Publications of R. W.

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 by R. W.

Printed for R. W.

  • Congreve, William. The old batchelor. A comedy. As it is acted at the Theatre Royal, by Her Majesty's servants. Written by Mr. Congreve. London: printed for R. W. [Richard Wellington] and sold by Egbert Sanger, at the Post-House near the Temple-Gate in Fleetstreet, 1707. Where may be had all Sorts of Plays, 1707. ESTC No. N10992. Grub Street ID 982.

Author

  • W., R.. Lettre, a un membre du Parlement, touchant les grands progrs que font en ce tems-ci en Angleterre les Evques & les Prtres Papistes, & touchant leurs menées dangereuses & pleines de trahison. Tradiute de l'Anglois. Londres : se vend C. Lucas, demeurant dans les Black-Fryers, auprès de la Riviere, vis-à-vis la Couronne. ESTC No. R230542. Grub Street ID 102847.
  • W., R.. The tragedie of Tancred and Gismund. Compiled by the gentlemen of the Inner Temple, and by them presented before her Maiestie. Newly reuiued and polished according to the decorum of these daies. By R.W. London: Printed by Thomas Scarlet, and are to be solde by R. Robinson, 1591. ESTC No. S111807. Grub Street ID 131582.
  • W., R.. The tragedie of Tancred and Gismund. Compiled by the gentlemen of the Inner Temple, and by them presented before her Maiestie. Newly reuiued and polished according to the decorum of these daies. By R.W. London: Printed by Thomas Scarlet, and are to be solde by R. Robinson, 1592. ESTC No. S120106. Grub Street ID 139743.
  • W., R.. Arithmeticall questions, touching the buying or exchange of annuities; taking of leases for fines, or yearly rent; purchase of fee-simples; dealing for present or future possessions; and other bargaines and accounts, wherein allowance for disbursing or forbeareance of mone is intended; briefly resolued, by means of certain breuiats, calculated by R.W. of London, practitioner in the arte of numbers. Examined also and corrected at the presse, by the author himselfe. London: Printed by H[umphrey] L[ownes] for Richard Redmer; and are to be solde at his shoppe at the west-dore of S. Paules, at the signe of the Starre, 1613. ESTC No. S120265. Grub Street ID 139901.
  • W., R.. Arithmeticall questions, tovching the buying or exchange of annuities; taking of leases for fines, or yearly rent; purchase of fee-simples; dealing for present or future possessions; and other bargains and accounts, wherein allowance for disbursing or forbearance of mony i intended: briefly resolved, by meanes of certain breviats. Calculated by R.W. of London, practitioner in the art of numbers. The second edition. To which are added sundry sorts of breviats after the rate of 8 per cent. per ann. By Thomas Fisher. London: printed by Thomas Harper, 1634. ESTC No. S95904. Grub Street ID 153791.
  • W., R.. A great fight at Chepstow Castle in the west of England, betwixt the forces under the command of Lieutenant Gen. Cromwell, and the cavaliers commanded by Sir William Kelmish, governour of the said castle, and the number slaine on both sides. Also an exact relation of the late skirmish at White-Hall upon Tuesday last, May 16. between the Parliaments forces, and the inhabitants of Surrey, with the manner of their beginning, and occasion thereof. Together with a list of the number that were slain and taken prisoners on both sides. Likewise, a great rout in Northumberland, and the full particulars thereof. London: printed for R. VVilliamson, MDCXLVIII. [1648]. ESTC No. R204721. Grub Street ID 81615.
  • W., R.. The messiah found: being a brief and plain declaration where he is to be found, to whom the gatherings of the people shall be, and of whom Moses in the law and prophets did write. Also, a warning to flie from the idol-shepherds. Written for the use of all that love the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ, by R.W. London: printed by J.C. for Giles Calvert, at the Black-spreade-Eagle at the west end of Pauls, 1656. ESTC No. R206689. Grub Street ID 83172.
  • W., R.. Flamma sine fumo: or, Poems without fictions. Hereunto are annexed the causes, symptoms, or signes of several diseases with their cures, and also the diversity of urines, with their causes in poeticl [sic] measure. By R.W. London: printed for William Leake at the Crown in Fleetstreet between the two Temple-gates, 1662. ESTC No. R9085. Grub Street ID 129197.
