14501940
15001600170018001900
Floruit: 1580–1594
floruit (A) 1580 - 1594 ; Male, married
Introduction
Abell Jeffes was a printer and bookseller in London who was apprenticed to Henry Bynneman and freed in the Stationers' Company on 26 March 1580. Active from 1584 to 1599, he operated from several London locations including The Bell in Fore Street without Cripplegate, Philip Lane, St. Paul's Churchyard, and Blackfriars. Jeffes printed notable works including editions of George Gascoigne and writings by Robert Greene, Thomas Kyd, and Thomas Nashe, though his press was seized in 1595 for printing unlicensed materials, after which he continued as a bookseller until assigning his copy rights in 1599.
Family Relationships
| LBTNumber |
Name |
Relationship |
Occupation
|
| 30696 |
Placeholder |
spouse |
|
Livery Companies
| Company |
Source
|
| Stationers' Company |
|
Was Apprentice to Master(s): (1)
Had Apprentice(s): (5)
Events (7)
Sources and References
| Original Sources |
Comments
|
| St.Co. Archive - Binding and Freedom records - extracted by Prof. J.A. Lavin |
|
SOURCES & TRANSCRIPTIONS
Transcriptions
S.T.C., (1991), vol.3, p.p.91-2
McKerrow, R.B. &c. (1910), p.156
JEFFES (ABEL), printer in London, 1584-99; (1) The Bell in Fore Street without Cripplegate, near unto Grub Street, 1584-8; (2) The Bell in Philip Lane [London Wall], 1589-90; (3) St. Paul's Churchyard at the Great North Door of St. Paul's Church, 1591; (4) (?) Blackfriars, near Puddle Wharf, 1594-9. Abell Jeffes was one of Henry Bynneman's { BYNNEMAN, Henry (1542 - 1583) ‹ LBT 07678 › } apprentices and took up his freedom in the Company of Stationers on February 26th, 1579-80 [Arber, ii. 682). His first book entry occurs on August 28th, 1584 [Arber, ii. 435], and in the same year he printed for William Bathe An Introduction to the true Art of Music [Arber, v. 134]. During the year 1587 his press was busy, amongst the books which he printed being an edition of the Works of George Gascoigne, a translation from Boccacio, A disport of divers noble personages, Thomas Lupton's Siugila and George Turberville's Tragical Tales. Again in 1592 he is found printing the writings of Robert Greene, Thomas Kyd, Tbomas Lodge and Thomas Nashe. On December 3rd, 1595, his press and letters were seized for printing The most strange prophecie of Doctor Cipriano "and diverse other lewde ballades and thinges very offensive," and for this and resisting the searchers he was committed to prison until he made submission. His presses were not returned to him, but he continued as a bookseller probably at the shop or shed in St. Paul's Churchyard until August 13th, 1599, when he assigned over his rights in certain copies to William White { WHITE, William ‹ LBT 07925 › } [Arber, iii. 146]. Abell Jeffes appears to have been in poor circumstances, as the Company sent him various small sums of money on different occasions and gave his wife five shillings when her house was visited by the plague [Arber, i. 560-3, 566]. Jeffes used as a device a bell within an oval border and the motto, "Praise the Lord with Harpe and song," and the letters A.I. beneath.
