The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-07-11
THE CHAPEL. "
Origin of the Term as Applied by
Members of 1.-The Art Preser-
walton ,"

On several Occasions / have been ask
ed by persons outside the printing trade
what the name Chapel" as applied to
printing-houses, meant. 1 find the fol-
lowing from John Southwark, a we'll
known English authority, on the "art
preventative, in the Printers Register
August 9th, 1885. he copies from the
GeatlemGn's Aog1=ine-a paper printed
in l74O-which republished it from a
long-defunct periodical called the Crafts
man. 1t is in the shape of a letter, and
gives an account of the customs pre-
vailing in the trade about $50 years ago.
He says:
l wonder that neither you nor any
other authors who have written so
many learned discourses in defense of
the liberty of the press, and upon the
usefulness OF the art of printing, never
gave US any account of the hierarchy
UoT so / may call it, OF q printing house.
/ shall therefore endeavor to supply
that defect in the following letter:
You cannot be ignorant. sir. that
the first printing press in England was
set up IN a Chapel in Westminster Alb
hey, or some other religious house.
from whence that part of the house
which is asSignedfo for printing hath ever
Slice been called q Chapel, and consti-
tuied in an ecclesiastical manner, with
diverse religious rites and ceremonies.
When a printer hrst sets up, il il
IS a house that wa never used for print
ing before, the part designed for that
purpose is -consecrated, which is per-
formed by the senior freeman the mas
ter employs, who is the Father or Dean
OF the Chapel: and the chief ceremony
Is drinking success TO the master,
sprinkling the walls with strong beer.
and singing the CUES Anthem, at the
conclusion of which there is a supper
given by the master. Ali the
wOrkmen are called ChapeIlonians, who
are Obliged to submit to laws, all OF
which are calculated for the good OF
the whole body, and for the we'll carry
ing on of the masters business. To the
breach of these laws is annexed a pen
atty, which al obstinate member some
times refuses to pay; upon which it is
left TO the majority of the Chapel, n
c~onvOcation assembled, whether he
shall be continued any longer a Chapel
lonian: and if his sentenced is to be
discontinued, he is then declared a
birthstone; that is, an communicated
person. and deprived OF all shares of
the money given by the gentlemen,
authors, booksellers and others, to
make them drink. especially that great
annual solemnity, commonly called The
WAY G~ooseNteast
In commencing on the above, Mr..
Southwark says:
That Caxton set up his press within
the precincts OF Westmin .ster Abbey is,
OF course, an error. as was shown BY
Mr.. Blades in his Life of Caxton.''
The error, however, is constantly re-
peated, even TO this day. The reference
TO the chapel in the above extract re-
minds one of the lines of John Nc
Creery, the printer poet:
Our art was hailed from Kingdoms fas
aUr0ad.
And cherished IN the hallOwed house OF
From which we. learned TIE homage it re-
ceived.
And how our sires its heavenly birth be-
Esch printer hence, howe'er unble his
walls.
Zen to this day his house q Chapel calls.
1t need hardly be pointed out, how
ever, that it is the meeting Of the jour
neymen, not the place of meeting, that
is called 2 chapel"