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A REPUTATION FOR EXCELLENCE
A History of the Glasgow Printing Industry
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Intoduction
A History of the Edinburgh Printing Industry, the first booklet
in the series A Reputation for Excellence, gives a brief account
of the advent of printing in Scotland. It has been established that
a patent was granted by King James IV in September 1507 to Walter
Chepman and Andro Myllar ‘burgessis of our town of Edinburgh’.
At His Majesty’s request they were authorised ‘for our
plesour, the honour and profitt of our realme and liegis to furnish
the necessary materials and capable workmen to print the books of
the laws and other books necessary which might be required’.
The partnership set up business in the Southgait (Cowgate) of Edinburgh.
From that time until the end of the seventeenth century royal patents
were issued to the trade, thus confining printing to a select number.
The introduction of printing presses in Scotland proceeded slowly.
The beginnings in Edinburgh in 1507 were followed after forty-five
years by St Andrews in 1552, Stirling in 1571 (for a brief period),
Aberdeen in 1622, and Glasgow in 1638. Those places had no factories
of any size. They were apparently very small workshops, one-man
or two-men shops at the most, and it was not unusual for a printer
to collect his gear and move from one place to another.
The significance of the first printing press in Glasgow was that
the General Assembly was meeting there and wanted someone to print
and record their decisions. The year 1638 was an extremely important
one. The General Assembly on that occasion abolished episcopacy
in Scotland for the time being; later on this led to Civil War.
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Volume 2 published 1994
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