Ex Libris: Annotating Books from the William A. Clark Memorial Library

Protestantism in England: Surviving throughout the 16th and 17th centuries

The Life and Death of Dr. Martin Luther is an odd book when considering its origins. It’s a book that details the life of one of the most influential figures of the 16th century. Luther was instrumental in the push back against the Catholic Church, which would lead to the Protestant Reformation. It’s not unusual that a biography of his life would be published nearly a century after Luther’s death in 1546. But this book was printed and sold in London, a major city in England, far from the origins of the Reformation. Taking all of this into consideration, a question emerges. What is a book about a German doing in England, in a time before major movements, such as the Industrial Revolutions or the Enlightenment, that spread ideas across Europe? For that, the answer lies in the Protestant Reformation, the printing press, and the efforts of King James VI and I. The Protestant Reformation and the printing press go hand in hand, as they made the conversion of Europe, from a largely Catholic continent to a much more divided one, quicker. Elizabeth Eisenstein notes that printing was of huge significance for Martin Luther and the Protestant movements, as his writings against the church were essential in understanding his grievances against the church (Eisenstein, 102). Without the printing press, it is questionable whether Luther’s criticisms would have reached the rest of Europe from present-day Germany. What is most surprising is that Luther's writings and fame managed to reach England, an island that had its own reformation that while associated with the Protestant Reformation, was also different in that it had King Henry VIII as the reformation's leader.


The Life and Death of Martin Luther is divided into two sections. The first section details the life of Martin Luther, describing his family origins up to his death. The second and much longer section is Luther's commentary on various passages of the bible. This second section is introduced with the title page on the left. On this title page, the most important lines for the matter at hand are “Translated out of Latine into English by Henry Bull.” Henry Bull was an English Protestant, which is obvious enough considering he helped translate the preachings of the most notable protestant. But most importantly, the reason why his translation was printed in the first place was due to a man by the name of Thomas Vautroullier, who printed the translation and the more important individual when describing the power of the printing press.

Thomas Vautroullier was a French Protestant refugee who came to England and quickly found himself employed by The Stationer’s Company. The Stationer’s Company was notable at the time, as it was the dominant company when it came to printing and publishing. Vautroullier had his start there but would go on to establish his own press in a city named Blackfriars. In the year 1577, he printed Henry Bull’s translation of Luther's A Commentary on the Fiftene Psalmes called Psalmi Graduum. This means that A Commentary on the Fiftene Psalmes called Psalmi Graduum was printed and sold long before it was included as the second section of The Life and Death of Martin Luther. He would go on to become one of London’s most prestigious printers, to the point that he was patronized by James VI and I, the king of England. Learning about Thomas Vautroullier makes one thing clear, that in London the printing press was astonishingly flourishing, evident in the fact that printing presses such as that of Vautroullier could flourish even though the Stationer's Company held a monopoly on the printing industry. The words of Professor Adrian Johns come to mind, stating that "London was uniquely successful in making its local print culture effective on a European scale" (Johns, 118).

London's unique print culture had allowed Vautroullier to print Protestant literature. Other Protestant books like the Geneva Bible were widely accessible to the general public. By the end of the 16th century, Protestantism had managed to find a strong footing in England. The most important individual in this matter was King James VI and I. His open endorsement of printers like Thomas Vautroullier as well as tolerance towards other religions that weren't the Church of England came together with The King James Bible. The King James Bible was "the climax of a long period of scholarly activity," as it drew influence from a variety of sources such as the Geneva Bible, written by English Protestant exiles, and the works by William Tyndale (Patterson, 650). The King James Bible became the most important English piece of literature, helping shape "the religious and literary culture of Britain and the English-speaking world" (Patterson, 656).

The combination of the printing press and its ideas being present within The King James Bible had allowed for Protestantism to exist in England well into the 17th century. The Life and Death of Martin Luther was printed in 1641 and sold at a shop in London, specifically Chancery Lane. A press in Blackfriars, possibly the one owned by Thomas Vautroullier, helped print the second section, crediting George Miller, who may have been in charge of the press at the time. The continued sale of the sermons of Martin Luther and the annotations found within this book further solidify that the demand for protestant literature prevailed. The annotations made by an anonymous individual within refer to Luther as the "most worthie divine." All over this 1100 paged book are numerous annotations that are filled with fervor, even though they are hard to read. It can be interpreted that the individual is commentating on Luther's commentary, often having long paragraphs in blank pages. It is clear that the individual who annotated this book admired Luther's work.

Luther's works continued to be in demand because his works and teachings were connected with the most popular piece of English literature. His works entered England due to a monarchy that was willing to allow immigrants to come in and spread his commentaries through the emerging and valuable press. The flourishing press that existed in big cities like London was why figures like Luther remained under the public eye. Because of all of this and more, Martin Luther managed to have a place in England well into the future.

Works Cited

Eisenstein, Elizabeth L. 2002. “An Unacknowledge Revolution Revisited.” The American Historical Review 107 (1): 87–105. https://doi.org/10.1086/532098.

Patterson, W. Brown. "The King James Bible in Cultural Context." The Sewanee Review 120, no. 4 (2012): 650-58. Accessed June 1, 2021. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23356412.

Johns, Adrian. "How to Acknowledge a Revolution." The American Historical Review, February https://doi.org/10.1086/ahr/107.1.106

PATTERSON, W. BROWN. 2012. “THE KING JAMES BIBLE in CULTURAL CONTEXT.” Edited by Naomi Tadmor, Leland Ryken, Hannibal Hamlin, Norman W. Jones, Helen Moore, Julian Reid, Norman Stone, Murray Watts, John Rhys-Davies, and Harold Bloom. The Sewanee Review 120 (4): 650–58. https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/23356412.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3Aa6ecc01c0aac61888d9bd1ae57499a94.

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PATTERSON, W. BROWN. 2012. “THE KING JAMES BIBLE in CULTURAL CONTEXT.” Edited by Naomi Tadmor, Leland Ryken, Hannibal Hamlin, Norman W. Jones, Helen Moore, Julian Reid, Norman Stone, Murray Watts, John Rhys-Davies, and Harold Bloom. The Sewanee Review 120 (4): 650–58. https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/23356412.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3Aa6ecc01c0aac61888d9bd1ae57499a94.

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PATTERSON, W. BROWN. 2012. “THE KING JAMES BIBLE in CULTURAL CONTEXT.” Edited by Naomi Tadmor, Leland Ryken, Hannibal Hamlin, Norman W. Jones, Helen Moore, Julian Reid, Norman Stone, Murray Watts, John Rhys-Davies, and Harold Bloom. The Sewanee Review 120 (4): 650–58. https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/23356412.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3Aa6ecc01c0aac61888d9bd1ae57499a94.

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