Richard Field (printer) facts for kids
Richard Field (1561–1624) was a famous printer and publisher in London during the time of Queen Elizabeth I. He is most known for his close connection to the poems of William Shakespeare. Interestingly, they both grew up in the same town, Stratford-upon-Avon.
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Who Was Richard Field? His Early Life and Career
Richard Field's family lived on Bridge Street in Stratford-upon-Avon. This was very close to where William Shakespeare's family lived on Henley Street. Richard's father was a tanner, someone who prepares animal hides to make leather. Since Richard and William were about the same age and their fathers had similar businesses (tanning and glove-making), it's believed they knew each other growing up. When Richard's father, Henry, passed away in 1592, William's father, John Shakespeare, was one of the local officials who helped value Henry's property.
Starting His Printing Journey in London
In 1579, Richard Field began learning the printing trade in London. He became an apprentice to two well-known printers, George Bishop and Thomas Vautrollier. After Vautrollier died in 1587, Richard worked with Thomas's widow, Jacqueline Vautrollier, who was also a printer. In 1588, they printed a work together called The copie of a letter sent out of England to Don Bernardin Mendoza. This was a piece of writing that supported the Protestant religion. It was the first time Richard Field's name appeared on a printed work.
Richard married Jacqueline in 1589. He then took over her late husband's printing business, which was considered "one of the best in London." Richard's print shop was located in the Blackfriars area of London, close to Ludgate. He often printed books for the most respected publishers in the city, like William Ponsonby and Edward Blount. In 1592, Richard's brother, Jasper Field, also joined the business as an apprentice.
Printing for a Cause: Protestant Works
Richard Field was a Protestant, and this belief led him to print many Spanish-language Protestant books. These books were meant to be sold in Catholic Spain. He used the name "Ricardo del Campo" for these works. One example is a translation of a religious teaching book by Calvin, published in 1596. He also printed books that claimed to be written by Cipriano de Valera, including a Spanish New Testament in 1596.
For the title pages of his books, Field used a special symbol: an anchor with the Latin words Anchora Spei. This means "anchor of hope." This symbol had belonged to the Vautrollier family before him.
Printer or Publisher? Richard Field's Role
During Field's time, printing and publishing were often separate jobs. Booksellers usually acted as publishers, and they would hire printers to do the actual printing. Richard Field focused more on printing than publishing. Out of about 295 books he printed, he was the publisher for only about 112. The rest were published by other booksellers. For instance, when Andrew Wise published Thomas Campion's Observations in the Art of English Poesy in 1602, Richard Field was the printer.
Richard Field became one of the 22 master printers of the Stationers Company. This was a powerful group that controlled printing and publishing in London. From 1615 onwards, he kept his shop on Wood Street, near his home. Richard had several apprentices, including George Miller. After Richard Field passed away in 1624, his business went to his partners, Richard Badger and George Miller. They continued to use his "anchor of hope" symbol.
Richard Field and Shakespeare's Poems
Richard Field is best remembered for printing the first editions of two of Shakespeare's famous poems:
- Venus and Adonis: Field printed the first four editions of this long poem. These were the quarto editions in 1593 and 1594, and the octavo editions in 1595 and 1596.
- The Phoenix and the Turtle: In 1601, Field printed a book called Love's Martyr by Robert Chester for publisher Edward Blount. This book also included short poems by other writers, including Shakespeare's poem.
The Quality of Field's Printing
The early printed versions of Shakespeare's poems, printed by Field, were known for their high quality. Some experts believe that Shakespeare himself might have been involved in making sure these poems were printed correctly. They suggest these might be the only works Shakespeare personally oversaw for publication. However, others argue that Field was such a skilled and honest printer that he could have produced these excellent texts on his own, without Shakespeare's direct help.
Field officially registered Venus and Adonis with the Stationers' Register on April 18, 1593. He printed and published the first two editions himself. But on June 25, 1594, he transferred the rights to the poem to a bookseller named John Harrison. Harrison then published Lucrece and later editions of Venus and Adonis. He sold these books from his shop in St. Paul's Churchyard. Harrison later used other printers for new editions of Lucrece.
Other Connections Between Field and Shakespeare
Experts have also thought about other ways Shakespeare and Field might have been connected. Many of the books Shakespeare used as sources for his plays were printed by the Vautrollier/Field print shop. These include:
- Thomas North's translation of Plutarch's writings.
- Sir John Harington's translation of Orlando Furioso.
- Robert Greene's Pandosto.
- The works of Ovid.
- Possibly Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles.
Since Field would have kept copies of these books in his shop, some believe Shakespeare might have used Field's shop like a library early in his career. One expert, James Shapiro, suggests that Plutarch's work was very important to Shakespeare in the middle of his career. He thinks Shakespeare "probably worked from a copy of Plutarch given, or lent him, by Field," which was a valuable and expensive book.
Richard and Jacqueline Field lived on Wood Street in the early 1600s. Shakespeare moved in with the Mountjoy family on nearby Silver Street in 1602. Mrs. Field and the Mountjoys were part of the Huguenot community in London, which were French Protestants who had moved to England. They likely knew each other because of this, creating another possible link between Shakespeare and the Fields.
A Nod in Cymbeline?
There's no direct proof of a connection between Shakespeare and Field after 1601. However, there's an interesting hint in Shakespeare's play Cymbeline, which was likely written around 1610. In one scene, a character named Imogen finds a headless body. She pretends the body belongs to an imaginary person she calls "Richard du Champ." "Du Champ" is French for "of the field," which is similar to Richard Field's name. (Remember, Field called himself "Ricardo del Campo" when printing Spanish books).
It's a mystery why Shakespeare would give his friend's name to a headless body. But in the play, Imogen believes the body is her husband's. When she's found hugging the body, she makes up the name "Richard du Champ" and calls him "a very valiant Briton and a good." She also says she was his devoted servant. Because of this, most people think this mention of "Richard du Champ" was actually a kind and affectionate compliment to Richard Field.
