Historical Dictionary of Renaissance

CAXTON, WILLIAM

Caxton, William: translation

(ca. 1422-1491)
The first Englishman to practice the new art ofprinting. A native of Kent and a member of the Mercers' Company of London, he spent many years living abroad, chiefly at Bruges in the Netherlands. In 1470 he moved to Cologne and took charge of a printing firm. After printing several books there, he returned to Bruges and founded a new printing shop. About the end of 1473, he brought out the first book printed in English, a translation of a French historical romance,Recuyell of the Histories of Troy. In 1476 Caxton moved back to England and set up shop at Westminster, near the royal court. There he printed about a hundred titles, of which the most famous is the first edition ofChaucer'sCanterbury Tales(1477); but his products also included works of religious edification, English translations of lives of the saints (notably theLegenda aureaof Jacobus de Voragine), a book on chess,Aesop's Fables, andReynard the Fox. At the very end of his life, he translated into English a book of the lives of the ancient Christian Desert Fathers, published by his successor Wynkyn de Worde.

  1. caxton, william—Caxton William translation Caxton William Born in the Weald of Kent c. died at Westminster the first English printer and the introducer of the art of printing into Eng...Catholic encyclopedia
  2. caxton, william—Caxton William translationca. Businessman critic writer translator and printer William Caxton is most celebrated for establishing the first printing press in England. Ca...Encyclopedia of medieval literature
  3. caxton, william—Caxton William translationc. Commencing operations after EDWARD IV had seemingly ended the WARS OF THE ROSES cloth merchant William Caxton introduced printing to England...Encyclopedia of the Wars of the Roses
  4. caxton, william—брит.u Вильям Кэкстон английский первопечатникem British printing also began in Germany. This statement is backed up by the fact that William Caxton Englands first printe...Англо-русский универсальный дополнительный практический словарь И. Мостицкого