"John Sudbury and George Humble
Also known as
John Sudbury and George Humble
primary name: primary name: Sudbury & Humble
other name: other name: Humble, ...
George
other name: other name: Sudbury, John
Details
individual; publisher/printer; British; Male
Other dates
1599-1619 (fl.)
Address
At the signe of the White Horse, Popes Head Alley
Biography
Print publishers. Sudbury is probably the John Sutbury, born in Mapleback, who was apprenticed to Robert Hackforth on 24 June 1568 for eight years. His daughter Mary was christened at St Michael, Cornhill in January 1596 (L.Worms in 'The Royal Exchange', 1997, p.220). Sudbury first appears as a print publisher in 1599 (Boazio's map of Ireland by Elstrack, Hind II 213.98, the first British print to carry the name of a publisher, and the only print that carries Sudbury's name alone). By 1603 he had gone into partnership with George Humble (qv) and henceforth their names are found together on plates (eg. Rogers, Hind I 270.20 and 27). Skelton (p.242) discovered from Humble's will that he was Sudbury's nephew. Their address was always at the White Horse in Pope's Head Alley over against the Royal Exchange. During the 1610s, the two men were responsible for a mass of prints (some are listed in STC), among them the finest published in London, first by Elstrack and then by Simon de Passe whom they enticed away from his first publisher, Compton Holland.
In 1615-6 Sudbury was master of the Leathersellers Company. He was still active in 1618, and some engravings by Simon de Passe of this year were published with both names, but in 1619 Humble published Delaram's portrait of the Earl of Northumberland (Hind II 229.27) in his own name. Sudbury must therefore have retired through old age or ill health. Sudbury signed his will on 16 December 1620 and it was proved on 1 January 1621 (Skelton p.242). Since it makes no mention of the printselling business or of Humble, he must already have passed shop and stock on to Humble. From 1619 Humble continued the business, still at the Pope's Head Alley address.
Sudbury's will shows that he had a wife and three sons and a daughter. he was wealthy enough to bequeath two sons a London house each and a third property in Edgware." - https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG63786, 26.05.2022
