BELLINGER (JOHN), bookseller in London; Cliffords Inn Lane in Fleet Street, 1642-78. Son of William Bellinger, citizen and girdler of London; apprenticed on August 24th, 1642, to Humphrey Tuckey, q.v., for eight years. [Stationers' Register of Apprenticeships.]
BENINGTON (EDWARD), bookseller (?) at Oxford, 1647. A pamphlet entitled: A Gallant speech spoken by His Highness James Duke of York [E. 399 (37)] has the imprint, "Printed at Oxford for Edward Benington, for the publike use of Great Brittain, Anno 1647." This appears to be one of the pamphlets printed by John Harris, q.v. and to which he added names that cannot be identified as stationers. The Thomason copy of this pamphlet is apparently incomplete and mis-bound with a portion of another.
BENSON (JOHN), bookseller in London, (1) St. Dunstan's Churchyard, Fleet Street, 1641; (2) Chancery Lane. 1635-667 . Was chiefly a publisher of ballads and broadsides. In 1647 he was associated with John Saywell, q.v., in the publication of Francis Quarles' Hosanna, or Divine poems on the Passion of Christ, which was entered on May 29th, 1647. [Stat. Reg., Liber F, p. 95.] In 1651 he began to issue music books in partnership with John Playford, q.v. He died on January 23rd, 16667. [Smyth's Obituary, p. 73.]
BENTLEY (WILLIAM), printer in London; Finsbury, 1646-56. This printer is first heard of in 1646, when the Westminster Assembly of Divines proposed the issue of a new and cheap edition of the Bible. As no printer in London except Bentley would undertake the work, it was given to him, whereupon the Company of Stationers immediately issued an order that "no journeyman printer of the company who should work at the printing house in Finsbury should ever have any gift or pension whatsoever from the company." In the Act of 1649, and that of 1652, this printing house was specially mentioned as being exempt from their provisions, but, nevertheless, Bentley met with strong opposition from Hills and Field, who claimed the exclusive right of Bible printing as successors to Robert Barker and his assigns. In November, 1656, Bentley printed a broadside entitled The Case of William Bentley printer at Finsbury … touching his right to the printing of Bibles and Psalms [B.M. 669, f. 20 (24)], in which he undertook
