An account of printing and publishing in Devon showing how technological and social changes since 1500 have affected the type of documents that have found their way into local studies libraries in the county.

1. The heritage of the book in Devon and Exeter
D-81
Historical bibliography of
Devon
A series of presentations
to celebrate the designation
of Exeter
as UNESCO city of literature
in 2019
The book fool, from The ship of fools,
translated by Alexander Barclay in 1509.
The first book by a Devon writer
to appear in print.

2. Amman, Jost. Eygentiche Beschreibung aller Staende auff Erden. – Frankfurt am Main , 1568.
Woodcuts from Amman’s Book of trades: printer, papermaker, bookbinder

3. London publishers and printers
Barclay, Alexander. Stultifera navis. – 2nd edition. – London : John Cawood , 1570.

4. London publishers and printers
Ballad on the defeat of the Devon and
Cornwall rebels of 1548. - [London] : [s.
n.] , [1549]. - 1 sheet ([1] p.) ; 1°. -
ESTC S122124 ; STC2 6795. Known
only from fragments. Has in refrain "..
God hath giuen oure kynge the victory".
Rhyme scheme ababbcbc. - Held by:
Henry E. Huntington Library.

5. Devon printers
Boetius. The boke of comfort called in laten Boetius. – Tavistock : Thomas Rychard , 1525.

6. Devon printers
Two titles by the King’s printers Robert Barker and John Bill, printed in Exeter in 1645.

7. Devon printers
The speech of the Prince of Orange. – Exeter : J. B. , 1688. Perhaps John Bringhurst.
James II. A proclamation prohibiting the keeping of Exeter fair. London: Charles Bill, Henry Hills, Thomas Newcombe , 1688.

8. Devon printers (misattribution)
Devon. Quarter Sessions.
[Resolution]. – London : J. C. and
Freeman Collins , 1683.
A resolution regarding the castle of
Exeter.
The misdescription of this item by
Davidson has led to historians,
including Hoskins, dating the
establishment of a permanent press in
Exeter to 1683 rather than 1698.

9. Limitation of printing to London
1557 Stationers Company Charter – powers to search limit printing to London
1580s Oxford and Cambridge Universities set up presses under licence
1662 Licensing Act – limited to London (20 printers), Oxford, Cambridge, York
1695 Licensing Act lapses – printing spreads to provinces

10. London publishers with Devon pooksellers
Two early titles by London publishers with Devon booksellers mentioned in the imprint.
Left: Plymouth, William Russell, 1641. Right: Tiverton, William Burton, 1700.

11. London publishers with local authors
Two publications by John Hooker, Chamberlain of Exeter,
probably intended as gifts to friends and colleagues. Both
were produced in London, the pamphlet by Henry Denham in
1584 and the map by the Flemish engraver Remigius
Hogenberg in 1587.

12. London publishers of Devon content
Civil War tract, one of many relating to
Devon all of which were printed in
London, usually within a few days of the
news being delivered from the county.

13. 1791 Bideford Griffith
1794 Cullompton Pannell
1794 Tiverton Salter
1794 Torrington Squance
1795 Lustleigh Davy
1797 Tavistock Chave
1799 Ashburton Ellis
1799 Chudleigh Efford
1800? Crediton Winter
1696 Plymouth Jourdaine
1698 Exeter Darker, Farley
1778? Totnes Adams, Salmon
1783 Honiton Lott
1785? Newton Abbot Houghton
1785? Plymouth Dock Hoxland
1789 South Molton Huxtable
1790 Axminster Butcher
1790 Barnstaple Murch
1790 Dartmouth Jackson
The spread of printing in Devon after the lapse of the Licensing Act, 1695

14. Two early Exeter imprints by Samuel Darker, a printer from London, who took
Samuel Farley into partnership in 1699.

15. Prince, John. Danmonii orientales illustres. –
Exeter : Samuel Farley, 1701
Musgrave, William. Geta Britannicus. –
Exeter : Philip Bishop , 1715.

16. Mastheads of a selection of newspapers printed in Exeter in the 18th and 19th centuries.

17. Printed forms. Left: apprenticeship indenture – Exeter : Samuel Darker , 1698.
Right: Order for reception of a pauper patient. – Ottery : J. Baker , used 1845.

18. Crime and punishment. Left: Plymouth Dock : Philp, printer , 1803.
Right: Exeter : Elizabrth Brice , 1782.

19. Popular literature
Left: slip songs. - Exeter: Thomas Brice, 1783.
Right: chapbook. - Plymouth : Weatherley , [1775?]

20. Election literature. Left: Devon county election, 1812
Right: Ide burlesque election, 1812

21. Playbills. Left: Exeter : R. Trewman , 1783. Right: Newton Abbot : Weatherdon , 1792.

22. Advertisements: Left: Exeter : Brice and Thorn , [1770?]
Right: Newton Abbot : Weatherdon, [1790?].

23. The Exeter pocket journal. Left: 1760. Right 1796 with directory of Exeter merchants.

24. Maps
The map of Exeter produced by Remigius
Hogenberg for John Hooker in 1587
remained the source for engraved maps of
Exeter until 1709 when Ichabod Fairlove
produced his map, engraved in Exeter by
Joseph Coles. This was copied by Sutton
Nicols in 1723.

25. Gore's library on the beach, Dawlish /
by D. Havell after H. Haseler. - In:
Haseler, Henry. Scenery on the southern
coast of Devonshire. - Sidmouth : J.
Wallis , 1818.
Croydon's public library / by J. Shury
after W. B. Noble. - In: Guide to watering
places on the coast between the Exe and
the Dart. - Teignmouth : E. Croydon ,
1817.
Illustrations in Devon books

26. Hospital of Saint Roche. Indulgence. –
London : Richard Faques , 1510?
The state of the Devon and Exeter
Hospital, at Lady-Day, 1748. –
Exeter : Drew , 1748

27. Charity Commission. Report of the commissioners concerning
charities … city of Exeter. – Exeter : Besley , 1825.

28. Wood engraved portraits of
George Parker and James
Hitchcock. – Exeter and
Plymouth Gazette , 2 April 1853. The Illustrated London News steam
printing machines. – Illustrated London
News , 2 December 1843
Mechanisation and new techniques

29. Devon and Cornwall Record Society, established 1904.
List of new series publications and sample recent publication.

30. Academic publishing in Devon
Historical atlas of south-west England. – Exeter : University of Exeter Press , 1999.
Map showing spread of printing
from the Historical atlas of
south-west England

31. Holden, Edith. The country
diary of an Edwardian
lady. – Exeter : Webb and
Bower , 1976.

32. Devon County Council. Planning
Department. Devon County structure plan :
report of the survey. – Exeter : Devon
County Council , 1977.
Important historical survey of the county
with maps and statistical tables.
Devon County Council.
Devon in figures. –
Exeter : Devon Books ,
1985.
Isolated issue of a
publication previously
produced in-house.

33. The Western Fascist. No. 5. –
[Exeter?] : British Union of
Fascists , 1933
Catalyst. No. 2. – Exeter : Catalyst Collective , 1982.
Includes reviews of other underground serial publications.

34. Exeter working papers
in book history
This talk is one of a series produced
during Lockdown 2020 to celebrate the
designation of Exeter as UNESCO city
of literature in 2019.
Most of them are also accessible
through the
Exeter working papers,
Devon bibliography and
Etched on Devon’s Memory
websites as part of the
World Book Heritage
initiative.
The book fool from Alexander Barclays’ translation of
The ship of fools (1509)