RASTELL, John ( - 1536) ‹ LBT 28539 ›
floruit 1530 (B)—1536 (B); Male, married
Life Events
| Event | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Death | - after 20 Apr 1536 <Will> - before 12 Oct 1536 <Probate> |
Will
| Will (Ref., Piece, Image) | Will Dates | Intestate | Probate Dates | Administration Dates | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
PCC 3 Crumwell |
1536-04-20 | 1536-10-12 | Plomer "Wills". Ralf Cressey renounced probate, which was thereupon granted ot Elizabeth, the widow. |
Executors
| Executor | Relation | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| HENRY VIII | ||
| Rauf CRESSY |
Family Relationships
| Relationship | Name | Occupation | Comments | Conf |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| spouse: | MORE, Elizabeth (mar. RASTELL) ‹ LBT 05134 › | 95 | ||
| child: | RASTELL, William ( - 1565) ‹ LBT 28540 › | Printer | 100 | |
| child: | RASTELL, John ‹ LBT 36233 › | 60 | ||
| child: | RASTELL, Jone ‹ LBT 36234 › | 60 |
Occupations (1)
| Occupation | Comment |
|---|---|
| Printer | Duff, E.G. (1905) |
Addresses (3)
| Date | Address | Trade at Addr | Source | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Paul's Churchyard | Plomer W | - South side of | ||
| Before the South door of Paul's | Plomer W | |||
| Plomer W | - "Mermaid" at Paul's Gate next to Cheapside |
SOURCES & TRANSCRIPTIONS
Transcriptions
ODNB - article by Cecil H. Clough
Bib.Soc., Hand-lists (1913), contrib. R.Proctor.
Duff, E.G. (1905), pp.129-30
RASTELL (JOHN), printer in London, was born in London, educated at Oxford and afterwards entered Lincoln's Inn. He married Elizabeth { MORE, Elizabeth (mar. RASTELL) ‹ LBT 05134 › } the sister of Sir Thomas More. He issued some time before 15I6 an edition of the Liber Assisarum in which he referred to a proposed edition of Fitzherbert's Great Abridgement which was printed in that year. About 1520 he moved his printing establishment to a house next St. Paul's gate to which he gave his sign of the Mermaid, but from a lawsuit held about 1534 in connexion with this house we learn that he did not do much printing there himself but kept assistants and sublet portions to tenants such as William Bonham { BONHAM, William (1497 - 1557) ‹ LBT 06973 › }, John Heron { HERON, John ‹ LBT 02650 › }, Thomas Kele { KELE, Thomas ‹ LBT 28428 › } and John Gough { GOUGH, John ( - 1543) ‹ LBT 07541 › }. [Bibliographica, II, pp. 437-451.] Up to 1526 Rastell had published but four books all connected with the law; but in the next year or two he issued some works of a popular character, The Hundred Merry Tales, The merry jests of the Widow Edith and the Pastime of People. He printed also several interludes and is known to have been fond of giving performances of plays, for the records of a lawsuit are still preserved between himself and a theatrical costumier. In 1530 he became involved in the religious controversies of the time and, becoming converted to the reformed religion, lost friends and position and sank into comparative poverty. In 1536 he attacked the paying of tythes and about the same time was thrown into prison where he shortly afterwards died. His will was proved on October 12th. [Plomer, Wills, pp. 5-6.] He left forty shillings to his son William { RASTELL, William ( - 1565) ‹ LBT 28540 › } and a small annuity to his son John. He left other small sums to the Lord Chancellor and Cromwell, and named Henry VIII one of his executors. He used two devices, the larger having figures of a merman and mermaid holding a shield with his monogram; above is a half-length figure of the Almighty and in the upper corners are shields with the arms of England and the Prince of Wales' feathers. The smaller device contains a shield with his monogram on a ribbon with the motto Justicia Regat. [D.N.B. Handlists of English Printers, II. Plomer, English Printing, pp. 51-54.]