Blount, Edward (1562-1632), bookseller and publisher

• Blunt

Blount was educated at the Merchant Taylors’ School, giving him a knowledge of Latin, Italian, and literary quality. He was apprenticed to notable Elizabethan publisher, William Ponsonby, for ten years from 1578. Blount has been described as ‘the most important publisher of the early seventeenth century’. His keen interest in European scholarship and languages was reflected in his publications, which boasted translated works, European travel accounts, and John Florio’s dictionaries. Of course, Blount’s most famous publication remains the first folio edition of Shakespeare’s plays. Other significant Blount publications include works by Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson, George Chapman, Samuel Daniel, John Lyly, and Thomas Hobbes. He was a respected member of the Stationers’ Company, elected liveryman in 1611 and to the Court of Assistants in 1625. After his death, Blount’s widow, Elizabeth, sold his copyrights to Andrew Crooke.

Bookseller and Publisher (1688-1632); Assistant (1625-1630)

Ralph Blount (father), merchant tailor; Margaret Roberdine Blount (stepmother); Elizabeth Royden (wife)

International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) 2nd edition - ICA 2004 ISBN 2-9521932-2-3

• English

• Latin

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography