Page:The Library, volume 5, series 3.djvu/86

74 PRIVATE PRESSES IN SUSSEX. is due to the Rev. James Hurdis, if, as is most probable, he was his own compositor and press- man. As an amateur printer his efforts were undoubtedly successful, and as such are to be commended. EASEBOURNE PRESS. Howard Dudley, a boy of fifteen, had a small press at Easebourne, near Midhurst, which he afterwards removed to London. From this press were issued two books on local history, entirely written, printed, and illustrated by himself. Al- though the workmanship and illustrations are very crude, yet, taking into consideration that Dudley was but a child, these two works are very credit- able performances, especially as he was his own engraver, compositor and pressman. The boy must have found his work laborious, as he had only a small press (which, it is interesting to note, was made according to his own instructions), and he printed one page only at a time. His first book was 'Juvenile Researches, or a description of some of the principal towns in the west of Sussex and the borders of Hants, the whole being inter- spersed with pieces by a sister. Easebourne : printed, and composed by H. Dudley, aged 15. 1835.' This little volume (it was but 41 ins. by 31 ins.) of some one hundred and forty pages was much sought after, and he issued a second edition the same year. These editions, however, were very small ; the second edition, for example, con- sisted of fifty copies only. In the following year Dudley issued 'The History and Antiquities of