Thomas East, music printer, 1588–1608

Thomas East, the most important music printer of his generation and often described as "the Father of English music printing" apparently appeared from nowhere in 1565. We have no precise information about him until December of that year when he took up his freedom of the Stationers' Company. Assuming adherence to the standard regulation that City apprenticeships should expire in the novice's twenty-fifth year, we may therefore conjecture a date of birth c. 1540. His recently discovered will gives no further information on his parentage but does mention a half-sister, Sybil Judd, which infers that one or other of his parents married twice. A brother, Alexander, is mentioned in the records of a lawsuit in 1600. Since his entire business was passed to his adopted son, Thomas Snodham, we may assume that he had no children or other direct descendants.