Henry Watson

Henry Watson was an English translator and printer active in London during the early years of the 16th century.

Life and works Between 1500 and 1518, Watson translated books from French to English for the London-based printer Wynkyn de Worde, for whom he worked as his first apprentice, most likely between 1501 or 1502 until 1509 or 1510. After his apprenticeship, he published a book entitled The Gardeners Pastance together with Hugo Goes, a younger apprentice of de Worde, in 1513. This also establishes him as the first native English stationer who was also recognized as a printer. There are no further records of Watson after 1518.

Watson translated works from French to English. For the most part, these were romances, such as his first translation Valentine and Orson, but also satirical works such as The Distaff Gospels. A translation of a part of a sermon by Bernardino da Siena survives in The Church of Evil Men and Women. In July 1509, his English prose translation of Sebastian Brant’s satirical work Ship of Fools was published by de Worde, entitled The shyppe of fooles. This was based on the French prose translation by Jean Drouyn. It was likely a lengthy process, since the patron named in the prologue, Princess Margaret of Burgundy, sister to Edward IV and Richard III, had died in 1505 already. as well as playing an important part in the "rediscovery" of German literary works in England.