A Dictionary of the Booksellers and Printers who Were at Work in England, Scotland and Ireland from 1641 to 1667/Twyn (John)
TWYN (JOHN), printer in London; Cloth Fair, 1640-64. Took up his freedom September 4th, 1640. [Arber, iii. 688.] This unfortunate printer, being in a small way of business, apparently did not look too closely at the manuscript supplied to him. At the beginning of the year 1664 he was arrested at the instigation of Sir Roger L'Estrange, for printing, or rather attempting to print, a pamphlet entitled A Treatise of the Execution of Justice. He was put on his trial at the Old Bailey on February 20th as a traitor against the King, and the indictment against him was that the book was intended to foment a rebellion. The chief witnesses against him were Joseph Walker, his apprentice, Sir Roger L'Estrange and Thomas Mabb, a printer, and amongst the jury were Richard Royston, Samuel Thomson, and Thomas Roycroft. Twyn was found guilty, condemned to death, and executed at Tyburn. [An exact Narrative of the Tryal and condemnation of John Twyn … London, 1664; Cobbett's State Trials, vol. 6.]