Cambridge University Press

Formerly the printing of the University was done by printers dwelling in the town-of these, the earliest, John Siberch, a German, was settled in Cambridge as a printer in 1521, living in a house within what are now the precincts of Caius College; and the first books containing Greek characters printed in England were seven little volumes printed by him, at Cambridge, in 1521.

Fifth in order among these seven books, is Linacre's translation of Galenus de Temperamentis, in which are a few Greek words. Printing extended so quickly after its invention (1440-1450) that, in 1529 the University of Cambridge presented a petition to Cardinal Wolsey, that for the suppression of error, there should be only three booksellers, or printers, allowed in Cambridge, and that they should not sell any books which had not been approved by the censors of books in the University.

Letters patent to this effect were granted by Henry VIII. in 1534. For nearly two hundred years the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge and the Company of Stationers enjoyed the exclusive privilege of printing almanacs. This was lost in 1779.

The two Universities and the King's printer have still the exclusive privilege of printing Bibles and Prayer-books. All the printing for the University, including that of the examination papers, is done here.

The building next Trumpington Street, in Late Perpendicular style, by Blore, was erected in 1831, at a cost of £10,000, partly out of the surplus of the fund subscribed for the erection of a statue of Pitt in Hanover Square.

The large middle room in the first storey of this building was used as the Registry of the University. Here were kept the important documents and records of the University, under the charge of the Registrar.