Introduction: Bibliography

A Survey of London. Reprinted From the Text of 1603. Originally published by Clarendon, Oxford, 1908.

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'Introduction: Bibliography', in A Survey of London. Reprinted From the Text of 1603, (Oxford, 1908) pp. lxxxii-lxxxvi. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/no-series/survey-of-london-stow/1603/lxxxii-lxxxvi [accessed 19 April 2024]

In this section

V. BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. The Summary and the Summary Abridged.

[Stow, in his account of his quarrel with Grafton, distinguishes carefully between his Summary, which first appeared in 1565, and the Summary Abridged, first published in the next year. The distinction has not always been noted, but the two works are bibliographically quite different. The former is small 8vo, and so long as Leicester was alive was dedicated to him; the additional matter (other than the Chronicles proper) is not so full as in the abridgement, the amount varies in different editions, but generally comprises some notes as to Terms, a List of Authors, and at the end a Table or Index; the last edition in 1590 was dedicated to the Lord Mayor. The Summary Abridged is 16mo (or 24mo); the first edition had no dedication (Stow says that it was dedicated to the Lord Mayor—p. lii above—but the apparently complete copy in the British Museum has none), all the later editions were dedicated to the Lord Mayor; the additional matter consists of a Calendar, Rules to find Fasts, the Terms, &c., at the beginning, and at the end the distances of towns from London, and the dates of the principal Fairs; there is no List of Authors and no Table. So far as its main substance is concerned the Summary Abridged agrees with Stow's own description of it as brought 'into a new form, such as may both ease the purse and the carriage, yet nothing omitted convenient to be known'. Successive editions both of the Summary and the Summary Abridged were from time to time curtailed to make room for fresh matter. The entry of the Summary appears in the Stationers.' Registers under 1564–5 'Thomas marshe for printing of a breaffe cronenacle made by John Stowe, auctorysshed by my lorde of Canterbury.' This is the first time the archbishop's name thus appears on the Register. In the margin is the note: 'T. Marshe ultimo marchij 1573 changed with H. Byneman for Terence, per licem. magistri et gardianorum.' This is the earlies note of such an exchange (Arber, Transcript, i. 120b.) Like all Stow's works printed in his lifetime, the Summary is in black letter. Copies of editions marked * are in the British Museum, and of those marked † in the Bodleian Library.]

The Summary.

* † A Summarie of Englyshe Chronicles, Conteyning the true accompt of yeres, wherein euery kyng of this Realme of England began theyr reigne, howe long they reigned; and what notable thynges hath beene done durynge theyr Reygnes. Wyth also the names and yeares of all the Bylyffes, Custos, maiors, and sheriffes of the Cities of London, sens the Conqueste, dyligently collected by Iohn Stow … in the yere … 1565.
ff. xiv, 248, xii.
T. Marshe, 1565, 8vo

† A Summarie of our Englyshe Chronicles … Diligently collected by Iohn Stowe … In the yeare … 1566.
ff. xii, 282 (fn. 1) xii.
T. Marshe, 1566, 8vo

† [A Summarie, &c. (fn. 2) ].
ff. x, pp. 413, ff. xi.
T. Marshe, 1570, 8vo

† A Summarie of the Chronicles of England, from the first comming of Brute, into this land, vnto this present yeare of Christ 1574.
ff. viii, pp. 441, ff. xi.
Henry Binneman, 1574, 8vo

* † A Summarie of the Chronicles of Englande from the first arriuing of Brute … unto … 1575. Corrected and enlarged.
ff. viii, pp. 570, ff. xxviii.
R. Tottle and H. Binneman, [1575, 8vo

* A Summarie of the Chronicles of England from … Brute … vnto … 1590. First collected, since enlarged, and now continued by Iohn Stow.
ff. viii, pp. 760, ff. iv.
R. Newbery, 1590, 8vo

The Summary Abridged.

* The Summarie of Englyshe Chronicles. Lately collected and published, nowe abridged and continued tyl this present moneth of Marche in the yere of our Lord God, 1566, by I.S.
ff. viii, 197, iii.
T. Marshe, 1566, 16mo

* † The Summarie of Englishe Chronicles … continued til this present moneth of Nouember … 1567. By L.S.
ff. xii, 200, ii.
T. Marshe, 1567, 16mo

* † The Summarie of the Chronicles of Englande … newly corrected, abridged, and continued vnto 1573.
unnumbered.
T. Marshe, 1573, 16mo

[According to Lowndes there was an edition in 1579, but he gives no particulars.]
A Summarie, &c. (fn. 3)
R. Newbery and H. Denham, 1584.

