Mary Crooke
Mary Crooke | |
---|---|
Born | Mary Tooke |
Known for | King's printer in Ireland |
Mary Crooke (fl. 1657–1692) was an Irish printer and bookseller.[1]
Life
Mary Crooke was born in
Crooke operated from three premises in
Tooke and Crooke's son John became joint king's printers of Ireland in March 1671, a position they held for their lives. In August 1671, Tooke declared his trusteeship of the office for Crooke and her sons by deed. As they reached age, Crooke took her sons in partnership, John in 1679 and Andrew in 1680, retaining half of the profits for herself and her other children, by deed, and a quarter each to her sons so long as they maintained the business. She transferred the Skinner Row printing house to her sons in 1681, while she continued to operate from Ormond Quay. Her son John died intestate in 1683, with Crooke granted administration.[1][2]
A dispute developed between Crooke and Andrew, leading to her dropping his name from official documents and Andrew running his Skinner Row printing press in rivalry to hers. Andrew filed two bills against Crooke on 3 November 1684 in the court of exchequer to negotiate for the patent rights of the king's printer. She replied by referring to the deed of 1680 which allowed her sons to share in the press' profits so long as they attended to the business, she complained that they had neglected the business, wasting stock-in-trade, and that Andrew set up his press in direct competition to hers. In 1685, an agreement was reached, with Crooke retiring that year, travelling to London to speed up the granting of the patent. It was granted to Andrew in 1686 with his partner Andrew Helsham assigned to Tooke as king's printers. Crooke made her will on 23 June 1685.[1][2]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e Andrews, Helen (2009). "Crooke, Mary". In McGuire, James; Quinn, James (eds.). Dictionary of Irish Biography. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- ^ ISBN 9780948170119.
- JSTOR 20534214.
- ISBN 9780191514333.