Banbury Chap Books
E >> Edwin Pearson >> Banbury Chap Books[Transcriber's Note:
This book has over 800 small black-and-white illustrations. They can
be found in the "images" directory associated with the html version of
this file, in two forms:
thumbnails, named in the form "thumb_NN_NN.png" numbered sequentially
within each page (without leading 0's)
larger images, named "pic_NN_NN.png"
For this plain-text file, each illustration or group of illustrations
is identified by number, omitting the "pic_" or "thumb_" component
and the "png" extension.
Misspellings have generally been left uncorrected. They are listed at
the end of the text.]
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[Illustrations: frontis_1 - frontis_5
_The "White Lion," Banbury, early John Bewick._
_Early cuts used to illustrate "Tommy Two Shoes." York and Hull
editions._
_Early cut from "A New Year's Gift."_
_"Jack and the Giants," early York edition._]
_BANBURY CHAP BOOKS_
and
NURSERY TOY BOOK LITERATURE
[of the XVIII. and Early XIX. Centuries]
with
Impressions from Several Hundred
ORIGINAL WOOD-CUT BLOCKS,
By T. & J. Bewick, Blake, Cruikshank, Craig, Lee,
Austin, and Others.
Illustrating Favourite Nursery Classics,
with their Antiquarian, Historical, Literary
and Artistic Associations:
FAITHFULLY GLEANED FROM THE ORIGINAL WORKS
IN THE BODLEIAN LIBRARY, OXFORD, THE BRITISH
AND SOUTH KENSINGTON MUSEUMS, &c.
With very much that is Interesting and Valuable
appertaining to the early Typography
and Topography of Children's Books
relating to Great Britain and America.
INCLUDING
Jack the Giant Killer, Cock Robin, Tom Thumb,
Whittington, Goody Two Shoes, Philip Quarll,
Tommy Trip, York and Banbury Cries,
Children in the Wood, Dame Trot, Horn Books,
Battledores, Primers, etc.
By EDWIN PEARSON.
LONDON:
Arthur Reader, 1, Orange Street, Bloomsbury, W.C.
1890.
_Only 50 copies Large Paper,_
_500 " Small._
[Decoration]
INTRODUCTION.
"Banbury Cakes," and "Banbury Cross," with its favourite juvenile
associations, with the Lady with bells on her toes, having music
wherever she goes, are indissolubly connected with the early years not
only of ourselves but many prior generations. In fact, the Ancient Cross
has been rebuilt since the days, when in Drunken Barnaby's Journal, we
are made familiar with the puritan "who hanged his cat on a Monday for
killing of a mouse on a Sunday." The quaint old town and its people are
rapidly modernizing; but they cling to the old traditions. Both in
pictorial and legendary lore we have some Banburies of another kind
altogether, viz., Banbury Blocks, or in plain English, Engraved Woodcut
Blocks, associated with the Local Chap Books, Toy Books, and other
Histories, for which this quaint old Oxfordshire town is celebrated. The
faithful description of the Blocks illustrating this volume has led to
numerous descriptive digressions, apparently irrelevant to the subject;
it was found however that in tracing out the former history and use of
some of the "Bewick" and other cuts contained in this volume, that the
Literary, Artistic, Historical, Topographical, Typographical, and
Antiquarian Reminiscences connected with the early Printing and
Engraving of Banbury involved that of many other important towns and
counties of Great Britain, and also America. A provincial publisher
about the beginning of the present century would reflect more or less
the modus operandi of each of his contemporaries in abridging or
reproducing verbatim the immortal little chap books issued from the
press of John Newbury's "Toy Book Manufactory," at the Bible and Sun
(a sign lately restored), 65, Saint Paul's Church Yard, near the Bar.
