John Baskett

BASKETT (JOHN), King's printer, London, Blackfriars, Oxford and Edinburgh, 1709–42. Nothing seems to be certainly known of Baskett's antecedents. He is first heard of as purchasing the patent of King's printer for Bible printing from the executors of Thomas Newcombe and Henry Hills in 1709, and his name first appeared on a New Testament in 1712. In 1713 he began to print the Book of Common Prayer. Four editions of the Bible appeared with his imprint in 1715. His next publication was an edition in two volumes imperial folio printed at Oxford (the Old Testament in 1717 and New Testament in 1716). Dibdin called this the most magnificent of the Oxford Bibles; it has also been called "A Baskett-full of Printers errors"; but of its typographical beauty there could be no two opinions. In 1718 Baskett mortgaged his printing materials to James Brooks, stationer, of London. It included " A very large fount of Double Pica, new, the largest in England". It seems possible that this was cut by Caslon I. In 1711 Baskett acquired a third part of Robert Freebairn's gift as King's printer in Scotland, and in 1716 he obtained, in conjunction with the widow of Andrew Anderson, a fresh commission as King's printers in Scotland. Baskett appears to have allowed his share of these privileges to lie dormant until 1725, when he set up a printing-house in Edinburgh and produced some indifferent editions of the Bible during the next three or four years. [Lee (John), Memorial for the Bible Societies in Scotland, Edinburgh, 1824 (pp. 179–83 and App. xxxi); Additional Memorial, 1826 (p. 153).] Baskett was frequently called upon to defend his title of King's printer in the courts of law, especially in Scotland, where it was stubbornly disputed by John Watson, a printer, and finally settled by a judgement of Lord Mansfield in favour of Baskett. At Cambridge he was seriously disturbed by the proposal of W. Ged to stereotype Bibles and Prayer-books, and succeeded by intrigues in damaging the success of Ged's innovation. In the year 1737 Baskett's printing office was burnt. He died on June 22nd, 1742. He left three sons, Thomas, Robert, and John. His will was proved on the 23rd. Baskett desired that his body might be buried in St. Ann's, Blackfriars. To his son Thomas he left "the messuage or late dwelling house, lately rebuilt, adjoining to the King's Printing House in Blackfryers, the courtyard and other appurtenances ... also all that other piece of ground whereon part of my dwelling house stood before the fire in January 1737 and whereon part of the printing house now stands". To his son John he left an annuity of 200. "To each of the compositors and pressmen which shall be at work in my printing house at the time of my death, ten shillings, and to each of the boys, five shillings." He directed that his patents were not to be sold but to remain in the family," during the remainder of the several terms of years therein yet to come." His daughter Elizabeth married — Innys. [P.C.C. 176, Tremley.] Baskett was Master of the Stationers' Company in 1714 and 1715.