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Significant Scots
Bassendyne, Thomas |
BASSENDYNE or BASSINDEN, THOMAS (d. 1577), printer of the earliest
translation of the New Testament published in Scotland, carried on the
business of a printer, conjointly with that of bookbinder and
"bookseller, at the Nether Bow, Edinburgh. There is a tradition that he
at one time occupied the house still pointed out as that of John Knox,
and support was claimed for the tradition from the fact that Society
Close in the neighbourhood was formerly called Bassendyne's Close. This,
however, is sufficiently accounted for by the fact that Bassendyne
occupied a tenement at the Nether Bow on the south side of the High
Street, nearly opposite Knox's house. The exact site of the building is
placed beyond doubt by the evidence of George Dalgleish in reference to
the murder of Darnley: 'efter they enterit within the [Nether Bow] Port,
thai zeid up abone Bassyntine's house, on the south side of the gait.
The tall narrow tenement which now occupies this site is of later date
than the time of Bassendyne, although some of the rooms in the back part
may have been occupied by him. In 1568 Bassendyne was enjoined by the
general assembly of the 'kirk' to call in two books printed by him: 'The
Fall of the Roman Kirk,' in which the king is called *supreme head of
the primitive kirk' and a 'Psalme Booke,' with a 'bawdy song,' 'Welcome
Fortune' &c., printed at the end of it (CALDERWOOD'S History of the Kirk
of Scotland, iii. 246). It would seem that Bassendyne held the office of
king's printer, for in 1573 he printed 'The King's Majesty's
Proclamation beiring the verie occasion of the present incumming ofthe
English forces, with hishienescommandement for their gude treatment and
friendly usage.' In 1574, while 'dwelland at the Nether Bow' he printed
his beautiful edition of the works of Sir David Lindsay, 'newly
correctit and vindicated from the former errours.' Along with Alexander
Arbuthnot [q. v.], merchant of Edinburgh, he, in March 1575, presented
to the assembly certain articles for the printing of an English bible.
The license to print was obtained from the privy council in July
following, an obligation being entered into to have the book ready
within nine months. That Bassendyne alone had the practical charge of
the printing is evident from an order of the privy council, ordaining
him to fulfil his agreement with a compositon he had brought from
Flanders, in which he is styled 'maister of the said werk'(Register of
the Privy Council, ii. 582); and another enjoining him to deliver to
Arbuthnot 'with all possible diligence the werk of the Bybill ellis
printed' (ii. 583). It was therefore probably owing to undue
dilatoriness on the part of Bassendyne that the complete Bible was not
published till 1579. The New Testament, with his name alone as the
printer, appeared in 1576. Bassendyne died 3 Oct. 1577, before the work
was completed. Among the debts mentioned as owing I him in his will
(printed from the Commissary Records, Edinburgh, in the Bannatyne
Miscellany, ii. 191-204) is a sum of 400/. from Arbuthnot. From the list
of his stock given in his will it would appear that he carried on a very
extensive bookselling business. He was married to Katherine Norvell, who
afterwards married Robert Smith, bookseller, and died in 1593. He had no
sons, but in his widow's will (Bannatyne Miscellany', ii. 218-20) a
daughter, Alesoun Bassendyne, is mentioned.
[Bannatyne Miscellany, ii. 191-204, 218-20; WodroVs Collections on the
Lives of the Eeformers (Maitland Club), 1834, i. 214, 217, 509, 521;
Calderwood's History of the Kirk of Scotland (Wodrow Society), i. 1 34,
ii. 423, iii. 246; Kegister of the Privy Council of Scotland, ii. 544-6,
582, 583; Ames's Typogr. Antiq. (Herbert), pp. 1476, 1491, 1496, 1497,
1499; Wilson's Memorials of Edinburgh in the Olden Time, 2nd ed. pp.
258, 270, 271; Dr. Lee's Memorial for the Bible Societies of Scotland,
1824; M'Crie's Life of Melville; M'Crie's Life of Knox.] |
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