published a volume of the Duke of Newcastle's plays, and Sir William Davenant
William Davenant
Sir William Davenant , also spelled D'Avenant, was an English poet and playwright. Along with Thomas Killigrew, Davenant was one of the rare figures in English Renaissance theatre whose career spanned both the Caroline and Restoration eras and who was active both before and after the English Civil...
's Love and Honour, both in 1649
1649 in literature
The year 1649 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*January 1 - Local authorities raid the four remaining London theatres to suppress clandestine play-acting...
. (After Moseley's death in 1661, Robinson worked with widow Anne Moseley when she continued her late husband's business; conjointly they published the 1661
1661 in literature
The year 1661 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:* The Book of Kells is presented to Trinity College, Dublin.* Controversial author James Harrington is arrested on a charge of conspiracy....
edition of the Beaumont and Fletcher play Beggars' Bush
Beggars' Bush
For the old military barracks in Dublin, Ireland, see Beggars BushBeggars' Bush is a Jacobean era stage play, a comedy in the canon of John Fletcher and his collaborators that is a focus of dispute among scholars and critics.-Authorship and Date:...
.)
And without
Operating without Moseley, Robinson published John MiltonJohn Milton
John Milton was an English poet, polemicist, a scholarly man of letters, and a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell...
's masque
Masque
The masque was a form of festive courtly entertainment which flourished in 16th and early 17th century Europe, though it was developed earlier in Italy, in forms including the intermedio...
Comus
Comus (John Milton)
Comus is a masque in honour of chastity, written by John Milton. It was first presented on Michaelmas, 1634, before John Egerton, 1st Earl of Bridgewater at Ludlow Castle in celebration of the Earl's new post as Lord President of Wales.Known colloquially as Comus, the mask's actual full title is A...
(1637), and Peter Hausted
Peter Hausted
Peter Hausted , Doctor of Divinity, was a "playwright, poet, preacher" in early 17th-century England. In his own time, he was notorious as a flamboyant preacher against Puritan and sectarian dissent in the Church of England, and was remembered for the riot that accompanied the 1632 debut of his...
's scandalous play The Rival Friends (1645). Beyond the confines of the drama, Robinson published a range of works of various types, from the miscellaneous works of Sir Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Albans, KC was an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, lawyer, jurist, author and pioneer of the scientific method. He served both as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England...
(1629
1629 in literature
The year 1629 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*April 6 - Tommaso Campanella is released from custody in Rome, and gains the confidence of Pope Urban IV....
) to Robert Norton's The Gunner (1664
1664 in literature
The year 1664 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:* Sir William Davenant's "dramatic opera" Macbeth, adapted from Shakespeare's play, premiers on November 5....
). Robinson may also have been involved in the private news service business that was a significant enterprise in his era; when newspapers were still in their infancy, many people relied on manuscript subscription news services for information. [See: Nathaniel Butter
Nathaniel Butter
Nathaniel Butter was a London publisher of the early 17th century. The publisher of the first edition of Shakespeare's King Lear in 1608, he has also been regarded as one of the first publishers of a newspaper in English....
; John Pory
John Pory
John Pory was an English government administrator, traveller, and author of the Jacobean and Caroline eras; he is widely considered to have been the first news correspondent in English-language journalism.-Life and work:...
.]
Robinson partnered with stationers other than Moseley on various projects. In one venture important in his own era, he was involved in the 1657
1657 in literature
The year 1657 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:* Prohibition of young male actors in Japan.* Madame de la Fayette becomes friends with Madame de Sévigné.-New books:*François Hédelin, abbé d'Aubignac - Pratique du théâtre...
publication of Bishop Brian Walton's polyglot Bible. Robinson published an abundant supply of religious literature, as was standard for the booksellers of his period.
Later career
Robinson served as a Warden of the Stationers Company in 1653, and as the guild's Master in both 1661 and 1667; in the later year, he was responsible for rebuilding the guildhall after the Great Fire of LondonGreat Fire of London
The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of the English city of London, from Sunday, 2 September to Wednesday, 5 September 1666. The fire gutted the medieval City of London inside the old Roman City Wall...
(1666). In the mid-1650s, during the Commonwealth
Commonwealth of England
The Commonwealth of England was the republic which ruled first England, and then Ireland and Scotland from 1649 to 1660. Between 1653–1659 it was known as the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland...
era, Robinson maintained an important correspondence with Joseph Williamson
Joseph Williamson (politician)
Sir Joseph Williamson, FRS was an English civil servant, diplomat and politician who sat in the House of Commons of England variously between 1665 and 1701 and in the Irish House of Commons between 1692 and 1699....
