Assistants of the Worshipful Company of Stationers. I have selected
those Donations only which relate, directly or indirectly, to
Printers.
William Norton, a printer of great note, lived in St. Paul’s
Churchyard, who died in 1593. He gave six pounds thirteen
shillings and four pence, yearly to his company, to be lent
to young men, free of the same Company. The Company in their
Abstract of Charitable Donations say “to the Poor of the said
Company.”
Mr. Christopher Meredith, in 1655, gave 10_l._ a year, to be paid
in quarterly pensions to the poor of the Company.
Thomas Guy, Esq., M.P., an eminent bookseller, and the munificent
founder of the hospital which bears his name, gave to the
Company, in 1717, 1,000_l._ “to enable them to add 50_l._ a
year, by quarterly payments, to the poor members and widows, in
augmentation of the quarterly charity.”
Mr. Theophilus Cater, in 1718, gave 1,000_l._ to the Company, on
condition of their paying him an annuity of 50_l._ for his own
life.--After his death, 40_l._ to be thus disposed of: to the
minister of St. Martin’s, Ludgate, for a sermon, 1_l._ 10_s._;
to the reader, 5_s._; to the clerk and sexton, 2_s._ 6_d._
each, 5_s._; to fourteen poor freemen of the Company, 14_l._;
to ten poor men of St. Martin’s, 10_l._; to ten poor men of
Christchurch, 1_l._ each. The remainder, (being 4_l._) towards a
dinner for the master, wardens, and assistants.
Mrs. Beata Wilkins, in 1773, gave the picture of Doctor
Hoadly, lord bishop of Winchester, now in the Stock-room;
and the interest and produce of all the money arising from
her forty-pounds share stock (computed at 320_l._) to be
distributed, annually, amongst six poor men and six poor widows,
not pensioners to the Company, in the month of December, before
Christmas.--_Note._ The produce of the share was laid out in the
purchase of 358_l._ 11_s._ 4_d._ five per cent. Navy annuities.
The yearly dividend is 17_l._ 18_s._ 6_d._ To which the Court add
1_s._ 6_d._ to make the dividend to each annuitant 1_l._ 10_s._
William Bowyer. _See_ BOWYER.
William Strahan, Esq., M. P., in 1784, gave 1,000_l._, one
half of the annual interest to be divided in equal shares or
proportions to five poor journeymen printers, natives of England
or Wales, freemen of the Company; the other half in equal
shares or proportions to five poor journeymen printers, natives
of Scotland, without regard to their being freemen or being
non-freemen of the Company.--_Note._ The yearly dividend of this
bequest is 39_l._ 14_s._ 10_d._--to which _5s._ 2_d._ (part of
a subsequent donation by Andrew Strahan, Esq.) has since been
added, to make the dividend to each annuitant 4_l._
Thomas Wright, Esq., late alderman of London, in 1794, gave
2,000_l._ four per cent. Bank annuities, the dividends to be
distributed as follows; upon the first day of January 50_l._
8_s._ amongst twenty-four poor freemen of the said Company, not
receiving any other pension from the Company, 2_l._ 2_s._ each.
To the clerk of the Company 3_l._ 3_s._ for his trouble upon
this occasion. And 26_l._ 9_s._ residue of such dividends, for
providing a dinner for the master, wardens, and assistants, of
the Company, upon the day of distribution.
Mr. Richard Johnson, in 1795, gave all the remainder of his
property whatsoever, to the Company, upon the following
conditions: that they allow his sister, Mary Johnson, 50_l._ per
annum, and 10_l._ per annum to his uncle Lockington Johnson,
or to his wife, Elizabeth Johnson, during their natural lives.
After the deaths of his sister and uncle, and his wife, the whole
property to be divided half-yearly, “among five very poor widows,
who have seen better days, above the age of sixty, whose husbands
were liverymen, and in a good way of business; were either
stationers, printers, booksellers, or binders.”
