Description

[003451] [Alnwick Union]. Alnwick Union – To the Overseers of the Poor of the Township of … In the County of Northumberland. Alnwick: Mark Smith [Printer], 1841. First Edition. Folio. Unbound. Document. Good+. Double sided printed document, approximately 200mm x 330mm in size.

Note from the printer to reverse, otherwise quite bright and clean.

Printer’s specimen of a requisition form for contributions to the Union from the Alnwick Overseers of the Poor, the docket title to reverse makes the point that payments were not being made regularly and the Treasurer was “frequently in large Sums in advance for the purposes of the Union”. The printer has noted that five hundred forms have been printed, and dates it to Nov. 17, 1841.

The printer, Mark Smith, had been apprenticed to John Catnach and was based in the Market Place in Alnwick, he also apparently traded as a publisher, bookseller, stationer, music seller and bookbinder (see BBTI).

Hunt notes that Smith finished his indentures with John Walker of Paternoster Row when Catnach moved to Newcastle, and calling him “a substantial printer” (Hunt, The Book Trade in Northumberland and Durham to 1860, page 84)