Bible Printing in Jacobean England

The Jacobean era falls between 1603 and 1625 during the reign of King James VI of Scotland. During this time, the King allowed for an approved English version of the Bible to be printed and distributed in London, England. This was the third time in history that an English version of the Bible had been approved for print and only the King’s Printers were allowed to do so. The King’s Printers during this era consisted of three major families – Barker, Norton, and Bill – but initially the King James Bible was only printed by Robert Barker and John Norton. After being reassigned, John Norton’s cousin, Bonham Norton, took over his position as printer and John Bill soon joined them. This would cause many legal disputes between the families surrounding the identity of the primary printer later in King James’ reign.