James Roberts

Who is James Roberts?

James Roberts, was an English printer.

Roberts was made free of the Company of Stationers on 27 June 1564, and on 24 June 1567 began to take apprentices. The first entry to him is for An almanacke and pronostication of Master Roberte Moore, 1570. He was one of several who petitioned the company for pardon on 27 January 1577–8, after having presented certain complaints. With R. Watkins he had a patent for almanacs and prognostications for twenty-one years from 12 May 1588. This patent lasted to the end of the reign of Elizabeth. James I granted for ever the right to the Stationers' Company from 29 October 1603. Roberts took over John Charlewood's books on 31 May 1594, including the right of printing playbills, which William Jaggard unsuccessfully applied for.

About 1595 Roberts probably married Charlewood's widow, Alice. He is also said to have married a daughter of Heyes the stationer. The court of assistants ordered, on 1 September 1595, ‘that James Roberts shall clerely from hensforth surcease to deale with the printinge of the Brief Catechisme’ lately printed by him, and that he should deliver up all sheets of the book. On 25 June 1596 he was admitted into the livery.