Publications of Samuel Briscoe

Note: The following printer, bookseller, or publisher lists are works in progress. They are generated from title page imprints and may reproduce false and misleading attributions or contain errors.

What does "printed by" mean? How to read the roles ascribed to people in the imprints.

In terms of the book trades, the lists below are sorted into up to four groups where: the person is designated in the imprint as having a single role:

  1. "printed by x"; or
  2. "sold by x"; or
  3. "printed for x" or "published by x"; or

as having multiple roles in combination (which suggests a likelihood that the person is a trade publisher):

  1. "printed and sold by x"; "printed for and sold by x"; or "printed by and for x" and so on.

Printers (owners of the type and printing presses, and possibly owners of the copyright) may be identified by the words printed by, but printed by does not universally designate a person who is a printer by trade. Booksellers may be identified by the words sold by, but sold by encompasses a number of roles. Booksellers or individuals who owned the copyright are generally identified by the words printed for, but nothing should be concluded in this regard without further evidence, especially since "printed for" could signify that the named person was a distributor rather than a copyright holder. Trade publishers, who distributed books and pamphlets but did not own the copyright or employ a printer—and were not printers themselves—might be identified by the words printed and sold by. Furthermore, works from this period often display false imprints, whether to evade copyright restrictions, to conceal the name of the copyright holders, or to dupe unwitting customers. Ultimately, one must proceed with caution in using the following lists: designations in the imprints may not reliably reflect the actual trades or roles of the people named, and the formulas used in imprints do not consistently mean the same thing.

David Foxon discussed the "meaning of the imprint" in his Lyell Lecture delivered at Oxford in March 1976, with particular attention to "publishers" in the eighteenth-century context:

The fullest form of an imprint is one which names three people, or groups of people:
     London: printed by X (the printer), for Y (the bookseller who owned the copyright), and sold by Z.
In the eighteenth century the printer's name is rarely given, at least in works printed in London, and the form is more commonly:
     London: printed for Y, and sold by Z.
Very often in this period, and particularly for pamphlets, it is further abbreviated to:
     London: printed and sold by Z.
It is this last form which is my present concern. Z is usually what the eighteenth century called 'a publisher', or one who distributes books and pamphlets without having any other responsibility—he does not own the copyright or employ a printer, or even know the author.

D. F. McKenzie coined the term "trade publisher" for these publishers in his Sandars Lectures, also in 1976, on the grounds that their principal role was to publish on behalf of other members of the book trade (Treadwell 100).

Michael Treadwell cautions that "In this period the imprint 'London: Printed and sold by A.B.' normally means 'Printed at London, and sold by A.B.' and must not be taken to mean that A.B. is a printer in the absence of other evidence." Further, "The imprint 'published by' occurs only rarely in Wing and is almost always associated with the name of a trade publisher" (104). While there are exceptions to the rule, it is "certain," he explains, "that anyone who made a speciality of distributing works for others will show a far higher proportion than normal of imprints in one of the 'sold by' forms" (116), which appear in the imprint as "sold by," "printed and sold by," or "published by" (104). Treadwell gives Walter Kettilby as an example of "a fairly typical copyright-owning bookseller" (106)—his role is almost always designated by the phrase "printed for" on imprints.

A final caution: publisher is a word that should be used with some deliberation. Samuel Johnson defines it simply as "One who puts out a book into the world," but "published by" rarely appears on the imprint until later in the eighteenth century, and then primarily associated with newspapers and pamphlets. Treadwell observes that John Dunton names only five publishers among the 200 binders and booksellers in his autobiographical Life and Errors (1705) wherein he undertakes "to draw the Character of the most Eminent [Stationers] in the Three Kingdoms" (100). Treadwell also remarks, however, that "in law, anyone who offered a work for sale 'published' it. In this sense every work had one or more 'publishers', and every bookseller, mercury, and hawker was a 'publisher'" (114).

See:

  • Terry Belanger, "From Bookseller to Publisher: Changes in the London Book Trade, 1750–1850," in Book Selling and Book Buying. Aspects of the Nineteenth-Century British and North American Book Trade, ed. Richard G. Landon (Chicago: American Library Association, 1978).
  • Bricker, Andrew Benjamin. "Who was 'A. Moore'? The Attribution of Eighteenth-Century Publications with False and Misleading Imprints," in The Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America 110.2 (2016).
  • John Dunton, The Life and Errors of John Dunton (London: Printed for S. Malthus, 1705).
  • John Feather, "The Commerce of Letters: The Study of the Eighteenth-Century Book Trade," Eighteenth-Century Studies 17 (1984).
  • David Foxon, Pope and the Early Eighteenth-Century Book Trade, ed. James McLaverty (Oxford University Press, 1991).
  • Samuel Johnson, Dictionary of the English Language, (printed for J. and P. Knapton; T. and T. Longman; C. Hitch and L. Hawes; A. Millar; and R. and J. Dodsley, 1755).
  • D.F. McKenzie, The London Book Trade in the Later Seventeenth Century (Sandars lectures in bibliography, 1977).
  • Michael Treadwell, "London Trade Publishers 1675–1750," The Library sixth series, vol. 4, no. 2 (1982).