  • W., R.. Most wicked, cruel, bloody, and barbarous news from reading in Bark-shire; being a full and true relation of a horrible murder committed by William Hasker, on the person of his own father, almost six years ago. With the wonderful manner how the fact came to be discovered, by his own confession the 15th. of this instant July; how his wife murdered him, and he buried him in a marl-pit six foot deep with his cloaths on. As also how the murdered body was digged up on Monday the 17th of this instant July, and decently buried. By R.W. who took this relation from the prisoners own mouth. London: printed for N.J., 1676. ESTC No. R3311. Grub Street ID 115755.
  • W., R.. Two letters to a friend, concerning the distempers of the present times. London: printed for Charles Brome at the gun in St. Pauls Church-yard, 1686. ESTC No. R222551. Grub Street ID 96523.
  • W., R.. A necessary family-book, both for the city & country, in two parts. Containing exact, plain and short rule and directions, for taking and killing all manner of vermin on land and in water: as, Part I. By land. The fox, polcat, buzzard, kite, weasle, adder, snake, caterpiller, frog, mile, pismire, fly, bug, rats and mice, fleas and lice. Part II. By water. The hern, dob-chick, coot, or more-hen, cormorant, sea-pie, kings-fisher, otter, water-rat, and ospray, all great destroyers of fish. To which are added, many natural and artificial conclusions, both pleasant and profitable. The whole illustrated with many proper figures. By R. W. gent. London: printed for John Harris, at the Harrow against the church in the Poultry, 1688. ESTC No. R217643. Grub Street ID 92411.
  • W., R.. The happy union of England and Holland: or, The advantageous consequences of the alliance of the crown of Great Britain with the States General of the United Provinces. Licensed, May the 20th. 1689. London: printed for Richard Baldwin in the Old-Baily, 1689. ESTC No. R24583. Grub Street ID 108354.
  • W., R.. A particular account of Major General Kirk's beating the Irish out of their bullworks and fort, and of bombing the lower town in order to the taking of Limericke. Printed according to order, September 1st. 1690. London: printed for F. Jones in the Strand, [1690]. ESTC No. R1321. Grub Street ID 61330.
  • W., R.. An essay on grief: with the causes and remedies of it. Oxford: printed by L. Lichfield, for Henry Clements, and John Howell booksellers, 1695. ESTC No. R219272. Grub Street ID 93829.
  • W., R.. An essay on grief: with the causes and remedies of it. Oxford: printed by Leon. Lichfield, An. Dom. 1695. ESTC No. R232331. Grub Street ID 104150.
  • W., R.. A letter to an honourable member of Parliament, concerning the great growth of popery, and the treasonable practices of the Romish bishops and priests, at this time, in England. [[London]: Printed for Brabazon Aylmer, at the Three Pigeons in Cornhil, 1700]. ESTC No. R27050. Grub Street ID 110265.
  • W., R.. A letter to an honourable Member of Parliament, concerning the great growth of popery, and the treasonable practices of the Romish bishops and priests, at this time, in England. [London: printed, and sold by the booksellers of London and Westminster, 1700]. ESTC No. R220953. Grub Street ID 95183.
  • W., R.. A sacramental catechisme: Designed for the use of Poor Servants. And dedicated to all charitable and well disposed Christians. By R. W. A.B. London: printed for Charles Brume at the Gun at the West end of St. Paul's Church, 1701. ESTC No. T193005. Grub Street ID 227291.
  • W., R.. A necessary family-book, both for the city and country, in two parts. ... By R. W. gent. London: printed for Eliz. Harris, 1703. ESTC No. N41686. Grub Street ID 28034.
  • W., R.. A necessary family-book, both for the city and country, in two parts. ... By R. W. gent. London: printed for H. Rhodes, 1706. ESTC No. T206334. Grub Street ID 235838.
  • W., R.. The christian priest. A poem sacred to the memory of the truly reverend, learned, and pious Dr. Samuel Clarke Late Rector of St. James's, Westminster: With his character. Address'd to the Gentlemen of the Vestry. London: printed for B. Clarke, in Jerman-Street, over-against St. James's Church, M.DCC.XXIX. [1729]. ESTC No. T96500. Grub Street ID 315952.
  • W., R.. Beauty's admirer; or, the lover in Cupid's snare, the following is a copy of a letter sent by Mr. W..., to Miss S..., upon seeing her at the theatre, 1783. [Exeter?: printed by E. Brice?, 1783?]. ESTC No. T189281. Grub Street ID 224803.