Charles Dilly, Esq., in November, 1803, (being then a member of
the Court of Assistants,) transferred 700_l._ three per cent.
annuities to the Company, the dividends to be “paid equally to
two widows of liverymen of the Company, who have lived in better
circumstances, and met unexpected misfortunes, but who, through
their conduct and manners in life, are deserving of superior
help. And if there should be candidates of sixty years of age, or
upwards, I should wish them to have the preference.”
Mrs. Elizabeth Baldwin, widow of Mr. Richard Baldwin a liveryman,
gave 250_l._ stock in the three per cents, the dividends to
be laid out and expended in the purchase of five great coats,
to be annually given to five poor liverymen or freemen of the
said Company in the first week of the month of December for
ever.--_Note._ Mrs. Baldwin died 19th August, 1809.
Andrew Strahan, Esq., M. P., (first benefaction,) in January
1815, transferred 1,225_l._ four per cent. annuities to the
Company, the interest, viz. 49_l._, to be applied as follows,
viz.,
“Eight pounds per annum to each of the six pensioners amongst my
father’s annuitants who shall have been earliest elected into
that list, in lieu of the 4_l._ which they at present enjoy. And
whenever any of the pensions of 8_l._ each shall become vacant,
the pensioner who shall stand first on the list of my father’s
annuitants of 4_l._ to succeed to such vacancy, without troubling
the court to make a new election, except for the vacancy
occasioned thereby in the annuitants of 4_l._ And as 5_s._ 2_d._
is added by the court to make up the pensions of my late father
4_l._ to each annuitant, I would have the sum of 5_s._ 2_d._
(part of the surplus of 1_l._) applied to that purpose. The
remaining 14_s._ 10_d._ I would have given to the beadle of the
Company, who has some trouble in receiving the petitions.
“The pensions above given it is my wish should be paid twice in
the year; the one half at the same period as the pensions given
by my late father, and the other half at midsummer.
“I observe that my father’s pensioners are to be elected
annually, which, I believe, may not always have been strictly
complied with; but, by being so bequeathed, it enables the court
to displace any individual who may at any time after his being
elected appear to the court not to be deserving; and it is my
wish that the court should have the same power of displacing
any of the pensioners of eight pounds who shall appear to them
undeserving.”
John Nichols, Esq., transferred to the Company, in June, 1817,
500_l._ four per cent. annuities, “as an addition of a small
supplement to the works of my late friend and partner, Mr.
William Bowyer,” [_See_ BOWYER.] “to pay the dividends to the
persons mentioned in the following list; one of whom has worked
for me more than fifty years, another much more than forty, and
the others nearly thirty years.
“15_l._ a year to Thomas Bennett, in addition to the annuity he
now enjoys.
“5_l._ a year to William Morlis, in addition to what he now
enjoys, or may hereafter enjoy.
“On the death of Bennett, his 15_l._ to be divided into three
annuities, for James Rousseau, John Meeson, and James Robinson,
if then living, otherwise to any other compositor or pressman of
good character, not less than forty-five years of age, and who
shall have been at least twenty-one years free of the Stationers’
Company.
“On the death of Morlis his five pounds to be added to the person
who then stands first on the list; so that eventually there will
only be one annuitant of ten pounds, and two of five pounds each.
“The annuitants to be paid at the same times as those of Mr.
Bowyer.” J. N.
Andrew Strahan, Esq., M. P., (second benefaction,) transferred
in March, 1818, the further sum of 1,000_l._ four per cent.
annuities, “to pay the dividends half-yearly in portions of
ten pounds to four distressed old printers. No person to be
eligible till he be sixty-five years of age: he may be freeman or
non-freeman, compositor or pressman, or have been for many years
employed regularly as corrector or reader in a printing-office
within the Bills of Mortality, and not necessarily one of my late
father’s annuitants or of mine.”
