Evan Tyler (d. 1682)

TYLER (EVAN), printer in Edinburgh, 1633–50; Leith, 1651–2; London: Ducket Court, Aldersgate Street, 1656 (?)–67. Took up his freedom July 1st, 1639. [Arber, iii. 688.] The first entry in the Registers under his name occurs on September 11th, 1644. [Liber D, p. 683.] The history of this printer is involved in much obscurity. He apparently had presses in London and Edinburgh simultaneously. Mr. Aldis, in his List of Books printed in Scotland (p. 122), says, "Appears to have been in charge of R. Young's Edinburgh business in 1637 … and in 1641 returned to Edinburgh in partnership with Young. In the following year Young's name dropped out of the imprints and Tyler continued the style of king's printer. In 1651 he moved to Leith, but seems to have returned to London in 1652–3, being succeeded in Leith by C. Higgins … At the Restoration, Tyler once more returned to Edinburgh, resumed the style of king's printer, and printed there from 1660 to 1673." Amongst the State Papers for the year 1651 is an undated and unsigned paper headed The true reason why the Company of Stationers bought their printing house in Scotland, in which occurs the following passage: "About four years before [i.e., 1647] upon an overture from the … Kings Printer there, to sell the company his Patent and Printing howse, the company made an agreement with him which cost them a large some of money. Since which time, what with the troubles there and in this Commonwealth the Company have extremely suffered there … The Company are now [i.e., 1651] withdrawing their stock and materials." This at all events would account for Evan Tyler's return to London in 1652. He is mentioned in the Hearth Tax Roll for the half-year ending Lady Day, 1666, as a printer in Ducket Court, St. Botolph's, Aldersgate. [P.R.O. Lay Subsidy, ⁠²⁵²/₃₂⁠.] Tyler was the printer of the unfinished Lithuanian Bible in 1662, which Mr. Steele considers was printed in London. [Library, January, 1907.] In contemporary news-sheets Barnard Alsop was stated to be the printer of many things having Tyler's name in the imprint.

TYLER (EVAN), printer and bookseller in Edinburgh, Leith and London, 1633–82. See Dictionary, 1641–67. At the Restoration Tyler once more returned to Edinburgh, and printed there from 1660 to 1672, when he finally left Scotland, and A. Anderson succeeded him as Royal Printer. He returned to London and was Master of the Company of Stationers in 1671 . He died December 5th, 1682; in his will, proved December 29th, he left £50 to George Tonge of Warwick, bookseller. Tyler is there described as "printer and bookseller".