THE History OF JACK OF NEWBURY CALLED THE CLOTHIER OF ENGLAND.
Reading edition
Printed and Sold in London.
Of Jack of Newbury, as he is familiarly called, very little is known certainly. He lived in the reigns of Henry VII. and VIII., and was said to be the largest clothier or clothmaker in England. He sumptuously entertained Henry VIII. and Queen Catherine on their visit to the town, and built the vestry to the church, besides having liberally contributed towards its improvement. He also left £40 for the same object. In his will he describes himself as "John Smalwoode the Elder al͂s John Wynchcombe." He was twice married, and left his wife Joan behind him. There is a brass to him and his first wife: "Off yo charitie pray for the soule of John Smalwode als Wynchcom & Alys hys Wyfe. John dyed the 15 day of February Ao Dm. MoCCCCCoXIX."
The Chap-book version is, that he was apprenticed to a rich clothier at Newbury, and married his master's widow, and a great portion of the book is taken up with their courtship. "Shortly after the king had occasion to raise an army against the Scots, who were risen against the English, Jack of Newbury raised at his own expense one hundred and fifty men, and cloathed them with white coats, red caps and yellow feathers, and led them himself." This was to the famous battle of Flodden.
Jack's wife died, and he married one of his maids, whose father came to see her, and was astonished at Jack's magnificent establishment, making a speech which would delight the Philological Society. "Sir, quoth the old man, I wize you be abominable rich, and cham content you should have my daughter, and God's blessing and mine light on you both. I waith cham of good exclamashon amongst all my neighbours, and they will as soon ask my 'vize for any thing as rich men. So thick I will agree. You shall have her with my very good will, because we hear a very good commendation of you in every place, therefore besides thick, I will give you twenty marks and a weaning calf that's a year old, and when I and my wife die then you shall have the revolution of our goods."
Jack, however, gave the old man twenty pounds and other things. The book ends with Jack's death, and an imaginary epitaph.
Thomas Deloney wrote a novel called "The Pleasant History of John Winchcomb, in his younger yeares called Jack of Newberie, the famous and worthy clothier of England," which was licensed to three several persons in 1595 and 1596; but the earliest known edition is the eighth, published in 1619.