The compleat writing master
Subtitle: containing several useful and ornamental examples of penmanship in all the hands after the most new & approv'd manner
By: by Abraham Nicholas
Publisher: Printed and sold by John Bowles & Son ... at ye Black Horse in Cornhill
Published: 1740
Place of publication: London
Language: eng
Number of pages: 32
Subjects: Copybooks; Early works to 1800; Penmanship
Notes: Frontispiece portrait and title-page included in foliation (leaves 'a' and 'b' respectively).

John Bowles was located at the Black Horse between ca. 1740 and 1754, and 1764 and 1779; the earlier date range has been attributed, as the Harvard copy of this title was owned by Abiah Holbrook, who died in 1769.

Leaf 'o' is dated 1722, resulting in the frequent misdating of many of the states of this title.

Plate 'hh' is an advertisement for Abraham Nicholas' brother James as a teacher of writing, arithmetick, and accounting.

Title-page signed: George Bickham sculp.

Various states of the letterpress portion of this title are known;in this one signature A is signed and in B the last page contains publisher's advertisements giving Bowles' address as Mercer's Hall (where he was located ca. 1728).

Bonacini, C. Arte scrittorie, 1290.

Heal, A. English writing-masters, p. 176.