Wynkyn de Worde
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Wynkyn de Worde (originally Jan van Wynkyn) (d. 1534) was a printer and publisher known for his work with William Caxton, and is recognised as the first to popularise the products of the printing press.
Born in Wörth, Alsace, he is believed to have accompanied Caxton on his arrival in England in 1476 and worked alongside him at Westminster. In 1491 following Caxton's death, de Worde took over his printing work. From then until his death he published approximately 750 books, although many are only extant in single copies and many others being extremely rare. His works range from poetry to romantic novels, and from children's books to volumes on household practice and animal husbandry.
In 1524 he was the first to use italic type in England and his 1495 version of Polychronicon by Ranulf Higdon was the first English work to use moving type to print music. He was also the first printer to set up a site on Fleet Street (1500), which for centuries became synonymous with printing.
His name lives on via the 'Wynkyn de Worde Society', founded in the UK in 1957 for "people dedicated to excellence in all aspects of printing and the various stages of its creation, production, finishing and dissemination".
[edit] Published works
Books printed by de Worde include:
- Vitae Sanctorum Patrum
- Bartholomaeus de Proprietatibus Rerum by John Trevisa
- Dives and Pauper
- The Book of St. Albans
- The Canterbury Tales
- Contemplacyon of sinners by William Touris
- Mandeville's Travels
- Beves of Hamtoun
- Guy of Warwick
- Robin Hood
- The Miracles of Our Lady
- The Rote or mirror of Consolation
- The Twelve profits of tribulation
- The Bowge of Court by John Skelton
- The History of the Three Kings of Cologne
- The Ship of Fools
- The World and the Child
- Gesta Romanorum
[edit] Trivia
Wynkyn de Worde was the historical basis for the character William de Worde in the book The Truth by Terry Pratchett.
