John Smethwick
Encyclopedia
John Smethwick was a London
publisher of the Elizabethan
, Jacobean
, and Caroline
eras. Along with colleague William Aspley
, Smethwick was one of the "junior partners" in the publishing syndicate that issued the First Folio collection of Shakespeare's
plays in 1623
. As his title pages specify, his shop was "in St. Dunstan's Churchyard in Fleet Street
, under the Dial."
on 17 January 1597, and continued in business for more than four decades. In the earlier phases of his career, Smethwick was repeatedly fined for selling books to which he lacked the rights; but in later years he rose to be successively Junior Warden (1631), Senior Warden (1635), and Master (1639) of the Stationers Company. For a portion of his career Smethwick was partnered with John Jaggard, the brother of William Jaggard
, the printer of the First Folio.
dated 19 November that year, stationer Nicholas Ling transferred the copyrights of Romeo and Juliet
, Love's Labor's Lost, and Hamlet
to Smethwick. (At the same time, Smethwick acquired from Ling the rights to The Taming of a Shrew, the early alternative version of Shakespeare's The Shrew
.) Two of these plays were subsequently published in quarto
by Smethwick — Romeo and Juliet in 1609
(the third quarto
) and Hamlet in 1611
(also Q3).
Smethwick's possession of these copyrights eventually involved him in the First Folio project. When Edward Blount
and William and Isaac Jaggard were preparing to print the Folio, c. 1620, they had to obtain the rights to eighteen plays that had already been printed. Two copyright holders, Aspley and Smethwick, chose to participate in the Folio project as partners with Blount and the Jaggards. Again like Aspley, Smethwick retained his Shakespearean copyrights to join in Robert Allot
's Second Folio
in 1632
.
A few Shakespearean plays continued to be printed in quarto editions after 1623 — and Smethwick was responsible for several of these late quartos. He issued the second quarto of Love's labor's Lost in 1631
. He published the undated Q4 of Romeo and Juliet (1623?), and followed it with Q5 in 1637
. In the same era he issued the undated Q4 of Hamlet (1625?) and the Q5 of 1637.
, in seven editions from 1608
to 1637. He published Sir David Murray's The Tragical Death of Sophonisba in 1611, and an edition of Thomas Lodge
's Rosalynde: Euphues' Golden Legacy in 1612
. He produced the second and third edition of Francis Beaumont
's The Knight of the Burning Pestle
(both 1635
).
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
publisher of the Elizabethan
Elizabethan era
The Elizabethan era was the epoch in English history of Queen Elizabeth I's reign . Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history...
, Jacobean
Jacobean era
The Jacobean era refers to the period in English and Scottish history that coincides with the reign of King James VI of Scotland, who also inherited the crown of England in 1603 as James I...
, and Caroline
Caroline era
The Caroline era refers to the era in English and Scottish history during the Stuart period that coincided with the reign of Charles I , Carolus being Latin for Charles...
eras. Along with colleague William Aspley
William Aspley
William Aspley 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.-Career:...
, Smethwick was one of the "junior partners" in the publishing syndicate that issued the First Folio collection of Shakespeare's
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
plays in 1623
1623 in literature
The year 1623 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*February 2 - The King's Men perform Twelfth Night at Court on Candlemas....
. As his title pages specify, his shop was "in St. Dunstan's Churchyard in Fleet Street
Fleet Street
Fleet Street is a street in central London, United Kingdom, named after the River Fleet, a stream that now flows underground. It was the home of the British press until the 1980s...
, under the Dial."
Career
He was the son of a London draper, and began a nine-year apprenticeship under a Thomas Newman at Christmas 1589 (though he was emancipated early by his master's widow). Like Aspley, Smethwick enjoyed a career of unusual longetivity: he became a "freeman" (a full member) of the Stationers CompanyWorshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers
The Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The Stationers' Company was founded in 1403; it received a Royal Charter in 1557...
on 17 January 1597, and continued in business for more than four decades. In the earlier phases of his career, Smethwick was repeatedly fined for selling books to which he lacked the rights; but in later years he rose to be successively Junior Warden (1631), Senior Warden (1635), and Master (1639) of the Stationers Company. For a portion of his career Smethwick was partnered with John Jaggard, the brother of William Jaggard
William Jaggard
William Jaggard 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...
, the printer of the First Folio.
Shakespeare
Smethwick's connection with the Shakespeare canon began in 1607: in an entry in the Stationers' RegisterStationers' Register
The Stationers' Register was a record book maintained by the Stationers' Company of London. The company is a trade guild given a royal charter in 1557 to regulate the various professions associated with the publishing industry, including printers, bookbinders, booksellers, and publishers in England...
dated 19 November that year, stationer Nicholas Ling transferred the copyrights of Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
, Love's Labor's Lost, and Hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
to Smethwick. (At the same time, Smethwick acquired from Ling the rights to The Taming of a Shrew, the early alternative version of Shakespeare's The Shrew
The Taming of the Shrew
The Taming of the Shrew is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1591.The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the Induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken tinker named Sly into believing he is actually a nobleman himself...