Printed for Samuel Briscoe

  • Brown, Thomas. The works of Mr. Thomas Brown, serious and comical, in prose and verse. In four volumes. The fifth edition, corrected from the errors of the former im pressions [sic]. With the life and character of Mr. Brown, and a key to all his writings. Adorn'd with cuts. London: printed for Sam Briscoe; and sold by R. Smith A. Bell, J. Round, G. Strahan, [and 15 others in London], 1720. ESTC No. T52780. Grub Street ID 279798.
  • Voiture. Familiar letters of love, gallantry, and several occasions, by the wits of the last and present age. ... From their originals. With their effigies curiously engraved ... Together with Mr. T. Brown's remains; ... The whole in two volumes, compleat. London: printed for Sam. Briscoe. R. Smith, G. Strahan, E. Symons, J. Osborne, [and 10 others in London], 1718. ESTC No. T64796. Grub Street ID 289783.
  • Lee, Nathaniel. Sophonisba: or, Hannibal's overthrow, a tragedy. Acted at the Theatre-Royal, by their Majesties servants. Written by Nathaniel Lee, gent. London: printed for Sam. Brisco over against Will's Coffee-House in Russel-street, in Covent-Garden, MDCXCI. [1691]. ESTC No. R16230. Grub Street ID 64105.
  • Southerne, Thomas. The wives excuse: or, cuckolds make themselves. A comedy. As it is acted at the Theatre-Royal, by Their Majesties Servants. Written by Tho. Southern. London: printed for Samuel Brisco, over against Will's Coffee-house, in Russel-Street, in Covent-Garden, 1692. ESTC No. R32681. Grub Street ID 115372.
  • Mackenzie, George. The religious stoic: or A short discourse on these several subjects, viz. Of atheism, superstition. Worlds creation. Eternity, providence, theology. Strickness of churches. Of the scriptures. Of the moral and judicial law. Of monsters. Of man and his creation. Of the immortality of the soul. Of faith and reason. Of the fall of angels, and what their sin was. Of man's fall. Of the stile of Genesis why man fell. A refutation of the millinaries. With a friendly address to the phanatics of all sects and sorts. The second edition. By Sir George Mackenzie. London: printed for S. Briscoe over-against Will's Coffee-House in Russel street, Covent-Garden, 1693. ESTC No. R12888. Grub Street ID 61034.
  • Behn, Aphra. [The histories and novels of the late ingenious Mrs Behn]. [London: printed by W[illiam]. Onley for S[amuel]. Briscoe[, and Thomas Chapman], 1697]. ESTC No. R175528. Grub Street ID 68381.
  • The comical history of Don Quixote. As it was acted at the Queen's theatre in Dorset-Garden, by Their Majesties servants. Part 1. Written by Mr. D'Urfey. London: Printed for Samuel Briscoe [i.e. Richard Wellington], at the corner of Charles-street, in Russel-street, Covent-Garden, 1694 [i.e. 1698]. ESTC No. R176035. Grub Street ID 68708.
  • Vanbrugh, John. The relapse; or, Virtue in danger: being the sequel of The fool in fashion, a comedy. Acted at the Theatre-Royal in Drury-Lane. By the author of a late comedy, call'd, The provok'd wife. London: printed for S[amuel]. B[riscoe]. and sold by R[ichard]. Wellington, at the Lute, in St. Paul's Church-yard, 1698. ESTC No. R23563. Grub Street ID 106676.
  • Buckingham, George Villiers. The miscellaneous works of His Grace George, late Duke of Buckingham. In two volumes. Containing, poems. Satyrs. Letters to persons of honour. Characters. A compleat key to The rehearsal; being a Satyr on the Poets. The Militant Couple: Or, The Husband may thank himself. A Confer. between the Duke and Father Fitz-Gerrard an Irish Priest. Memoirs and Character of the Duke of Buckingham; by Mr. Tho. Brown. and the farce on the Battle of Sedgmoor; never before Printed entire, from the Original: with the late Duke of Buckingham's speeches in both Houses of Parliament. To which is added Two Collections of the most Valuable Speeches in both Houses of Parliament; Printed from the Original Manuscripts. With Maxims and Poems of State, and Characters that give a Light into the Secret History of the Times. Written by. The Late Duke of Buckingham. Duke of Lauderdale. Duke of B- and N- Marquis of Hallifax. Earl of Notingham. Earl of Rochester. Earl of Dorset. Earl of Pembrook. Earl of Shaftsbury. L. London: printed; for Samuel Briscoe, and sold by B. Bragg, at the Raven, in Pater noster Row, 1707. ESTC No. N10933. Grub Street ID 923.
