A Dictionary of the Booksellers and Printers who Were at Work in England, Scotland and Ireland from 1641 to 1667/Leake (William)
LEAKE (WILLIAM), bookseller in London, (1) Crown in Fleet Street, between the two Temple gates; (2) In Chancery Lane, near the Rolls. 1635–81. Son of William Leake, stationer (1592–1634). Took up his freedom July 22nd, 1623. On June 1st, 1635, Widow Leake assigned over to him all his father's copyrights, and in 1638 he obtained from Robert Mead and Christopher Meredith the copyrights that had once belonged to Richard Hawkins. [Arber, iv. 340, 420.] Both these assignments contained several plays. The following issues contain lists of books: Beaumont and Fletcher's Maid’s Tragedy, 1650, 53 entries; Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, 1652, 16 entries; The Fort Royal of Holy Scriptures … by J. H. … 1652, number not stated; Beaumont and Fletcher's King and No King (sig. l. 4 verso) and Shakespeare's Othello (sig. M 4 verso) both issued in 1655, 46 entries; James Shirley, The Wedding (sig. A 1 verso) 52 entries; James Shirley, Grateful Servant [1660?], 53 entries; Beaumont and Fletcher's Philaster [1660?], 60 entries. William Leake died in 1681, and his will is in the P.C.C. (184 North). [W. W. Greg, List of English Plays, Appendix.]