Thomas Judson (

fl. ''Floruit'' (; abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for "they flourished") denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indicatin ...

1584-1600) was an

Elizabethan The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The symbol of Britannia (a female personifi ...

printer, best known for printing

William Jaggard William Jaggard ( – November 1623) was an Elizabethan and Jacobean printer and publisher, best known for his connection with the texts of William Shakespeare, most notably the First Folio of Shakespeare's plays. Jaggard's shop was "at t ...

's first two editions of ''

The Passionate Pilgrim ''The Passionate Pilgrim'' (1599) is an anthology of 20 poems collected and published by William Jaggard that were attributed to " W. Shakespeare" on the title page, only five of which are considered authentically Shakespearean. These are two ...

'' (1599), which Jaggard attributed to

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

. Thomas obtained his freedom of the Company by patrimony in January 1581. He was a son of the very prominent Tudor printer John Judson, Stationer in London from c. 1542 until his death in 1589. John was already a senior member of the Worshipful Company of Stationers at its incorporation by Queen Mary in 1557, and was Warden of the Company in 1560-61, 1562-63 and 1570-71, and Master of the Company in 1587-88. In 1569 John Judson operated from the Sign of the Hedghogg in Paul's Churchyard. In his will of 4 May 1588 John left his stock of money held by the Stationers for partnerships to his widow Alice for life, and then to descend to his son Thomas (notwithstanding that Thomas was the second-named of his two sons, and both were to be his Overseers). On 6 May 1592 a dinner for Mistress Judson was held at Stationers' Hall, for which Thomas contributed forty shillings. In business Thomas Judson was the partner of

John Windet John Windet ('' fl'' 1584–1611)Miller. was an English printer, notable for his music publications. He was a close business associate of fellow printer John Wolfe. After 1591, Wolfe ceased printing the lucrative metrical psalter of Thomas Sternh ...

. They were in joint occupation of a house called the White Bear in Addle or Addling Hill, near Baynard's Castle, near to, or the same as, premisses later occupied by the printer

Valentine Simmes Valentine Simmes ( fl. 1585 – 1622) was an Elizabethan era and Jacobean era printer; he did business in London, "on Adling Hill near Bainard's Castle at the sign of the White Swan." Simmes has a reputation as one of the better printers of his gen ...

. In early 1600 he sold his business to the printer John Harrison III.'Judson, Thomas'
British Book Trade Index
(Bodleian Library, Oxford).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Judson, Thomas Early editions of Shakespeare English printers Year of birth missing Year of death missing