John Reynes facts for kids
John Reynes was a very busy person in London during the 1500s. He had many important jobs related to books! He worked as a stationer, a bookseller, a publisher, and even a bookbinder.
He was born Jan Rijens in a place called Wageningen, which was in Gueldres, part of the Low Countries (today, this area is in the Netherlands). When he moved to England, he received special permission to live and work there on June 7, 1510.
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John Reynes: A Book Expert
John Reynes was known for his many skills in the world of books. He helped create, sell, and protect books for people in London.
Publishing and Selling Books
John Reynes started publishing books around 1527. His name first appeared at the very end of a book called Polycronycon by Ralph Higden. This special section at the end of old books, which tells you about the publisher, is called a colophon.
He continued to publish new books regularly until about 1544. This shows he was an active and important publisher for many years.
The Art of Bookbinding
John Reynes was especially famous for his amazing bookbinding skills. He created many beautiful and strong covers for books. You can still find some of his unique bookbindings today!
His bindings often had special designs stamped onto them.
- One side usually showed symbols of the Christian Passion. This included things like the cross or other items related to the story of Jesus. It also had the Latin words Redemptoris mundi arma, which means "Arms of the World's Redeemer."
- The other side of the bookbinding had two sections. One section showed the arms of England, which is like the official symbol of the country. The other section featured the Tudor rose, a famous symbol of the Tudor royal family.
He had about six other unique stamps that he used, but these are much harder to find today.
His Apprentice: John Cawood
John Reynes also helped teach others about the book business. One of his apprentices was a man named John Cawood. An apprentice is someone who learns a skill or trade from a master.
John Cawood later became a very successful printer himself. He was even the master of the Company of Stationers in 1557. This company was like a guild for people who worked with books. To honor John Reynes, John Cawood had a special window put into Stationers' Hall, which was the meeting place for the company.