This again leads to the subject as to who wrote these clever little
tomes. In my "Angler's Garland," printed at the Dryden Press, 1870 and
1871, I fully announced my intention of issuing a reprint of the first
edition of "Goody Two Shoes," but the intended volume was published by
the firm at the corner, "Griffith, Farren, Okenden, and Welsh," now in
the direct line of business descent from worthy and industrious John
Newbery: Carman, Harris, Grant and Griffith. Mr. Charles Welsh of the
present firm has taken a warm interest in the Antiquarian and Historical
Associations of the Newbery firm. The premises have been lately rebuilt,
the Sign and Emblems adopted by Newbery restored, and C. Welsh has
reprinted "Goody Two Shoes" in facsimile, since which there has been
added to it a Standard edition of Goldsmith's Works, edited by Mr.
Gibbs. I had the pleasure of making many researches respecting the old
London publisher (Goldsmith's friend), John Newbery, respecting his
Lilliputian Classics, and I have been enabled to introduce several of
the Quarto early editions to the firm, and have had great pleasure in
writing and placing on record numerous facts and data, since utilized in
the very interesting "Life of John Newbery, a last century bookseller."
The connection of Oliver Goldsmith's name is indissolubly associated
with the juvenile classics industriously issued by Newbery. Dr. Johnson
himself edited and prefaced several children's books which I have seen
in the Jupp and Hugo Collections. The weary hours of adversity, through
which "Goldie" passed at Green Arbour Court, top of Break Neck Steps and
Turn Again Lane--I remember them all well, and the Fleet prison walls
too, when I was a boy--and in refuge at Canonbury Tower, near the
village of Islington, these are the places where Goldsmith wrote for
children. Sir Joshua Reynolds tells how, when he called on the poet at
Green Arbour Court, he found the couplet:--
"By sports like these are all their cares beguiled,
The sports of children satisfy the child."
see "The Traveller." He was surrounded by children in this unsavoury
neighbourhood, where he had his humble domicile: a woodcut in Lumburd's
Mirror depicts it very correctly. Bishop Percy, author of the
"Reliques," called on him, and during the interview the oft repeated
incident occurred of a little child of an adjacent neighbour, "Would Mr.
Goldsmith oblige her mother with a chamber pot full of coals!" Truly
these were hours of ill-at-ease. The largest collection of the various
relics of woodcuts used in the chap book literature, "printed for the
Company of Flying Stationers, also Walking Stationers,"--for such is a
portion of the imprint to be found on several of the early Chap Books
printed at Banbury--is to be seen in the Library of the British Museum;
but the richest collection of these celebrated little rarities of Toy
Books is in the venerable Bodleian Library. Among the very interesting
block relics of the past are the pretty cuts to Mrs. Trimmer's "Fabulous
Histories, or The Robins:" these were designed by Thomas Bewick, and
engraved by John Thompson, his pupil, who enriched Whittingham's
celebrated Chiswick Press with his fine and tasteful work. A numerous
series of little fable cuts by the same artist are to be found in this
volume. One of the quaintest sets engraved at an early period by John
Bewick (the Hogarth of Newcastle), are to "The Hermit, or Adventures of
Edward Dorrington," or "Philip Quarll," as it was most popularly known
by that title a century ago. The earliest edition I have seen of Philip
Quarll is as follows: "The Hermit, or the unparalleled sufferings and
surprising adventures of Mr. Philip Quarll, an Englishman who was lately
discovered by Mr. Dorrington, a Bristol merchant, upon an uninhabited
island in the South Sea, where he lived above fifty years without any
human assistance, still continues to reside, and will not come away,"
etc. Westminster: Printed by J. Cluer and A. Campbell, for T. Warner in
Paternoster Row, and B. Creape at The Bible in Jermyn Street, St.
James's, 1727. 8vo, xii pp., map and explanation, 2 pp., and 1 to 26
appendix, with full page copper plate engravings. He was born in St.
