William Seres facts for kids
William Seres was an English printer who lived a long time ago. He started his printing work around 1546. He was a Protestant, which was a type of Christian at the time.
He often worked with other printers. He helped print many important books during a time when printing was still quite new and exciting!
Contents
William Seres: A Printer's Life
William Seres began his career by working with another printer named John Day. They were partners for a few years.
Printing Religious Books
Day and Seres mostly printed religious books. These books often discussed big arguments and ideas about religion that were happening at the time. They printed works by writers like Robert Crowley.
By 1550, their printing business was very busy and successful. They decided to split their businesses, but they remained friends.
New Partnerships and Royal Permissions
After working with John Day, William Seres partnered with another printer and translator named Anthony Scoloker.
In 1553, Seres received a special permission from the Queen. This permission, called "letters patent," gave him the right to print important religious books. These included psalters (books of psalms), primers (basic prayer books), and the Book of Common Prayer.
However, things changed when Queen Mary became queen in July 1553. The country's religious rules changed, and Seres lost his special printing permission. It seems he may have left England for a while to stay safe.
When Elizabeth I became queen in 1558, Seres's special permission to print was given back to him.
Later Life and Legacy
As William Seres grew older, he handed over his printing business. He rented it out to Henry Denham, who became a member of the Stationers' Company in 1560. The Stationers' Company was a group for people involved in books, like printers and booksellers.
Seres lived to become the Master of the Stationers' Company for several years. This was a very important leadership role. He passed away around 1579.
Important Books Printed by Seres
William Seres printed several important books during his career.
One key book was a 1549 version of the Matthew Bible. This Bible was first printed in 1537 by Richard Grafton and Jacobus van Meteren. It was a mix of translations by William Tyndale and Miles Coverdale.
Seres also printed a famous book called The courtyer ... done into Englyshe by Thomas Hoby in 1561. This book was originally written by Baldassare Castiglione and was about how a perfect courtier (a person who attends a royal court) should behave.
