Francis Kirkman

Francis Kirkman
Born	1632
Died	c.1680
Occupation(s)	Publisher, bookseller, librarian, writer, bibliographer
Years active	1652–circa 1680
Known for	Publishing early novels and plays, managing one of the earliest circulating libraries, theatrical bibliographies

Francis Kirkman (1632 – circa 1680) was a versatile personality within the English literary scene of the late 1600s, functioning as a publisher, bookseller, librarian, writer, and bibliographer. Renowned for his dedication to popular literature, he conducted his business with shrewdness and has occasionally been characterized as operating on the edge of unscrupulousness.

Early life

As the firstborn of Francis Kirkman senior (1602–1661), a member of the Blacksmith's Company and a London citizen, Francis Kirkman’s early years remain largely undocumented aside from what can be inferred from his writings. His 1673 publication The Unlucky Citizen is often interpreted as an autobiographical account, revealing his enterprising nature and literary enthusiasm:

Kirkman’s zeal for popular narratives eventually led him to publish such works himself. He also recounted being prohibited from traveling or apprenticing in the book trade and reportedly absconded from his initial scrivener apprenticeship.

Publisher and bookseller

After commencing an apprenticeship with another scrivener, Kirkman stocked his office with novels and plays, selling many to fund his translation of the sixth book of Amadis de Gaul (1652). His commercial focus remained on popular literature. Although he gained freeman status in the Blacksmith's Company, he never affiliated with the Stationers' Company.

Beginning in 1652, Kirkman worked as both a scrivener and bookseller near the Tower of London, operating at various sites along Thames Street, Fenchurch Street, and Paul's Yard up until 1680. He initiated play publishing in 1657 but dissolved a partnership with Henry Marsh, Nathaniel Brook, and Thomas Johnson following piracy allegations—likely concerning an edition of Beaumont and Fletcher's The Scornful Lady. After Marsh passed away in 1666, Kirkman assumed control of his business. Despite inheriting significant assets in 1661, he continued to encounter financial struggles.

Kirkman was responsible for publishing numerous early novels, including translations from French and Spanish sources. In 1652 he issued The Loves and Adventures of Clerio and Lozia, purportedly translated from French. His most notable achievement was The English Rogue, initially authored by Richard Head (1665). Kirkman reprinted it in 1666 and subsequently wrote volumes two through four (1668–1671), attributing Head as co-author. In 1673 he released The Counterfeit Lady Unveiled, a fictional memoir of the impostor Mary Carleton. Other well-received romances included The Famous and Delectable History of Don Bellianus of Greece (1671–1674) and The Seven Wise Masters of Rome (1674).

Kirkman's involvement with theatre grew over time; he published his own play The Presbyterian Lash (1661), which drew inspiration from the controversy surrounding minister Zachary Crofton. He had an affinity for picaresque tales and collected manuscripts such as A Cure for a Cuckold and The Thracian Wonder (both 1661), attributed to John Webster and William Rowley. In 1662 he issued The Birth of Merlin, mistakenly credited to William Shakespeare and Rowley; this piece blended elements of legendary history, romance, clown-play, and necromancy. Kirkman also engaged in unauthorized play publications—for instance, his 1661 version of The Beggars Bush by John Fletcher, Francis Beaumont, and Philip Massinger was pirated from Humphrey Robinson & Anne Moseley. Their subsequent print run included a warning advising purchasers against Kirkman's overpriced illicit editions.

Theatrical bibliography

Kirkman’s most notable impact on literary history lies in his extensive compilations of plays. As early as 1671, he remarked, "I have been these twenty years a Collector of plays," building upon earlier compilations found in the 1656 quartos of The Careless Shepherdess and The Old Law.

His inaugural catalogue, appended to Tom Tyler and his Wife (1661), contained 690 English plays, all of which he asserted having read and offered for sale or loan. By 1671, when attached to the translation of Pierre Corneille's Nicomede, this list had grown to encompass 806 plays, arranged by author for the most prominent dramatists. Kirkman catalogued 52 works by Beaumont and Fletcher, 50 by Ben Jonson, and 48 by Shakespeare—reflecting their popularity at the time. His standing is further demonstrated by his bookselling sign, The John Fletcher's Head, which honored Fletcher second only to Jonson; no similar tribute was given to Shakespeare. Kirkman’s compilations served as the foundation for Gerard Langbaine’s definitive seventeenth-century reference on English drama.

