Humphrey Toy

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Humphrey Toy (c. 1537 – 16 October 1577) was an English bookseller and publisher. He was the son of Robert Toy, another bookseller, and came from a Welsh family. In 1567 he published two important Welsh translations by William Salesbury: the New Testament from Greek and the Book of Common Prayer. Both works were printed by Henry Bynneman, with Toy financing and overseeing the publications; Toy is noted on the Book of Common Prayer as providing the costs.

Toy was educated at Queens’ College, Cambridge, entering in 1551 as a sizar but leaving without a degree. His father died in 1556, and his property passed to his stepmother Elizabeth until Toy inherited it around 1558. He helped run the shop and publishing business during this time and later married Margaret Revell.

In August 1560, Toy joined the Stationers’ Company. He served as renter warden from 1561 to 1563 and later was underwarden in 1571 and 1573. He also ran the family bookshop, known as the Helmet, on a seventy-year lease. Toy became an active printer and publisher, building strong ties with the Flemish printer Christopher Plantin to access European Protestant works. He even had a dispute with Richard Jugge over the right to print Bibles in English.

Toy worked closely with Salesbury and published additional Welsh works, including a guide to Welsh pronunciation. He died on 16 October 1577 and was buried at All Saints’ Church in Bristol. After his death, his widow Margaret and his apprentice Thomas Chard took over the business. Chard ran the Helmet until 1585, after which it passed through several owners and disappeared by 1607. About thirty of Toy’s works survive, with his edition of Richard Grafton’s Chronicle being especially notable.