John Wright (
fl. 1602–1658) was a major London publisher and bookseller and one of the two booksellers who sold ''
Shakespeare's Sonnets'' in 1609. He also was a member of the syndicate that printed the Shakespeare
First Folio
''Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies'' is a collection of plays by William Shakespeare, commonly referred to by modern scholars as the First Folio, published in 1623, about seven years after Shakespeare's death. It is cons ...
in 1623. He published several editions of
Christopher Marlowe's ''
Doctor Faustus'' beginning with the second in 1616, was an official printer for the
Parliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England from the 13th century until 1707 when it was replaced by the Parliament of Great Britain. Parliament evolved from the great council of bishops and peers that advised ...
, and published several early newspapers and ballads.
Career
Wright finished his apprenticeship in 1602 and published many notable books, setting up his business at the Kings Head in the Old Bailey. He was the chief publisher of ballads in partnership with Fr. Coles, T. Vere, and W. Gilbertson. In 1609 he and bookseller
William Aspley
William Aspley (died 1640) was a London publisher of the Elizabethan, Jacobean, and Caroline eras. He was a member of the publishing syndicates that issued the First Folio and Second Folio collections of Shakespeare's plays, in 1623 and 1632. ...
were the vendors of ''Shakespeare's sonnets'', and seven of the 13 extant copies bear Wright's imprint.
His publication of a book against the Parliament in 1643 caused him to be committed to the Compter, but by the next month he had become one of the official printers for the body.
On 11 May 1643, he started a news-sheet called ''
Mercurius Civicus
''Mercurius Civicus: Londons Intelligencer, or, Truth impartially related from thence to the whole Kingdome to prevent mis-information'' (Latin: "The City Mercury") was an English Civil War weekly newspaper, appearing on Thursdays from 4 May 164 ...
'' with Thomas Bates, which ran until the end of 1646. Each issue included a woodcut or two on the first page illustrate some event. Wright and Bates were also published ''The True Informer'', another news-sheet.
Family and death
Wright married Katherine, the daughter of Christopher Hatfield, citizen and cutler of London, and is mentioned in his will. They had a son, John Wright Jr. Wright died in May 1658 and was buried on the 11th of that month.
[Smith, Richard, Sir Henry Ellis, ed. ''The Obituary of Richard Smyth, Secondary of the Poultry Compter, London.'' Camden Society, London: 1849, 47.]
John Wright Jr.
John Wright Jr., became his father's partner beginning in 1634 and ran the business after his father's death until 1667. On 13 June 1742 he obtained the rights to 62 publications from Robert Bird and Edward Brewster, including ''The History of Gargantua'', ''A Book of Riddles'', and ''Robinson's Citharine'' book. He also continued the ballad printing partnership. He included his address, "dwelling at the upper end of the Old Bayley" on his early imprints, and later "at the Globe in Little Britain".
Notes
References
McKerrow, R.B. ''A dictionary of printers and booksellers in England, Scotland and Ireland, and of foreign printers of English books 1557-1640.'' London, Printed for the Bibliographical Society, 1910. 197-98.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wright, John
Publishers (people) from London
1658 deaths
Year of birth unknown