Circulating library

Kirkman is recognized for managing one of the earliest circulating libraries, capitalizing on his vast collection beginning around 1660. Initially located in Westminster, he later relocated to Bishopsgate by 1669.

The Wits (Drolls)

Kirkman’s anthology of drolls, titled The Wits, or Sport for Sport, holds considerable theatrical importance. Although first issued by Henry Marsh in 1662, it was likely assembled by Kirkman prior to ensuing legal conflicts. Marsh fulfilled the roles of printer and bookseller, while Kirkman acted as publisher and editor. Following Marsh’s death, Kirkman assumed control of his business, republishing Part I in 1672 and issuing Part II in 1673.

Despite disclaiming authorship knowledge, Kirkman included familiar excerpts such as Hamlet’s gravediggers and The Merry Wives’ bouncing knight. He attributed several drolls to Robert Cox, an actor known for performing these pieces at the Red Bull Theatre and other venues.

Over two decades, The Wits underwent multiple editions. Kirkman described it as a collection of popular comic scenes performed both publicly and privately throughout London and rural areas by itinerant players and mountebanks.

He highlighted their widespread appeal during the Commonwealth period (1642–1660), when theatres were shuttered and such drolls represented some of the few permitted entertainments—often staged clandestinely under various pretenses. Kirkman observed large audiences at locations like the Red Bull Play-House despite their modest scale, asserting that even these brief performances were profitable and featured leading comedians.

He recommended The Wits for those seeking amusement, musicians, mountebanks aiming to attract crowds, long-distance sailors, and traveling actors—emphasizing its commercial potential across England.

While some drolls likely derive from adapted play scripts in Kirkman’s possession, others predate manuscripts from before 1620, indicating deep-rooted folk performance traditions. For instance, The Lame Commonwealth, excerpted from The Beggars Bush, includes stage directions; Daphilo & Granida, based on P.C. Hooft’s play Granida, continued to influence folk theatre well into the nineteenth century.

The frontispiece created by John Chantry is an early depiction of a theatre interior featuring chandeliers, stage lighting, and a curtained entrance. Although often associated with the Red Bull Theatre, this connection is debated due to discrepancies with historical evidence. The illustration catalogs popular theatrical characters—such as Falstaff (the period’s most celebrated figure), Mistress Quickly (the hostess), Clause (from The Lame Commonwealth), a dancing fiddler ("French Dancing Mr"), The Changeling, and Simpleton (portrayed by Cox)—rather than portraying an actual performance scene.

Sources and Additional References

A 1673 portrait of Kirkman, created by an unidentified artist, is preserved at the National Portrait Gallery in London.

• Old DNB and DNB entries on Francis Kirkman
• Gibson, Strickland (1949), A bibliography of Francis Kirkman with his prefaces dedications and commendations, Oxford Bibliographical Society
• Elson, John James, editor (1932), Francis Kirkman's The Wits, or Sport Upon Sport (Cornell). Also accessible online via EEBO
• Wright, Louis B. (1934) Middle Class Culture in Elizabethan England, Chapel Hill, pp. 86–87
• Masten, Jeffrey (2000) Ben Jonson's Head, Shakespeare Studies, Vol. 28, 05829399, MAS Online Plus
• W. van Lennep et al., The London Stage 1660–1800, p. 80
• Baskervill, C.R. (1924) Mummers' Wooing Plays in England, Modern Philology, Vol. 21, No. 3, February 1924, pp. 225–272; specifically pp. 268–272; excerpts available at http://www.folkplay.info/Texts/67tq37kf.htm and http://www.folkplay.info/Texts/82st66hs.htm
• Astington, J., "'The Wits' illustration, 1662", Theatre Notebook 47 (1993), p. 128
• Astington, John H., Callot's Etchings and Illustrations of the English Stage in the Seventeenth Century, accessible at http://www.theatrelibrary.org/sibmas/congresses/sibmas90/sto_11.html