Giles', left his master a locksmith, went to sea, married a famous
w----e, listed for a soldier, married three wives, condemned at the Old
Bailey, pardoned by King Charles II., turned merchant, and was
shipwrecked on a desolate island on the coast of Mexico, etc. Other
editions in the British Museum are 1750; 1759 (third); 1780 (twelfth);
1786 (first American edition, from the 6th English edition, Boston,
U.S.A.); 1787 (in French); 1795 (seventeenth); 1807; and also in a
"Storehouse of Stories," edited by Miss C. M. Yonge, 2 vols, 8vo
(Macmillan, 1870-2), Philip Quarll (also Perambulations of a Mouse,
Little Jack, Goody Two Shoes, Blossoms of Morality, Puzzle for a curious
Girl), and others are given. The text is useful to refer to, as the
originals are rare: the woodcuts of several of them are in this volume.
"Philip Quarll," Miss Yonge says, "comes to us with the reputation of
being by Daniel Defoe; but we have never found anything to warrant the
supposition. It must have been written during the period preceding the
first French Revolution." There is also in the Museum an edition printed
in Dutch in 1805.
In 1869, Mr. Wm. Tegg reprinted the Surprising Adventures of Philip
Quarll, entirely re-edited and modernized, with only a frontispiece and
vignette on title as illustrations. The quaint old cuts on next page
probably illustrated an early Newcastle, then York, and finally Banbury,
edition of this oft published work.
_The Blocks designed and engraved by John Bewick, for "The Hermit;
or Philip Quarll,"_ (_circa 1785._)
[Illustrations: iv_1 - iv_6]
Tegg's edition of 356 pages, 12mo, is to be seen in the Reading Room of
the British Museum, and gives the full text and history of these. This
curious book would well bear representing with the original Bewick cuts,
after the manner of the present Newbery firm, who have revived
Butterfly's Ball, Grasshopper's Feast, Goody Two Shoes, Looking Glass
for the Mind, and contemplate others in the immediate future. Tegg in
his reprint of the Book on Philip Quarll, states that he was born in St.
Giles' Parish, London, 1647, voyaged to Brazil, Mexico, and other parts
of America, was left on an island, nourished by a goat, and other
surprising adventures. Edward Dorrington communicates an account (see p.
1 to 94 inclusive) of how the hermit Philip Quarll was discovered, with
his (E. D.'s) return to Bristol from Mexico, Jan. 3, 1724-5; but is
about returning to Peru and Mexico again (p. 94). This is of both
American and Bewick interest. Besides these representatives of this Chap
Book, we are enabled to give in this collection impressions from the
blocks of other editions fortunately rescued from oblivion and
destruction.
[Illustrations: v_1, v_2]
[Illustrations: vi_1, vi_2]
[Illustration: 1_1]
BANBURY CHAP BOOKS.
"Old Story Books! Old Story Books!
we owe ye much old friends,
Bright coloured threads in memory's wrap,
of which Death holds the ends,
Who can forget ye? Who can spurn the ministers of joy
That waited on the lisping girl and petticoated boy?
Talk of your vellum, gold emboss'd morocco, roan, and calf,
The blue and yellow wraps of old were prettier by half."
--Eliza Cook's Poems.
In 1708 John White, a Citizen of York, established himself as a printer
in Newcastle-on-Tyne, bringing with him a stock of quaint old cuts,
formerly his father's, at York, where he was Sole Printer to King
William, for the five Northern Counties of England. He entered into
partnership with Thomas Saint, who on the death of John White, at their
Printing Office in Pilgrim Street, succeeded in 1796 to his extensive
business as Printer, Bookseller, and Publisher. In this stock of
woodcuts were some of the veritable pieces of wood engraved, or cut for
Caxton, Wynken de Worde, Pynson, and others down to Tommy Gent--the
curious genius, historian, author, poet, woodcuter and engraver, binder
and printer, of York. We give some early examples out of this stock.
Thomas Saint, about 1770, had the honour of introducing to the public,
the brothers Thomas and John Bewick's first efforts in wood-engravings,
early and crude as they undoubtedly were. They are to be found in Hutton
"On Mensuration," and also in various children's and juvenile works,
such as AEsop's and Gay's Fables. We give some of the earliest known of
their work in this very interesting collection of woodcuts.