Luke Hansard, Esq., (first benefaction,) on the 11th of July,
1818, transferred to the Company 1,000_l._ four per cent.
annuities, the interest to be given, in two annuities of 10_l._ a
year each, to such objects above sixty-five years of age, free of
the Company, and letterpress printers, (compositors or pressmen,)
as the court shall judge proper.
The other 20_l._ to be given yearly to four freemen of this
Company, printers, booksellers, stationers, warehousemen, or
bookbinders, above sixty years of age, at 5_l._ a year each, as
the court shall think proper objects of this donation.
Luke Hansard, Esq., (second benefaction,) in September, 1818,
transferred to the Company 1,500_l._ three per cent. annuities;
in trust to give to every youth bound at their hall, a neatly
bound Church of England Prayer-book, as printed by his majesty’s
printer in London, bound up with the New Version of Psalms.
The number of Prayer-books thus to be disposed of, are taken at
200, which at a presumed price of 2_s._ 7_d._ each, will cost
yearly 25_l._ 16_s._ 8_d._
Then to give yearly to two of his warehousemen (named) 6_l._
6_s._ each.
Also to “such warehouseman, or binder, or stationer, or other
person in the class to whom the court has been accustomed to give
such annuities, above sixty years of age,” 6_l._ 6_s._
The residue of 5_s._ 4_d._, and whatever residue may be left from
the 200 Prayer-books not being wanted, or from the cost being
less, to be applicable for such purposes as the court shall think
proper.
Beale Blackwell, Esq., gave, July, 1817, so much Bank stock as at
the time of his death would produce the annual sum of 100_l._,
to be every year distributed equally amongst twenty deserving
journeymen letterpress printers; the first distribution of which
took place in October, 1821.
A more detailed account of these charitable donations and
benefactions will be found in a pamphlet of 32 pages, printed by
order of the court in 1819, and given to each liveryman.
This account is copied from Hansard’s Typographia.
DOTTED QUADRATS,
or dotted leaders. Quadrats with dots on them, similar to full
points, at regular distances. They are cast from an en, with one
point, to four ems.
In tables of contents, indices, and other similar matter, dotted
quadrats are preferred to metal rules, or hyphens, being thought to
have a neater appearance.
DOUBLE.
A sheet that is twice pulled and lifted never so little off the form
after it was first pulled, does most commonly (through the play of
the joints of the tympan) take a double impression: this sheet is
said to double. Or if the pressman run in so, as the foreside of the
platen print with the first pull into part of the second pull, or
the hind edge of the platen print with his second pull into part of
his first pull; either of these twice printing is called _Doubling_.
Doubling also happens through the loose hanging of the platen, and
through too much play the tenons of the head may have in the mortises
of the cheeks; and indeed through many wearings and crazinesses that
often happen in several parts of the press.--_M._ Moxon’s account of
doubling and its causes refer to the two pull wooden presses, but
some of them apply equally to iron presses.
In composing, the term is applied when a word, a line, a sentence, or
any part of the copy is composed twice; that is, if the compositor’s
eye catch a part that he has already composed, and he repeats it.
DOUBLE DAGGER.
This is the technical name of a mark used as a reference, ‡; it is
generally placed the third in order,--after the obelisk or dagger.
DOUBLE LETTERS.
Æ, œ, ſt, ſh, and several others cast on one shank, are called double
letters: ſ and f have several ascending letters joined to them,
because their beaks hanging over their stems would (were they not
cast on one shank) ride upon the tops of the stems of the adjoining
ascending letters.--_M._
By discarding the ſ, we have lessened the number of our double
letters, which are now reduced to the diphthongs æ and œ, and to ff,
fi, fl, ffi, and ffl, which are so termed by printers.
DOUBLE NARROW.
A piece of furniture equal in breadth to two narrow quotations. There
are different sizes used in making margin, and in imposing, viz.,
double broad, double broad and narrow, broad and narrow, broad and
double narrow.
DOUBLE PICA.
