Michael Sparke, puritan and printer

This combined biographical and bibliographical study of the life and publications of the London stationer Michael Sparke (1588-1653) attempts to determine the importance of his career as a printer-publisher, writer, complier-editor, and promotor of conservative Puritan political and religious views. During a professional career lasting from his apprenticeship in 1603 until his death, Sparke published 171 generally high quality titles despite his frequent conflicts with the leadership of the Stationers' Company and with political and religious authorities. He was the author or complier-editor of ten of these works, and he contributed introductions to ten more.

Sparke published more titles in the field of religion than in any other field, but he is probably best remembered today for the forty-two highly controversial political and religious works he published for William Prynne. The anti-theatre polemic Histrio-mastix, which Sparke published for Prynne in 1633, created serious legal difficulties for both men as Archbishop Laud regarded the book as a serious challenge to the government of Charles I.

To most of his contemporaries, Sparke's most notable contribution was probably his role as complier-editor of Crums of Comfort. This collection of prayers provided its readers with guidance on how to face crises such as death, poverty, and war through faith in God. It found great popular favor and through forty-four editions before its last publication in 1755.
Among early Stuart printers, Sparke achieved notoriety through his opposition to printing monopolies and his leadership of an unsuccessful effort in 1645 to democratize the Stationers' Company. Scintilla (1641)was a bitter attack on printing monopolies. A Second Beacon Fired by Scintilla (1652) provided some autobiographical information on Sparke as well as giving his views on changes in the printing trade during his lifetime.

To instruct those of his contemporaries interested in public policy, Sparke wrote two pamphlets advocating humane treatment of the poor. Greevos Grones for the Poore (1622) and the Poore Orphans Court (1636) both advocated humane treatment of the involuntarily poor and condemned voluntary idleness. The Poore Orphans Court showed a special concern for the welfare of children.