Some years ago a collection was formed of Newbury and Marshall's
Children's Gift Toy Books, and early educational works, which were
placed in the South Kensington Museum, in several glass cases. These
attracted other collections of rare little volumes, adorned with similar
cuts, many of which are from the identical blocks here impressed,
notably the "Cries of York," "Goody Two Shoes," etc. They are still on
view, near the George Cruikshank collection, and during the twenty years
they have been exhibited, such literature has steadily gone up to fancy
prices.
Charles Knight in his Shadows of the Old Booksellers, says of Newbury,
(pp. 233), "This old bookseller is a very old friend of mine. He wound
himself round my heart some seventy years ago, when I became possessed
of an immortal volume, entitled the history of 'Little Goody Shoes.'
I felt myself personally honoured in the dedication." He then refers to
Dr. Primrose, Thomas Trip, etc., and adds further on, "my father had a
drawer full of them [Newbury's little books] very smartly bound in gilt
paper." Priceless now would this collection be, mixed up with
horn-books--a single copy of which is one of the rarest relics of the
olden time.
Chalmer's in his preface to "Idler," regards Mr. Newbury as the reputed
author of many little chap books for masters and misses.
Mr. John Nichols brings forward other candidates for the honour of
projecting and writing the "Lilliputian histories, of Goody Two Shoes,
etc.;" and refers to Griffith Jones and Giles Jones, in conjunction with
Mr. John Newbury, as those to whom the public are indebted for the
origin of those numerous and popular little books for the amusement and
instruction of children, which have ever since been received with
universal approbation.
The following are two of the identical cuts engraved by John Bewick, and
used in the Newbury editions of Goody Two Shoes, London, 1769 to 1771.
[Illustrations: 2_1, 2_2]
It will be seen on contrasting these cuts with the other two, on the
following page, from early York editions, how wonderfully even in his
early years Bewick improved the illustrated juvenile literature of his
day. No wonder when Goldsmith the poet had an interview with Bewick,
that delighted with his cuts, he confessed to writing Goody Two Shoes,
Tommy Trip, etc. Bewick's daughter supplied this information.
[Illustrations: 3_1 - 3_3
_Early cuts to Goody Two Shoes._
_Bewick's frontispiece to Goody Two Shoes._]
Here are two early examples of Thomas Bewick. They were used in a York
edition of "A Pretty Book of Pictures for little Masters and Misses,
or History of Beasts and Birds by Tommy Trip," etc.
[Illustrations: 4_1, 4_2
_Miss Polly Riding in a Coach, from Tommy Trip._
_The Student, from Tommy Trip._]
There was an American edition of Goody Two Shoes, and is very
interesting indeed, having a woodcut frontispiece engraved by Thomas
Bewick, and was printed at Worcester, Mass., U.S.A., by Isaiah Thomas,
and sold wholesale and retail at his book-store, 1787. A copy of this
little book sold in London for L1 16s.
We also give two other specimens from the J. Newbery editions of Tommy
Trip and Goody Two Shoes, both engraved by John Bewick.
[Illustrations: 4_3, 4_4
_The Student, from Tommy Trip._
_Margery, from Goody Two Shoes._]
The packmen of the past [see frontispiece of a pack-horse in First
Edition only of Bewick's Quadrupeds, 1790] carried in their packs the
ephemeral literature of the day, Calendars, Almanacks, and Chep-Books.
The Leicestershire pronunciation to this day at markets is "Buy Chep"
for Cheap, hence the Chep-side, or Cheape-or Cheapside; otherwise
derivation of Chap Men, or Running, Flying, and other mercurial
stationers, peripatetic booksellers, pedlers, packmen, and again
chepmen, these visited the villages and small towns from the large
printers of the supply towns, as London, Banbury, Newcastle, Edinburgh,
Glasgow, etc. The "History of John Cheap, the Chapman," "Parley the
Porter," "Stephen of Salisbury Plain," and other favourite tracts, with
John Bewick's and Lee's square woodcuts were written by the quaker lady,
Hannah More, about 1777, and were first published in broadsheet folio.