The name of a type, one size larger than Paragon, and one smaller
than Two-Line Pica. It is equal in depth to two Small Pica bodies.
_See_ TYPES.
DRAW.
When a form is working at press, and any of the letters are loosely
justified, or from any other cause are not tight in the form, and the
adhesion of the ink and balls or rollers pulls them out, they are
said to draw. This accident too frequently occurs; and as it is not
always perceived, errors arise which neither the care nor the skill
of the reader can prevent; when it is perceived, after an impression
or two have been pulled, the pressmen often put the letters into the
wrong place, and thus cause an error. They are occasionally left
by the ball on the form, and produce a batter, which is a waste of
materials, and of time in repairing it. A good compositor guards
against this evil by care in justifying his lines, and also in
locking up.
DRAWN SHEETS.
In collating books in the warehouse, after they have been gathered,
duplicate sheets, and sheets of wrong signatures, are occasionally
found; arising, in the one instance, from the carelessness of
the gathering boys, in taking up more than one sheet of the same
signature; and, in the other, from a lift of another sheet being
occasionally taken down and mixed in the heap: in these cases the
sheets are drawn out of the book, and laid on one side, and, after
some accumulation, are replaced upon their respective heaps, to be
gathered again right. These sheets are called _Drawn Sheets_.
DRESS A CHASE,
or, Dress a Form, is to fit the pages and the chase with furniture
and quoins. _See_ MARGIN.
DRESSING BLOCK.
Made of pear tree, because a soft wood, and therefore less subject
to injure the face of the letter; it is commonly about three inches
square, and an inch high.--_M._ Used the same as our planer. _See_
PLANER.
DRIPPING PAN.
Literally so, made of tinned iron, extending the whole length of the
press, fixed under the long ribs, to preserve the floor from the
droppings of oil.
They are useful articles; for presses to be kept in good working
order require to be frequently oiled; and for want of a dripping pan,
I have known the oil run through the joints of the floor upon a pile
of paper in a room underneath, and spoil a considerable quantity.
DRIVE OUT.
When a compositor sets wide, he is said to drive out or run out.
In founding, if letter be cast too thick in the shank, it drives
out.--_M._ If copy make more than was calculated on, they say, it
drives out; if less, and it is intended that it shall make the
precise quantity decided on, they say, you must drive out; that is,
it must be branched out in proportion, and not cramped.
DROPPING OUT.
After a form is locked up, and, when it is being lifted from the
stone, or being laid upon the imposing stone, or the press, any
letters, spaces, or quadrats fall out, it is said something drops
out, or something has dropped out; this may arise from some of the
lines being badly justified--some of the leads riding--or some of the
furniture binding--or similar causes--and frequently produces errors
at press by other letters drawing out. _See_ FORM DANCES.
In this case, before the form is put to press, it should be examined
to ascertain the cause, and any impediment to its safety should be
removed.
DRUM. _See_ WHEEL.
DUBLIN.
[Illustration: Layout of the Dublin case]
Plan of a Lower Case as used at Dublin. The Upper Case is the same as
used in London.
+-----+---+---+---+---+---+-----++-----+---+---+---+---+-------+-------+
| en | ! | æ | œ | ’ | j | ||_Thin| k | ; |-- |-- | ? | fl |
Rule.| | | | | | || sp._| | | | | | |
+-----+---+---+---+---+---+ ++-----+---+---+---+---+-------+-------+
| & | | | | || | | | | [ ] | ff |
+-----+ b | c | d | e || i | s | f | g +-------+-------+
| Hair| | | | || | | | | ( ) | fi |
| sp. | | | | || | | | | | |
+-----+---+---+---+---+---+-----++-----+---+---+---+---+-------+-------+
| ffi | | | | || | | | | | | |
+-----+ l | m | n | h || o | y | p | , | w | _en | _em |
| ffl | | | | || | | | | |quads._|quads._|
+-----+---+---+---+---+---+-----++-----+---+---+---+---+-------+-------+
| z | | | | || | | q | : | |
+-----+ v | u | t |_Sp._|| a | r +---+---+ _Quadr._ |
| x | | | | || | | . | - | |
+-----+---+---+---+---+---+-----++-----+---+---+---+---+-------+-------+
DUCK’S BILL.
