A Dictionary of the Booksellers and Printers who Were at Work in England, Scotland and Ireland from 1641 to 1667/Allestry, Allestrye, or Allestree (James)

by Henry Robert Plomer

ALLESTRY, ALLESTRYE, or ALLESTREE (JAMES), bookseller in London, (1) Bell in St. Paul's Churchyard, 1652-64; (2) Rose & Crown, St. Paul's Churchyard, 1664–66; (3) Rose & Crown, in Duck Lane, 1667–69; (4) Rose & Crown, St. Paul's Churchyard, 1669–70. Was a relative, perhaps brother, of Richard Allestry the divine (1619–81), and father of Jacob Allestry, poetical writer (1653–86). Details of his early life are wanting, and the first heard of him as a bookseller is in the year 1652, when he is found in business at the Bell in St. Paul's Churchyard, in partnership with John Martin. In 1660 they were joined by Thomas Dicas, and at one time Timothy Garthwaite seems to have been associated with them. At this time James Allestry was one of the largest capitalists in the trade, and his shop was the resort of the wealthy and the learned. Amongst the State Papers is a series of interesting letters written by him to Edward, second Viscount Conway, on the subject of books. About 1660 he was appointed bookseller and publisher to the Royal Society, and either altered his sign or removed to other premises, known as the "Rose & Crown." As a publisher he was interested in the chief and most important ventures of the time, such as the Duchess of Newcastle's Plays and Poems, the second part of Butler's Hudibras, and Ray's Catalogus Plantarum. Allestree employed the best printers of the day, much of his work being done by Thomas Roycroft, the printer of Walton's Polyglott. In the Great Fire of 1666 his premises were destroyed, and he was almost ruined. During the rebuilding of St. Paul's Churchyard he moved into Duck Lane, and there, by the help of his kinsman. Dr. Richard Allestry, who gave him the publishing of some sermons, he made a new start, returning to the Churchyard and resuming business under the old sign about 1669; but he did not live long afterwards, his death taking place on November 3rd, 1670. Smyth, the Secondary of the Poultry Compter, to whom we owe so much valuable information respecting the London booksellers of his day, records in his Obituary (p. 89): "Die Jovis hora 8^a ante merid. obiit Jacob Allestry bibliopola in cœmiter D. Paul's, Lond. Sepult Lunæ 7 Nov^r. Fitz-Williams capellan. Episcop. Winton. concionem facit funeb."