Christopher Barker (printer) facts for kids
Christopher Barker (born around 1529, died 1599) was a very important printer for Queen Elizabeth I. He started a family business of printers that included his son Robert Barker and his grandsons. He is most famous for printing many versions of English Bibles during Queen Elizabeth's time, like the Geneva Bible and the Bishops' Bible. He was the official printer for the Queen's court and had special permission to print Bibles.
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Christopher Barker: The Queen's Printer
Christopher Barker was a very smart businessman in the late 1500s. He was born around 1529. He was a wealthy member of the Drapers’ Company, which was a group of cloth merchants. He had powerful friends in the Queen's court, especially with the Walsingham family. It is thought that his wealth came from his grand-uncle, Sir Christopher Barker, whose properties he inherited.
Printing the Bible
Barker became interested in printing and first started publishing books in 1569. In 1576, he began his career as a Bible printer. He got special permission, called a privilege, to print the Geneva version of the Bible in England.
The Royal Printer's Job
In 1577, Barker bought a very important patent from Sir Thomas Wilkes. A patent is like a special license that gives someone the only right to do something. Barker's patent allowed him to print the Old and New Testaments in English, with or without notes, and in any translation.
This important patent made Barker the official royal printer. This meant he had the exclusive right to print many important documents. These included:
- All laws and official papers from Parliament
- Proclamations and orders from the Queen
- All Bibles and New Testaments in English
- All service books used in churches
- Any other books the Queen or Parliament wanted printed
A Family Business
Barker's printing business grew very successfully. After 1588, he mostly ran the business through his assistants, George Bishop and Ralph Newbery. When Sir Thomas Wilkes lost his position in 1589, Barker managed to get his special printing patent renewed. This new patent also said that his son, Robert, would take over the patent after Christopher died.
Christopher Barker and his son Robert lived in London. Christopher also had a house outside the city, where he retired after 1588. He died there in 1599. Between 1575 and 1599, Christopher Barker and his team printed about seventy different editions of the Bible. These Bibles were known for being accurate and well-printed. After Christopher's death, his son Robert became the new royal printer, continuing the family's important work.