  • Gildon, Charles. The new metamorphosis; or, the pleasant transformation: being The golden ass of Lucius Apuleius of Medaura. Alter'd and improv'd to the modern times and manners; ... Written in Italian by Carlo Monte Socio, ... London: printed for S. Brisco, and sold by J. Morphew, 1708. ESTC No. N12010. Grub Street ID 2018.
  • The perfect picture of a favourite: or, secret memoirs of Robert Dudley, ... Prime Minister and favourite of Queen Elizabeth, and Stadtholder of Holland. ... Written during his life, and now publish'd from an old manuscript: with a preface by James Drake, ... London: printed for Sam. Briscoe, and sold by James Woodward; and John Morphew, 1711. ESTC No. N20065. Grub Street ID 9480.
  • Epicurus. Epicurus's morals. Translated from the Greek by John Digby, Esq; with comments and reflections Taken out of several Authors. Also Isocrates his advice to Demonicus. Done out of Greek by the same Hand. To which is added, an essay on Epicurus's morals. Written by Monsieur St. Evremont. And made English by Mr. Johnson. London: printed for Sam. Briscoe, and sold by J. Morphew near Stationers-Hall, and Ja. Woodward in Scalding-Alley, against Stocks-Market, 1712. ESTC No. T111326. Grub Street ID 163704.
  • Lucian, of Samosata. The works of Lucian: translated from the Greek by Sir Henry Sheers, Walter Moyle Esq; Charles Blount Esq; Mr. Thomas Brown, Mr. Tate, Mr. Laur. Eachard, Mr. Sellers, Dr. Drake, Mr. Vernon, Col. Blount, Andrew Baden M.D. Mr. Hill, Capt. Spragg, Capt. Ayloffe, Christoph. Eachard of Catherine-Hall, Cambridge, Mr. Savage, and Mr. Jos. Washington, both of the Mid. Temple. James Tyrrell Esq; Mr. Philips, and several other persons of learning and quality. The second edition. To which are added, two dialogues translated from a Greek MS. in the Vatican library, and not extant in the Paris Edition nor Variorum: By the Right Honourable the late Earl of Dorset and Middlesex. With the life of Lucian, a Discourse of his Writings, and a Character of some of the present Translators: by the late famous John Dryden Esq; in 4 volumes. London: printed for S. Briscoe; R. Smith and G. Strahan at the Royal Exchange; J. Brown without Temple-Bar; J. Graves in St. James's-Street; and J. Morphew near Stationers-Hall, 1715. ESTC No. T182317. Grub Street ID 218804.
  • Butler, Samuel. Posthumous works in prose and verse. Written in the time of the Grand Rebellion, and reign of King Charles II. By Mr. Samuel Butler, ... 1. A burlesque pindarick on Du Val. ... 12. Geneva ballad. 3. [sic] The character of the five sectaries. With a key to Hudibras, by Sir Roger L'Estrange. London: printed for S. Briscoe, and sold by R. Smith, G. Strahan, J. Brown, and J. Morphew, 1716. ESTC No. N20966. Grub Street ID 10348.
  • Buckingham, George Villiers. The original copy of the conference between George Villars, Duke of Buckingham, and Father Fitzgerald, an Irish Jesuit. Whom King James sent to convert his Grace in his sickness to the Romish religion. Faithfully taken by his Grace's secretary. London: printed for Sam. Briscoe, on Ludgate-Hill, and sold by Tho. Warner, at the Black-Boy in Paternoster-Row, MDCCXIX. [1719]. ESTC No. T124221. Grub Street ID 174454.
  • Buckingham, George Villiers. The original copy of the conference between George Villars, Duke of Buckingham, and Father Fitzgerald, an Irish Jesuit. Whom King James sent to Convert his Grace in his Sickness to the Romish Religion. The fifth edition. Faithfully taken by his Grace's secretary. London: printed for Sam. Briscoe, on Ludgate-Hill, and sold by Tho. Warner, at the Black Boy in Paternoster-Row, MDCCXIX. [1719]. ESTC No. T129432. Grub Street ID 178893.
  • Brown, Thomas. The fourth and last volume of The works of Mr. Thomas Brown, serious and comical in prose and verse. Adorn'd with cuts. London: printed for Sam Briscoe, 1720. ESTC No. N36199. Grub Street ID 24179.
  • Ward, Edward. The delights of the bottle; or, the complete vintner. With the Humours of Bubble Upstarts. Stingy Wranglers. Dinner Spungers. Jill Tiplers. Beef Beggers. Cook Teasers. Pan Soppers. Plate Twirlers. Table Whitlers. Drawer Biters. Spoon Pinchers. And other Tavern Tormenters. A merry poem. To which is added, a South-Sea song upon the late bubbles. By the author of The cavalcade. London: printed for Sam. Briscoe at the Bell-Savage on Ludgate-Hill: [1721] [1720]. ESTC No. N47243. Grub Street ID 31948.