, who later became Secretary of State; their letters are preserved in the State Papers, and provide abundant data on the role Robinson played as a leading publisher of the period. (Williamson, at this early point in his career, regularly travelled to France as a tutor of young aristocrats; he simultaneously worked as Robinson's agent and business contact with French publishers.)
At his death he was survived by two children, a son, Humphrey, and a daughter, Grace. At the time of the father's death, the son was a fellow of All Souls' College, Oxford. Grace Robinson received two houses in St. Paul's Churchyard in her father's last will and testament. The stationer John Baker II leased the Three Pigeons shop from Robinson's heirs and continued the business to 1684.
See also
- Robert AllotRobert AllotRobert Allot was a London bookseller and publisher of the early Caroline era; his shop was at the sign of the black bear in St. Paul's Churchyard...
- William AspleyWilliam AspleyWilliam Aspley was a London publisher of the Elizabethan, Jacobean, and Caroline eras. He was a member of the publishing syndicates that issued the First Folio and Second Folio collections of Shakespeare's plays, in 1623 and 1632.-Career:...
- Edward BlountEdward BlountEdward Blount was a London publisher of the Elizabethan, Jacobean, and Caroline eras, noted for his publication, in conjunction with William and Isaac Jaggard, of the First Folio of Shakespeare's plays in 1623....
- Cuthbert BurbyCuthbert BurbyCuthbert Burby was a London bookseller and publisher of the Elizabethan and early Jacobean eras. He is remembered for publishing a series of significant volumes of English Renaissance drama, including works by William Shakespeare, Robert Greene, John Lyly, and Thomas Nashe.-Beginnings:Burby...
- Walter BurreWalter BurreWalter Burre was a London bookseller and publisher of the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras, best remembered for publishing several key texts in English Renaissance drama....
- Philip ChetwindePhilip ChetwindePhilip Chetwinde was a seventeenth-century London bookseller and publisher, noted for his publication of the Third Folio of Shakespeare's plays.-A rough start:Chetwinde was originally a clothworker...
- Francis ConstableFrancis ConstableFrancis Constable was a London bookseller and publisher of the Jacobean and Caroline eras, noted for publishing a number of stage plays of English Renaissance drama....
- Crooke and CookeAndrew Crooke and William CookeAndrew Crooke and William Cooke were London publishers of the mid-17th-century. In partnership and individually, they issued significant texts of English Renaissance drama, most notably of the plays of James Shirley....
- Richard HawkinsRichard Hawkins (publisher)Richard Hawkins was a London publisher of the Jacobean and Caroline eras. He was a member of the syndicate that published the Second Folio collection of Shakespeare's plays in 1632...
- Henry HerringmanHenry HerringmanHenry Herringman was a prominent London bookseller and publisher in the second half of the 17th century. He is especially noted for his publications in English Renaissance drama and English Restoration drama; he was the first publisher of the works of John Dryden...
- William JaggardWilliam JaggardWilliam Jaggard was an Elizabethan and Jacobean printer and publisher, best known for his connection with the texts of William Shakespeare, most notably the First Folio of Shakespeare's plays...
- Richard MeighenRichard MeighenRichard Meighen was a London publisher of the Jacobean and Caroline eras. He is noted for his publications of plays of English Renaissance drama; he published the second Ben Jonson folio of 1640/1, and was a member of the syndicate that issued the Second Folio of Shakespeare's collected plays in...
- William PonsonbyWilliam Ponsonby (publisher)William Ponsonby was a prominent London publisher of the Elizabethan era. Active in the 1577–1603 period, Ponsonby published the works of Edmund Spenser, Sir Philip Sidney, and other members of the Sidney circle; he has been called "the leading literary publisher of Elizabethan...
- John SmethwickJohn SmethwickJohn Smethwick was a London publisher of the Elizabethan, Jacobean, and Caroline eras. Along with colleague William Aspley, Smethwick was one of the "junior partners" in the publishing syndicate that issued the First Folio collection of Shakespeare's plays in 1623. As his title pages specify, his...
- Thomas ThorpeThomas ThorpeThomas Thorpe was an English publisher, most famous for publishing Shakespeare's sonnets and several works by Christopher Marlowe and Ben Jonson. His publication of the sonnets has long been controversial...