Andrew Wise facts for kids

Andrew Wise (active from 1589 to 1603) was a London publisher during the time of Queen Elizabeth I. He is famous for publishing the very first editions of five plays written by the famous playwright William Shakespeare. People say that "no other London publisher invested in Shakespeare as much as Wise did, especially while Shakespeare was still alive."

Andrew Wise: A Key Publisher of Shakespeare

Andrew Wise was the son of a farmer from Yorkshire, England. He started learning the publishing business in 1581. He worked for eight years under Henry Smith and Thomas Bradshaw.

On May 26, 1589, he became a "freeman" of the Stationers Company. This meant he was a full member and could run his own business. Wise had his own shop in London from about 1593 to 1603. His shop was called "the Angel" and was located in St. Paul's Churchyard.

Publishing Shakespeare's Plays

Andrew Wise published the first editions of five important plays by William Shakespeare. This was a big deal because these plays became very popular.

• Richard II: Wise officially registered this play on August 20, 1597. He then published the first edition (called a first quarto) before the end of that year. More editions followed in 1598.
• Richard III: This play was registered on October 20, 1597. Its first edition came out later that year. Wise also published later editions in 1598 and 1602.
• Henry IV, Part 1: This play was registered on February 25, 1598. It was published later that year. Another edition came out in 1599.
• Henry IV, Part 2: Wise registered this play on August 23, 1600. He published the only edition of this play from that time in the same year. For this play, Wise worked with another publisher named William Aspley.
• Much Ado About Nothing: This play was also registered on August 23, 1600. Wise and Aspley published it that same year.

Some people believe that Andrew Wise was very lucky. He "struck gold three times in a row" in 1597 and 1598. He chose three plays that became the best-selling Shakespearean editions early in his career.

Other Works Published by Wise

Besides Shakespeare's plays, Andrew Wise published many other books. These included works by other writers of his time. For example, he published Christ's Tears Over Jerusalem (1593) by Thomas Nashe. He also published Observations in the Art of English Poesy (1602) by Thomas Campion.

Like many publishers then, he also printed religious books. Examples include The Pathway to Perfection and The Mean of Mourning (both 1596). Compared to other publishers, Wise ran a smaller business.

What Happened Next?

On June 25, 1603, Andrew Wise sold the rights to his plays (Richard II, Richard III, and Henry IV, Part 1) to another publisher, Matthew Law. After this, Andrew Wise is not mentioned in records again.