JOURNAL ARTICLE

Unpaid Debts to London Booksellers: John Harrison the Elder's Lawsuit against Two Chapmen in 1585.

  • Published In: Library, 2023, v. 24, n. 3. P. 332 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: McGovern, Jonathan 3 of 3

Abstract

This article focuses on a newly discovered 1585 lawsuit transcript from the Court of Common Pleas, detailing a large book sale made on 3 May 1584 to two chapmen, John Herne and Thomas Jackson, by the bookseller John Harrison the elder. The record sheds light on the Elizabethan book trade, including trade prices, the role of chapmen as book resellers, and the litigation practices among London booksellers. It notably contains the earliest known purchase of Edmund Spenser's *The Shepheardes Calendar* (1579) and illustrates the international scope of the London book market in the 1580s. The article also provides biographical context on Harrison's career and the nature of the books sold, ranging from religious texts to schoolbooks and possibly lost works.

Additional Information

  • Source:Library. 2023/09, Vol. 24, Issue 3, p332
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Literature and Writing
  • Publication Date:2023
  • ISSN:0024-2160
  • DOI:10.1093/library/fpad024
  • Accession Number:172308689
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