London - Stationer's Hall

Hidden away in a pleasing, quiet courtyard stands the impressive Stationer's Hall.

This ancient building (built 1670-1672) is home to The Worshipful Company of Stationer's and Newspaper Makers founded in 1402 and incorporated by Royal Charter in 1557.   Many manuscript writers and illuminators located themselves around St Paul’s since so many publications were religious in nature.  In fact the company’s motto is “The Word of the Lord endures forever”  (Verbum Domini manet in aeternum). 

In 1606 the Stationer’s Company located itself here to allow easy access to and control of its membership.   Guild members could bring their work to the Hall and register it in the “book of copies” which legally protected their right to publish.  Thus the term “copyright” came into being.

The Stationer's Guild had extensive rights to check all works for seditious or heretical material.  Any objectionable books were burned in another courtyard behind the Hall.  Ironically, the Stationer's had to sanction themselves when in 1632 they allowed the printing of what has since been nicknamed the 'wicked Bible', because the seventh commandment mistakenly read 'Thou shalt commit adultery'!!

Book burning gradually became a thing of the past, but right up till 1911 the Stationers still controlled the printing and publishing trades.  Every book published in Great Britain had to be registered for copyright here, and the phrase 'Entered in Stationers Hall' would be printed in the front of every book so registered. 

“The technology may have changed from pen and inks to print and on-line links”, but the Company is as busy as ever bringing major players from across the industry together. 

The first hall was destroyed during the great fire of 1666, so this is the second hall to stand on this site.  Behind the hall is an old warehouse for the Stationer’s to store publications – an unusual addition for a livery company.  

This is an excerpt from the FREE tour St Paul's Precincts found on www.obelisktours.co.uk