William Caxton (Entrepreneurs)

was the son of Philip and Dionisia Caxton. He had a brother named Philip. Caxton's date of birth is unknown, but records place it in the region of 1415–1422. He was born and educated in the Weald of Kent. Oral tradition in Hadlow claims that Caxton was born there; as does Tenterden. One of the manors of Hadlow was Caustons, owned by the Caxton family. A house in Hadlow reputed to be the birthplace of William Caxton was dismantled in 1936, and incorporated into a larger house rebuilt in Forest Row, Sussex.

Caxton went to London in the period 1437–1438, when he was between the ages of 14 and 17, to serve as an apprentice to Robert Large, a wealthy London mercer, or dealer in cloth, who served as Master of the Mercer's Company, and Lord Mayor of London in 1439. After Large died in 1441, Caxton was left a small inheritance which allowed him to return to Bruges to finish his apprenticeship where he would start his own business.

In 1446, he went to Bruges, where he was successful in business and became governor of the Company of Merchant Adventurers of London. His trade brought him into contact with Burgundy and it was thus that he became a member of the household of Margaret, Duchess of Burgundy, the sister of the English King. This led to more continental travel, including travel to Cologne, in the course of which he observed the new printing industry, and was significantly influenced by German printing. He wasted no time in setting up a printing press in Bruges in collaboration with a Fleming, Colard Mansion, on which the first book to be printed in English was produced in 1475: Recuyell of the Historyes of Troye, a translation by Caxton himself. Bringing the knowledge back to his native land, he set up a press at Westminster in 1476 and the first book known to have been issued there was an edition of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (Blake, 2004–7). Another early title was Dictes or Sayengis of the Philosophres (Sayings of the Philosophers), first printed on 18 November 1477, written by Earl Rivers, the king's brother-in-law. Caxton's translation of the Golden Legend, published in 1483, and The Book of the Knight in the Tower, published 1484, contain perhaps the earliest verses of the Bible to be printed in English. It is important to note that Caxton did not begin printing until he was in his middle 50's, so he was only able to print for approximately 20 years before his death.

Caxton produced chivalric romances, classical-authored works and English and Roman histories. These books strongly appealed to English upper classes around the end of the fifteenth century. Caxton was supported by, but not dependent on, nobility and gentry.

The most important works printed by Caxton were Dictes and Sayings of the Philosophers, Le Morte d'Arthur and Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. He produced two editions of the latter.

Caxton's precise date of death is uncertain, but estimates from the records of his burial in St. Margaret's, Westminster, show that he died in about March 1492. However, George D. Painter makes numerous references to the year 1491 in his book William Caxton: A Biography as the year of Caxton's death. Painter writes, "However, Caxton's own output reveals the approximate time of his death, for none of his books can be later than 1491, and even those which are assignable to that year are hardly enough for a full twelve months' production; so a date of death towards autumn of 1491 could be deduced even without confirmation of documentary evidence." 

Caxton was not without his detractors. There was widespread unease amongst the merchant class of the time, who felt that if the printed page were to become widely available to the population, then it might filter through to the poor. The poor, it was believed, might then "become aware and enlightened of their circumstances" and, ultimately, dissatisfied and aggrieved. This, it was felt, might lead to unrest and civil disturbance.

In challenging the wisdom of his critics, Caxton announced: "If tis wrong I do, then tis a fine and noble wrong".