6 E. R. McDix on 



evidence may arise to connect the learned Bishop with printing 

 in Ireland. 



As far, however, as actual information exists at present, print- 

 ing was introduced into Ireland at a very late period as an act of 

 State by the English Government. Printing in England began 

 with Caxton about the year 1477, and developed there rapidly. 

 There must have been, at all events in the beginning of the 16th 

 century, a need felt by the English Government in Ireland for 

 having a printing press here at their disposal, and in the State 

 Papers there is a record of printing having been done, apparently 

 in England, in order to be sent to Ireland ; but in the year 1550 

 we find that Humphrey Powell, a London printer, was given £20 

 by the Crown towards setting up in Ireland, and the first work 

 he had to execute was the printing of the Book of Common 

 Prayer, which was being introduced owing to the change in the 

 Established Religion at the time Powell must have brought 

 with him his press and type, and set to work at once, no doubt, 

 to put the Book of Common Prayer into print. It is all in Black 

 Letter, but there is some rubrication, and the initial letters, bor- 

 ders, and ornaments are of a type then common, I believe, in 

 England or on the Continent, and they will be found occurring 

 again later on. Of course £20 was a considerable sum in those 

 days. The warrant giving Powell the £20 is dated 18th July, 

 1550, so there can be no doubt, I think, that he came over to 

 begin his work here in that year. 



He had more than one fount of type, though all was Gothic 

 save for some Italic. The initial letters are suggestive of Dutch 

 or German origin. 



There are no other records of Powell's work in Ireland save 

 the few specimens which still exist of his work, and these are : — 

 The Book of Common Prayer, which was issued in the year 1551 ; 

 two Proclamations, and a small quarto entitled " Breefe Declara- 

 tion of Certain Principal Articles of Religion," &c., dated 1566. 



The two Proclamations are dated 1561 and 1564 respectively. 



In his first imprint his address is given as " In the Great 



