Nicholas Hill
Encyclopedia
Nicholas Hill was a native of the Low Countries
who came to England
in 1519 and took out letters of denization in 1544. In 1546 the first book with his name in the imprint was issued, and between then and 1553 he printed twenty-three books, mostly for other people. He appears to have done no retail trade as a bookseller and this is probably the reason why his house had no sign. He died about 1553.
One of the earliest books containing copperplate engravings produced in England was printed by Hill in 1553: Thomas Gemini's Compendiosa totius anatomie delineatio, aere exarata. The plates are supposed to have been some of the first rolling press work done in England. Thirty-eight of the forty plates are copies from Vesalius' De humani corporis fabrica (Basle, 1543), and the remaining two from his Epitome of the same date. The text is similar to that used by Thomas Vicary
in his Anatomie of the bodie of man (1548) but rearranged. The book also contains the only English translation of the descriptions of the drawings in the Fabrica. The translation and arrangement of the text was the work of the dramatist Nicholas Udall
.
Low Countries
The Low Countries are the historical lands around the low-lying delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse rivers, including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany....
who came to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1519 and took out letters of denization in 1544. In 1546 the first book with his name in the imprint was issued, and between then and 1553 he printed twenty-three books, mostly for other people. He appears to have done no retail trade as a bookseller and this is probably the reason why his house had no sign. He died about 1553.
One of the earliest books containing copperplate engravings produced in England was printed by Hill in 1553: Thomas Gemini's Compendiosa totius anatomie delineatio, aere exarata. The plates are supposed to have been some of the first rolling press work done in England. Thirty-eight of the forty plates are copies from Vesalius' De humani corporis fabrica (Basle, 1543), and the remaining two from his Epitome of the same date. The text is similar to that used by Thomas Vicary
Thomas Vicary
Thomas Vicary was an early English physician, surgeon and anatomist.Vicary was born in Kent, in about 1490. He was, "but a meane practiser in Maidstone … that had gayned his knowledge by experience, until the King advanced him for curing his sore legge” Henry VIII advanced him to the position of...
in his Anatomie of the bodie of man (1548) but rearranged. The book also contains the only English translation of the descriptions of the drawings in the Fabrica. The translation and arrangement of the text was the work of the dramatist Nicholas Udall
Nicholas Udall
Nicholas Udall was an English playwright, cleric, pederast and schoolmaster, the author of Ralph Roister Doister, generally regarded as the first comedy written in the English language.-Biography:...
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