  • The third volume of the compleat history of the lives, robberies, piracies, and murders committed by the most notorious rogues, &c. From the Time of Edward the Confessor. With the Famous Sermon Preach'd by Bernard Sympson a Monk, to a Gang of High way-men in a Wood near Maidenhead-Thicket. Printed from the Original M. S. out of the Bodleian Library in Oxford. Together with The Continuation of the wicked Lives of highway-men, murderers, foot-pads, house-breakers, shoplipts, water-pads, kid-lays, hook-pole-lays, molly-lays, bumming-lays, and the surprizing Adventures of several famous pirates, down to the present Time. With the Thieves grammar whereby the Art of Thieving, is fully detected. A Key to the Art of Thieving; newly discovered, whereby several secret Mysteries are unlocked, for the good of the Publick. Never before Printed. Written by Capt. Alex. Smith. Adorn'd with cuts. London: printed for Sam. Briscoe at the Bell-Savage on Ludgate-Hill; T. Warner in Pater-Noster Row, and A. Dodd without Temple-Bar, 1720. ESTC No. T141340. Grub Street ID 188895.
  • Hickeringill, Edmund. The works of Mr. Edmund Hickeringill, ... containing the history of priest-craft, in four parts; ... Also The black non-conformist, ... With an index. London: printed for Samuel Briscoe; and sold by Tho. Bickerton, 1721. ESTC No. N25832. Grub Street ID 15189.
  • Ward, Edward. The wandering spy: or the merry travellers. A trip upon ten-toes, from Moorfields to Bromley. An humorous poem. The third edition. Part I. By the author of The cavalcade. London: printed for Sam. Briscoe; also at the Sun against John's Coffee-House in Swithen's Alley, 1723. ESTC No. N24920. Grub Street ID 14266.
  • The secret history of the free-masons. Being an accidental discovery, of the ceremonies made use of in the several lodges, upon the admittance of a brother as a Free and Accepted Mason; with the Charge, Oath, and private Articles, given to him at the Time of his Admittance. Printed from the old original record of the society; with some Observations, Reflections, and Critical Remarks on the New Constitution Book of the Free Masons, written by James Anderson, A. M. and dedicated to the Duke of Montague, by J. T. Desaguliers, L. L. D. Deputy Grand Master. With a short dictionary of private signs, or signals. London: printed for Sam. Briscoe, at the Bell-Savage, on Ludgate-Hill, and the Sun against John's Coffee-House Swithin's-Alley, Royal-Exchange; J. Jackson, in the Pall-Mall near St. James's-House; and J. Weekes, at the White-Hall, Westminster-Hall, [1724?]. ESTC No. T47400. Grub Street ID 275353.
  • Memoirs of the life and times, of the famous Jonathan Wild, together with the history and lives, of modern rogues, Several of 'em his Acquaintance, that have been executed before and since his death, for the High-Way, Pad, Shop-Lifting, House-Breaking, Picking of Pockets, and impudent Robbing in the Streets, and at Court. Never before made Publick. Writen by Capt. Alexander Smith, Author of the History of the High-Way-Men in Three Volumes. Royal Concubines and Gamesters. Intermixt with strange Discoveries of several unheard of barbarous Murders; all taken out of the Records of Newgate, continued down to the present Times. Adorn'd with cuts. London: printed for Sam. Briscoe, at the Bell-Savage on Ludgate-Hill. and sold by J. Jackson, in the Pall Mall. J. Isted, J. Crokatt, and T. Worrall, in Fleet-Street, 1726. ESTC No. T140167. Grub Street ID 187940.
  • Smith, Alexander. Memoirs of the life and times, of the famous Jonathan Wild, together with the history and lives, of modern rogues, several of ’em his acquaintance, that have been executed before and since his death, for the high-way, pad, shop-lifting, house-breaking, picking of pockets, and impudent robbing in the streets, and at court. Never before made publick. Writen by Capt. Alexander Smith, author of the History of the high-way-men in three volumes. Royal concubines and gamesters. Intermixt with strange discoveries of several unheard of barbarous murders; all taken out of th records of Newgate, continued down to the present times. Adorn’d with cuts. London: printed for Sam. Briscoe, at the Bell-Savage on Ludgate-Hill. And sold by J. Jackson, in the Pall Mall. and J. Crokatt, and T. Worrall, in Fleet-street, 1726. ESTC No. N483637. Grub Street ID 359229.