Richard Jugge facts for kids

Richard Jugge (who died in 1577) was an important English printer. He had a shop called "the sign of the Bible" near St Paul's Cathedral in London. His home was in Newgate market. Many people believe he invented the footnote, which is a note at the bottom of a page. After he passed away, his wife, Joan Jugge, continued to run his printing business.

Early Life and Education

Richard Jugge was likely born in Waterbeach, a village in Cambridgeshire, England. He went to school at famous places like Eton and King's College, Cambridge. These schools helped him prepare for his future career.

Starting His Printing Career

In 1541, Richard Jugge became a member of the Stationers' Company. This was a special group for people who worked with books, like printers and booksellers. He started printing the New Testament in English around 1550.

A writer named Joseph Ames said that Jugge's books were "very curious." This meant they were made with great care. He used nice letters and beautiful pictures made from wood in his Bibles.

Role at the Stationers' Company

Richard Jugge was one of the first members of the Stationers' Company. He held important positions there. He was chosen as a "Warden" several times (in 1560, 1563, and 1566). Later, he became the "Master" of the company four times (in 1568, 1569, 1573, and 1574). These roles showed he was a respected leader among printers.

Royal Printer for Queen Elizabeth

When Queen Elizabeth I became queen, Richard Jugge was made a Royal Printer. This was a very special job! He shared this role with another printer named John Cawood. This meant they were officially in charge of printing important documents and Bibles for the government and the Church.

After John Cawood died, Richard Jugge became the only Royal Printer. This was a big responsibility. He found it hard to print enough Bibles to meet everyone's needs. For example, it took him two years to print one type of Testament. Other printers had printed many more Bibles in the same amount of time.

Because of this, the government and the Church were not happy with the speed of his work. They asked him to focus on printing specific sizes of Bibles and Testaments to help him manage the workload better.

Jugge's Printer's Mark

Printers often had a special symbol, called a "printer's device" or "mark," to show who printed a book. One of Jugge's marks was a large design with fruit wreaths. In the middle, there was a picture of a pelican feeding its young.

On one side of the pelican, there was a female figure with a snake around her arm. She was called "Prudencia," which means wisdom or carefulness. On the other side, there was another female figure holding a balance scale and a sword. She was called "Justicia," meaning justice. These symbols showed the values Jugge wanted to represent in his work.

Later Life and Legacy

Richard Jugge passed away in 1577. His will, which is a legal document about his belongings, was approved on October 23 of that year. His wife, Joan Jugge, continued to run the printing business after his death. She printed books under her own name until at least 1585 and died in 1588.

Richard's son, John Jugge, may have inherited the rights to print some books, but he never became an independent printer himself. Richard Jugge's work helped shape how books were printed in England during his time.