Samuel Mearne
Encyclopedia
Samuel Mearne was an English Restoration
bookbinder and publisher whose work is considered a high point of pre-industrial bookbinding. He and his sons, Charles and Samuel Jr., were one of the group referred to by historians as the Queens' Binder
.
Mearne was born in Reading, England and lived all of his professional life in Little Britain
in Aldersgate
. He passed his apprenticeship in 1646 and set up as a bookseller and publisher. In 1655, he and two others went to the Netherlands
, where he probably performed a service to Charles
in exile, because he was named bookbinder to the king on 20 June 1660. He was also a part owner of the king's printing house, with John Bill and Christopher Barker. In 1668, Charles petitioned to have Mearne and others admitted to the Stationers' Company. In the Stationers' Company, Mearne would serve as warden and, later, master. In 1674, he became the stationer in ordinary to Charles, and the next year he and his son were made grants for life to their position.
The earliest surviving books bound by Mearne come from 1655, while many survive from his time as bookbinder to the king. He published beautiful gold tooled and onlay bindings for Charles and the royal libraries. For the chapels, gifts, and presentations of the installation of the Knight of the Garter ceremonies, Mearne's shop produced even more lavishly bound books.
Professionally, Mearne was popular with other publishers for his work at hunting down illegal presses. While he did not perform the binding himself, personally, after his appointment, he oversaw the production and designs of his books.
Samuel Mearne, Sr., died in 1683, with his son, Charles, dying in 1686, and Samuel Mearne, Jr. taking over the shop and appointments until the Glorious Revolution
in 1689.
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
bookbinder and publisher whose work is considered a high point of pre-industrial bookbinding. He and his sons, Charles and Samuel Jr., were one of the group referred to by historians as the Queens' Binder
Queens' Binder
Queens' Binder is the name given to a small group of English bookbinders active during the Restoration period , often called the "Golden Age of English Bookbinding".-Etymology:...
.
Mearne was born in Reading, England and lived all of his professional life in Little Britain
Little Britain
Little Britain is a British character-based comedy sketch show which was first broadcast on BBC radio and then turned into a television show. It was written by comic duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas...
in Aldersgate
Aldersgate
Aldersgate was a gate in the London Wall in the City of London, which has given its name to a ward and Aldersgate Street, a road leading north from the site of the gate, towards Clerkenwell in the London Borough of Islington.-History:...
. He passed his apprenticeship in 1646 and set up as a bookseller and publisher. In 1655, he and two others went to the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, where he probably performed a service to Charles
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
in exile, because he was named bookbinder to the king on 20 June 1660. He was also a part owner of the king's printing house, with John Bill and Christopher Barker. In 1668, Charles petitioned to have Mearne and others admitted to the Stationers' Company. In the Stationers' Company, Mearne would serve as warden and, later, master. In 1674, he became the stationer in ordinary to Charles, and the next year he and his son were made grants for life to their position.
The earliest surviving books bound by Mearne come from 1655, while many survive from his time as bookbinder to the king. He published beautiful gold tooled and onlay bindings for Charles and the royal libraries. For the chapels, gifts, and presentations of the installation of the Knight of the Garter ceremonies, Mearne's shop produced even more lavishly bound books.
Professionally, Mearne was popular with other publishers for his work at hunting down illegal presses. While he did not perform the binding himself, personally, after his appointment, he oversaw the production and designs of his books.
Samuel Mearne, Sr., died in 1683, with his son, Charles, dying in 1686, and Samuel Mearne, Jr. taking over the shop and appointments until the Glorious Revolution
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688, is the overthrow of King James II of England by a union of English Parliamentarians with the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau...
in 1689.