A Dictionary of the Booksellers and Printers who Were at Work in England, Scotland and Ireland from 1641 to 1667/Crooke (Andrew)
CROOKE (ANDREW), bookseller in London; Green Dragon in St. Paul's Churchyard, 1630-74. Took up his freedom March 26th, 1629. [Arber, iii. 686], and became one of the leading publishers of his day. He dealt largely in plays, in the publication of which he was associated with G. Bedell and W. Cooke, and he published the first authorised edition of Sir T. Browne's Religio Medici. A list of 17 plays by Beaumont and Fletcher sold by him is given at the end of the play Wit without Money, which he issued in 1661. He sometimes supplied books to Scottish booksellers. [See Hill (J.).] Andrew Crooke was master of the Stationers' Company in the year 1665-66. Smyth in his Obituary, p. 103, thus records his death: "Sep. 20. [1674.] Andrew Crooke bookseller, this evening died, being well the day before among his acquaintance in Little Britain, my old acquaintance." He left no will. Administration of his effects was granted to his widow on October 15th. [P.C.C., Admons.]