* † A Summarie of the Chronicles of Englande. Diligently collected, abridged and continued vnto … 1587 … by Iohn Stow.
ff. xvi, pp. 446, ff. xvi.
R. Newberie and H. Denham, [1587, 16mo

* † A Summarie … Diligently collected, &c.
ff. xvi, pp. 460, ff. xvii.
R. Bradocke, 1598, 16mo

* † A Summarie … Diligently collected, &c.
ff. xv. pp. 458, ff. xvi.
Iohn Harison, 1604, 16mo

The Abridgement or Summarie of the English Chronicles, first collected by master Iohn Stow … continued vnto … 1607, by E. H. (fn. 4)
Imprinted for the Company of Stationers, 1607, 8vo

The Abridgement of the English Chronicles … vnto the end of the yeare 1610. By E. H.
Imprinted for the Company of Stationers, 1611, 8vo

The Abridgement … vnto the beginning of the yeare, 1618. By E. H.
Imprinted for the Company of Stationers, 1618, 8vo

2. The Chronicles and Annales.

[The Chronicles of 1580 furnish as it were a connecting link between the Summary and the Annales, preserving the civic character of the former, but approaching the latter in size. Of the Annales the editions of 1601 and 1605 are nearly identical; the latter has only one sheet (Q q q q) reprinted, with additions down to 26 March, 1605. Howes in his two editions, besides his continuation beyond 1605, interpolated matter in other places; quotations from his editions are not to be relied on as representing Stow's own work.]

The Chronicles of England, from Brute vnto this present yeare of Christ, 1580. Collected by Iohn Stow.
Ralph Newberie at the assignment of Henrie Bynneman, [1580, 4to

The Annales of England faithfully collected out of the most autenticall Authors, Records, and other monuments of Antiquitie, from the first inhabitation vntill this present yeere 1592. By Iohn Stow.
Ralfe Newbery, 1592, 4to

The Annales of England … continued … vntill this present yeare 1601.
Ralfe Newbery, 1601, 4to

The Annales of England … continued … vntill this present yeare, 1605.
George Bishop and Thomas Adams, 1605, 4to

The Annales or Generall Chronicle of England … continued and augmented … vnto the ende of this present yeere, 1614. By Edmond Howes.
T. Adams, 1615, folio.

Annales or a Generall Chronicle of England … continued vnto the end of this present yeere 1631. By Edmond Howes.
Richard Meighen, 1631, folio.

3. The Survey of London.

[The Survey of London was entered at Stationers' Hall by John Wolfe on 7 July, 1598. It was transferred by Wolfe's widow to John Pyndley on 27 April, 1612, and by Pyndley's widow to George Purslowe on 2 November, 1613 (Arber, Transcript, iii. 39, 219, 245). Some copies of the first edition have the date 1599; an instance is the presentation copy to Elizabeth Stow, now in the British Museum, which has her name printed within in an ornamental border on the back of the title-page, and her initials and the City arms stamped on the covers.]

A Suruay of London… by Iohn Stow Citizen of London. Also an Apologie, &c.
Iohn Wolfe, 1598, sm. 4to

A Suruay, &c.
Iohn Windet, 1603, sm. 4to

The Suruay of London … continued … with many rare and worthy notes … by A. M.
George Purslowe, 1618, sm. 4to

The Suruey of London … Begunne first by … Iohn Stow … afterwards inlarged by … A. M. in the yeare 1618. And now completely finished by … A. M., H. D., and others.
Elizabeth Purslow, 1633, fol.

A Survey of the Cities of London and Westminster … brought down from the Year 1633 … to the present time by John Strype.
London, 1720, 2 vols. folio.

A Survey, &c. By Robert Seymour. The whole being an Improvement of Mr. Stow's and other Surveys.
London, 1734–5, 2 vols. folio.

A Survey, &c. [Seymour's work with the addition of Dugdale's History of S. Paul's.] By a Gentleman of the Inner Temple.
London, 1753, 2 vols. folio.

A Survey of the Cities … Corrected, improved and very much Enlarged in the Yeare 1720 by John Strype … brought down to the present Time by Careful Hands. The Sixth Edition.
London, 1754–5. 2 vols. folio.

A Survey, &c. Edited by W. J. Thoms.
8vo, 1842. Reprinted with illustrations 1876.

A Survey, &c. Edited by H. Morley.
8vo, 1889. Reprinted 1893.

4. Miscellaneous.

The workes of Geffrey Chaucer, newly printed with diuers addicions, whiche were neuer in printe before.
1561, folio.

The Successions of the History of England from the beginning of Edward vi to the end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth: together with a list of the Dukes, Marquises, Earls, Viscounts, and Barons of England to the present Time. By Iohn Stowe.
London, 1638, folio.

[Lowndes, Bibliographer's Manual, v. 2525. There is no copy either in the British Museum or the Bodleian Library. The Peerage is stated to take 45 pp., the list of Bishops 3 pp.; the History begins on p. 333, and ends on p. 843.]

A Recital of Stow's Collection concerning the Rise, Profitableness, and Continuance of the Court of Requests, or Court of Conscience in the City of London.
[London, 1640?] s.sh. folio.

[There is a copy in the British Museum.]

Three Fifteenth Century Chronicles, with historical memoranda by John Stowe, the antiquary, and contemporary notes of occurrences written by him in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Edited by James Gairdner.
Camden Society, 1880. N. S. xxviii.

Footnotes

  • 1. However ff. 130 and 137 are, through misprinting, wanting.
  • 2. The copy in the Bodleian Library is without title.
  • 3. So given by Lowndes.
  • 4. This, and the two subsequent editions published by Edmond Howes, are re-editions of the original work, not of the Summary Abridged.