Some were done by Hazzard, of Bath, others by Marshall, of Bow Lane,
Aldermary Church Yard. A most curious collection of chap books did they
print, reviving the quaint old "Blind Beggar of Bethnal Green," "Guy,
Earl of Warwick," "Seven Champions," "Mother Shipton's Life and
Prophecies," "Wise Men of Gothan," "Adam Bell," "Robin Hood's Garland,"
"Jane Shore," "Joaks upon Joaks," "Strapho, or Roger the Clown,"
"Whetstone for dull Wits," "St. George and the Dragon," "Jack Horner:"
and hundreds of ballads, garlands, carols, broadsheets, songs, etc.,
were in the collection.
The "Great A and bouncing B Toy Book Factory," was somewhere near Little
Britain, the proprietor being John Marshall, who published the famous
"Life of a Fly."
[Illustration: 5_1
_Block by Thomas Bewick._]
The "Memoirs of a Peg Top," "Perambulations of a Mouse," 2 volumes with
cuts by John Bewick, and a number of other works, some by Mrs. Trimmer,
under various pseudonyms, were published in Bow Lane, also many quaint
broadsheets, the cuts of which are in this volume.
Hazzard, printer of Bath, who published many works for Dr. J. Trusler,
with woodcuts by John Bewick, Lee, and others, also published the cheap
repository tracts.
All the following little wood blocks were used in several toy books,
sometimes with Bewick's name on the titles, and done from 1787 to 1814,
in Dutch flowery and gingerbread gilt paper binding, just like Newbery
series.
Early John Bewick Cuts.
[Illustrations: 6_1 - 6_6
_Tommy Two Shoes._
_Robin Hood and Little John, pub. Wilson and Spence, York._
_York Story Books, by Wilson and Spence, circa 1797._
_Used in the Fables._
_Used in the Fables_]
[Illustrations: 7_1 - 7_5
_Cut by Lee, on the covers of Rusher's Penny "Banbury's."_
_Two Blocks from Valentine's Gift. 1797._
_Used by Wilson and Spence, York._
_Patty Primrose._]
[Illustrations: 8_1 - 8_6
_From Primrose Prettyface and her Scholars._
_Two Ballad Cuts, by Green, of Knaresborough._
_Mrs. Winlove's Rise of Learning._
_The Concert of Birds, from Tommy Tag._]
[Illustrations: 9_1, 9_2
_Frontispiece to Tommy Playlove and Joseph Lovebook._
_Whitfield's Tabernacle, Moorfields, or Spa Fields Chapel. (?)_]
In Blade's Life of Caxton, the reader will find interesting examples of
the earliest woodcut blocks illustrating the quaint and rare tomes
issued by the Almonry, Westminster, also at Oxford. The Robin Hood
Garland blocks (circa 1680 or earlier), is one of the earliest
provincial blocks with a distinct history. We can trace them in varied
collections used by early London and Provincial printers, and in the
London Bridge printed Chap Book Literature.
Sutton, printer of Nottingham, issued a curious quarto volume of old
woodcuts. He was descended from the celebrated T. Sutton, who founded
the Charterhouse. Some twenty-five years ago I went over the very quaint
collection with the proprietor, and suggested a volume being issued, but
the idea had already been matured by him.
Robert White, the poet and local historian of Newcastle upon Tyne--by
whose favour I reprinted Tommy Trip in 1867--has one of the choicest,
most comprehensive, and rarest libraries of local stories, garlands,
ballads, and chap books, and North country folk-lore children's books,
almanacks, primers, "A. B. C.," horn books, battledores, etc., that were
ever gathered together. I am glad to place on record, that by his will,
his collection will remain intact. The special opportunities afforded
him at the time for collecting them have entirely passed away.