A tongue cut in a piece of stout paper, which is pasted on the tympan
at the bottom of the tympan sheet, to support the white paper when
working, instead of pins; the paper to be printed rests in the slit
behind the tongue, and takes a good bearing.
[Illustration: A tool to support paper in the press]
It is seldom used except in the best work, where the paper printed is
fine, stout, large, and expensive, when extra precautions are taken
to prevent waste.
DUODECIMO.
The size of a book, generally for shortness written 12mo, and hence
frequently incorrectly so pronounced. It is formed by folding a sheet
of paper into twelve portions or leaves, making twenty-four pages.
_See_ IMPOSING.
E.
EAR OF THE FRISKET.
A projecting piece of iron on the near side of the frisket, by taking
hold of which the pressman turns down the frisket, and at the same
time the tympan; and as it projects a little beyond the tympan, he
also raises the sheet off the form by grasping it and the tympan, and
by a quick motion quits hold of the tympan, and turns up the frisket
by means of the ear. It is sometimes called the _Thumb Piece_.
EASY PULL.
When the form feels the force of the spindle by degrees, till the bar
comes almost to the hither cheek of the press, it is called a _Long_,
or a _Soaking_, or _Easy Pull_, and is also called a _Soft Pull_;
because it comes soft and soakingly and easily down.--_M._
EASY WORK.
With compositors, printed copy, or a fair written hand, and full of
breaks, pleases well, and is called good copy, light, easy work: with
pressmen, great letter and a small form is called easy work.--_M._
The term is not now generally used: what Moxon describes as relating
to compositors would now be termed good copy; and with respect to
pressmen it would be called light work, or a light form.
EDINBURGH.
[Illustration: Layout of the Edinburgh case]
Plan of a pair of Cases as used at Edinburgh.
_Upper Case._
+----+---+-----+----+---+---+----++----+----+----+---+---+----+----+
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G || P | Q | R | S | T | V | W |
+----+---+-----+----+---+---+----++----+----+----+---+---+----+----+
| H | I | K | L | M | N | O || X | Y | Z | J | U | Æ | Œ |
+----+---+-----+----+---+---+----++----+----+----+---+---+----+----+
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G || á | é | í | ó | ú | ¶ | ‡ |
+----+---+-----+----+---+---+----++----+----+----+---+---+----+----+
| H | I | K | L | M | N | O || à | è | ì | ò | ù | || | † |
+----+---+-----+----+---+---+----++----+----+----+---+---+----+----+
| P | Q | R | S | T | V | W || â | ê | î | ô | û | § | * |
+----+---+-----+----+---+---+----++----+----+----+---+---+----+----+
| X | Y | Z | J | U | Æ | Œ || ä | ë | ï | ö | ü | ☞ | ! |
+----+---+-----+----+---+---+----++----+----+----+---+---+----+----+
| ff | & | ffl | fl | £ | æ | œ || — | —— |————|[#]|[#]|[ ] | ? |
+----+---+-----+----+---+---+----++----+----+----+---+---+----+----+
_Lower Case._
+---+---+-----+-----+------++---+---+---+---+-----+-----+------+------+
| | ’ | k | g | || 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
+---+---+-----+-----+ ++---+---+---+---+-----+-----+------+------+
| z | | | | || | | | | 9 | 0 |
+---+ b | c | d | e || i | s | f | w +------+------+
| j | | | | || | | | | ; | () |
+---+---+-----+-----+------++-------+---+---+-----+-----+------+------+
| | | | | || | | |_Thin| fi | | |
| | | | | || | | | sp._| | _en | _em |
| y | l | m | n | h || o | p | , +-----+-----+quad._|quad._|
| | | | | || | | |_Thin| ff | | |
| | | | | || | | | sp._| | | |
+---+---+-----+-----+------++-------+---+---+-----+-----+------+------+
| q | | | | || | | . |_Thin| |
| | | | |_Thick|| | | | sp._| |
+---+ v | u | t | sp._ || a | r +-----+-----+ _Quadrats._ |
| x | | | | || | |_Hair| - | |
| | | | | || | | sp._| | |
+---+---+-----+-----+------++-------+-------+-----+-----+-------------+
EIGHTEENMO.