.) Two of these plays were subsequently published in quarto
Book size
The size of a book is generally measured by the height against the width of a leaf, or sometimes the height and width of its cover. A series of terms is commonly used by libraries and publishers for the general sizes of modern books, ranging from "folio" , to "quarto" and "octavo"...
by Smethwick — Romeo and Juliet in 1609
1609 in literature
The year 1609 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*January 1 - the Children of the Blackfriars perform Middleton's A Trick to Catch the Old One at Court....
(the third quarto
Book size
The size of a book is generally measured by the height against the width of a leaf, or sometimes the height and width of its cover. A series of terms is commonly used by libraries and publishers for the general sizes of modern books, ranging from "folio" , to "quarto" and "octavo"...
) and Hamlet in 1611
1611 in literature
The year 1611 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*January 1 - Oberon, the Faery Prince, a masque written by Ben Jonson and designed by Inigo Jones, is performed at Whitehall Palace....
(also Q3).
Smethwick's possession of these copyrights eventually involved him in the First Folio project. When Edward Blount
Edward Blount
Edward Blount was a London publisher of the Elizabethan, Jacobean, and Caroline eras, noted for his publication, in conjunction with William and Isaac Jaggard, of the First Folio of Shakespeare's plays in 1623....
and William and Isaac Jaggard were preparing to print the Folio, c. 1620, they had to obtain the rights to eighteen plays that had already been printed. Two copyright holders, Aspley and Smethwick, chose to participate in the Folio project as partners with Blount and the Jaggards. Again like Aspley, Smethwick retained his Shakespearean copyrights to join in Robert Allot
Robert Allot
Robert Allot was a London bookseller and publisher of the early Caroline era; his shop was at the sign of the black bear in St. Paul's Churchyard...
's Second Folio
Second Folio
Second Folio is the term applied to the 1632 edition of the works of William Shakespeare, following upon the First Folio of 1623.Much language was updated; there are almost 1,700 changes from the First Folio....
in 1632
1632 in literature
The year 1632 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*On February 14, Tempe Restored, a masque written by Aurelian Townshend and designed by Inigo Jones, is performed at Whitehall Palace....
.
A few Shakespearean plays continued to be printed in quarto editions after 1623 — and Smethwick was responsible for several of these late quartos. He issued the second quarto of Love's labor's Lost in 1631
1631 in literature
The year 1631 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*January 9 - Love's Triumph Through Callipolis, a masque written by Ben Jonson and designed by Inigo Jones, is staged at Whitehall Palace....
. He published the undated Q4 of Romeo and Juliet (1623?), and followed it with Q5 in 1637
1637 in literature
The year 1637 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*January 24 - Hamlet is performed before King Charles I and Queen Henrietta Maria at Hampton Court Palace....
. In the same era he issued the undated Q4 of Hamlet (1625?) and the Q5 of 1637.
Others
Inevitably, Smethwick also published a large body of non-Shakespearean literature as well. Notably, he issued an important collection of the Poems of Michael DraytonMichael Drayton
Michael Drayton was an English poet who came to prominence in the Elizabethan era.-Early life:He was born at Hartshill, near Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England. Almost nothing is known about his early life, beyond the fact that in 1580 he was in the service of Thomas Goodere of Collingham,...
, in seven editions from 1608
1608 in literature
The year 1608 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*January 10 - Ben Jonson's The Masque of Beauty is performed by Queen Anne and her retinue at the Banqueting House, Whitehall, a sequel to The Masque of Blackness....
to 1637. He published Sir David Murray's The Tragical Death of Sophonisba in 1611, and an edition of Thomas Lodge
Thomas Lodge
Thomas Lodge was an English dramatist and writer of the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods.-Early life and education:...
's Rosalynde: Euphues' Golden Legacy in 1612
1612 in literature
The year 1612 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*January 6 - Ben Jonson's masque Love Restored is performed.*January 12 - The King's Men and Queen Anne's Men unite for the first of two Court performances in January, with Thomas Heywood's The Silver Age*January 13 - The King's...
. He produced the second and third edition of Francis Beaumont
Francis Beaumont
Francis Beaumont was a dramatist in the English Renaissance theatre, most famous for his collaborations with John Fletcher....
's The Knight of the Burning Pestle
The Knight of the Burning Pestle
The Knight of the Burning Pestle is a play by Francis Beaumont, first performed in 1607 and first published in a quarto in 1613. It is notable as the first whole parody play in English...
(both 1635
1635 in literature
The year 1635 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*February 22 - In Paris, the Académie française is founded.*May 6 - The King's Men perform Othello at the Blackfriars Theatre.*Birth of René Descartes' daughter, Francine....
).