Brereley's Reformed Protestant

Extract

In the “Catalogue of Popish Books” printed in his Foot out of the Snare, 1624, the gossipy but sometimes remarkably well-informed John Gee has the following entry: “The reformed Protestant, by Brerely. There was a printing house supprest some three yeers since in Lancashire, where all Brerely his workes, with many other Popish Pamphlets, were printed.” The “printing-house… in Lancashire” is undoubtedly the secret press associated with the Anderton family of Birchley Hall, near Wigan. A & R list sixteen books from this press, all printed between 1615 and 1621, including two by the unidentified author who used the pseudonym John Brereley, sometimes thought to be Lawrence Anderton. In 1956, when the A & R catalogue was published, the compilers knew of no extant copy of The Reformed Protestant. Since then, two copies have come to light, one in the library of the Marquess of Bute, the other in a collection of books formerly belonging to Burscough Catholic parish in Lancashire. The latter copy has been acquired by the British Museum. The description is as follows :