I believe he was descended from John White, printer for the five
northern counties of England to King William. This is referred to by Mr.
Dodd in his preface to a quarto volume of woodcut impressions. William
Dodd fully appreciated the local interest, by producing a limited
impression of the quaint blocks in his possession.
The Rev. Mr. Hugo had a very large and important collection of blocks
and books, and at his death I arranged and catalogued them for Messrs.
Sotheby, according to the wish of his widow. The Rev. gentleman had
wished his collection to be purchased by the trustees of the British
Museum, but some little hitch occurred and this was not accomplished.
In his collection the Robin Hood block, perforated with worm holes,
realized quite a fancy price.
Among the relics of ancient woodcutting, are some so early and crude in
their execution--quaint as the period they illustrate--as to really
entitle them to the literal name and meaning of _woodcuts_, rather than
wood-engravings, which they really became in the hands of the two
Bewicks and their numerous school of pupils. Other provincial publishers
were not so favoured as those at Newcastle-on-Tyne, as to have a Bewick
trying his prentice hand on similar series, as used by J. Bell and
others.
The Cock Robin blocks in this collection are certainly the earliest
series I have seen among the thousands I have examined. The York Cries,
Tom Hickethrift, Jack the Giant Killer, and many kindred cuts, are
evidently from the collection of John White, the early printer, and are
as quaint, as funny and droll in crudity of execution, as any of Thomas
Gent's, the unique York engraver and bookseller.
The rarity and interest of a collection like the present, with their
varied associations, may be fairly estimated when we consider that the
country printers in those days were not particular in making the same
woodcut do duty in most incongrous and inapplicable positions and
subjects.
We have met with a block in a child's book, then the identical woodcut
on a ballad, catchpenny, or last dying speech and confession, setting at
defiance any suitability of illustration, or adaptability to the text
matter. Of course now, some of these examples are exceedingly ludicrous,
and do not fail to excite merriment, and often add to the intrinsic
value of the article, as may be judged by numerous examples that have
occurred in our literary auction marts during the last half century.
Besides it must be taken fair notice of that a genuine wood-engraving,
or woodcut block may soon become a curiosity of the past, owing to the
improved methods of illustrating children's books. Many of Bewick's
blocks are veritable paintings on boxwood, and are as much classical
works of art as work by Josiah Wedgwood, and his able coadjutor,
J. Flaxman are in Fine Art. These early crude, quaint, droll little
pioneer wood blocks will ever remain of great and even historical
interest as showing the progress and influence on the illustrated
literature of the civilized world.
Many of our readers have heard of Banbury Cross and Banbury cakes, and
other famous juvenile associations, as the lady with bells on her toes,
but it was also connected with the production of books for juvenile
readers. A great portion of the blocks in this volume are Banbury blocks
used for illustrating the toy books, children's histories, etc., for
which this quaint old Oxfordshire town was famous. Many of them are
connected with the early printing and engraving carried on in this and
other towns of England. A quantity of the blocks were used in the books
printed by John White of York, who established himself, as before
mentioned, as a printer in Newcastle-on-Tyne, bringing with him a stock
of quaint old blocks formerly his father's [at York], where he was sole
printer to King William, for the five northern counties of England.
Boswell has recorded several conversations of Oliver Goldsmith with Dr.
Johnson, in which the warm-hearted poet expressed a wish, "to make
fishes, animals, birds, etc., _talk_, or appear so to do, for the
amusement and instruction of children." In the National Collection is
"The Valentine's Gift, or a Plan to enable children of all sizes and
denomination to behave with honour, integrity, and humanity, very
necessary to a trading nation: to which is added some account of Old
Zigzag, and of the Horn with which he used to understand the language of
birds, beasts, fishes and insects," etc., "Printed for Francis Power,
(grandson to the late Mr. J. Newbery) and Co., No. 65, St. Paul's
Churchyard, 1790, price sixpence, bound in gilt dutch paper binding, 105
and iii pages".