Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Stevens; Steevens
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
Stephens was apprenticed to London Stationer and printer Thomas Ratcliffe on 5 April 1658. He completed his apprenticeship in 1666 and worked briefly as a journeyman printer. Stephens was elected to the Livery of the Stationers’ Company in 1682 to general outrage, in a move by the Stationers’ Company to manipulate Lord Mayor elections. He rose to notoriety as a 'Messenger of the Press', simultaneously serving the office of Secretary of State and enforcing the rights of the Stationers' Company to search and seizure. Midnight raids upon the premises of his colleagues, earned him the nickname of 'Robin Hog'. Stephens was known for his corruption, violence, and taking bribes. Stephens also served the Company as an all-round handyman. He was performing search and seizure duties from 1677, and first appeared with the title of Messenger in 1679. He was active as Messenger of the Press between 1679 and 1684, and again between 1689 and 1712.
Places
Legal status
Functions, occupations and activities
Messenger of the Press (1679-1684, 1689-1712)
Mandates/sources of authority
Internal structures/genealogy
Elizabeth Framewell (daughter); Sarah Stephens (daughter)
General context
Relationships area
Access points area
Subject access points
Place access points
Occupations
Control area
Authority record identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) 2nd edition - ICA 2004 ISBN 2-9521932-2-3
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation, revision and deletion
Language(s)
English
Script(s)
Latin
Sources
Rostenberg, Leona. “Robert Stephens, Messenger of the Press: An Episode in 17th-Century Censorship.” The Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America 49.2 (1955): 131–152. Web; Bühler, Curt F., et al. “Bibliographical Notes.” The Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America, vol. 50, no. 4, 1956, pp. 370–92. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/24299560. Accessed 30 June 2025.