Octodecimo, a sheet of paper folded into eighteen leaves; it is
usually termed eighteens.
ELECTROTYPE. _See_ GALVANISM.
EMERALD.
The name of a type one size larger than Nonpareil, and one smaller
than Minion. It is a size lately introduced.
EMPTY CASE.
When a compositor cannot compose any more out of a case, from many of
the sorts being exhausted, it is termed an empty case, or he says, my
_Case is Empty_, although there may be a great number of types in it
of other sorts.
EMPTY PRESS.
A press that stands by, which no workman works at: most commonly
every printing house has one of them for a proof press; viz. to make
proofs on.--_M._ The term is now applied to those presses only that
are unemployed; the press set apart to pull proofs at is called the
Proof Press. _See_ PROOF PRESS.
ENGLISH.
The name of a type, one size larger than Pica, and one smaller than
Great Primer. _See_ ALPHABET. TYPES.
ENGRAVINGS ON WOOD.
As the method of printing engravings on wood, here described, applies
to what is termed fine printing, it may be as well in the outset to
define what is meant by this expression, in its application to this
subject.
Fine printing, in this point of view, is the art of obtaining
impressions from an engraving on wood, of the surface and the surface
only, so as to produce the effect which the artist intended, in the
highest state of perfection.
There is a material difference between an engraving on wood and one
on copper: the first is engraved in relief, that is, the lines are
left standing, and the part which in the impression is to appear
white is cut away or, technically, blocked out; the lines of the
engraving on copper, on the contrary, are cut in the metal, and the
part that is to be white in the impression is left untouched in the
metal by the engraver.
There is also a material difference in the manner of obtaining
impressions: those from an engraving on wood are produced by coating
the surface of the lines with ink by beating it with balls or passing
a roller over it, and then, with a piece of paper upon it, submitting
it to pressure between two parallel plane surfaces, or by a cylinder
rolling over it. An engraving on copper is smeared over the whole
face with ink, which is worked into the lines; the surplus ink is
then wiped off the surface of the plate, on which a piece of paper
is laid to receive the impression, and these are passed between two
cylinders, which press the paper into the engraved lines by a violent
squeeze.
It will easily be perceived by this slight description that the two
processes are completely distinct from each other, although the
effect produced is nearly the same.
I will now proceed to describe the process of producing impressions
from engravings on wood in a superior manner.
After putting a block on the press, the workman ought to be
very gentle in the pull for the first impression, to prevent an
accident, which has frequently occurred from thoughtlessness in
this particular, by making the pull too hard, and crushing some of
the lines; by avoiding this he will be safe, and can proportion his
pull to the subject. He should also examine, previous to pulling,
that there be nothing on the block--no pins that he may have for his
tympan sheet, nor any needle with which he may have been taking out
a pick.--Such accidents have happened, and caused great trouble to
the engraver, as well as loss of time and disappointment; besides
entailing a character of carelessness on the printer.
In imposing a single block, where the press is large at which it is
to be worked, it will be in danger of springing out of the chase
while beating, from the quantity of furniture about it: it is a good
remedy to impose it in a job chase, and to impose this chase again
in a larger one; this will cause it to lie flatter on the press, and
firmer in the beating, as the small chase can be locked up tight in
the large one, without having too much furniture, and the large one
can be secured firmly on the press by quoins and the corner irons.