Publications of Jonathan Robinson

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 Jonathan Robinson

  • Burnet, Gilbert. A collection of papers against popery and arbitrary government written by G. Burnet. [Amsterdam]: Printed at Amsterdam, and sold by J. Robinson in London, MDCLXXXIX [1689]. ESTC No. R32598. Grub Street ID 115303.

Printed for Jonathan Robinson

  • Wills, Obed. Censura censuræ: or, A just censure of the unjust sentence of the Baptists upon an appeal made against Mr. Henry D'Anvers. By Obed Wills. London: printed for Jonath. Robinson, at the Golden Lyon in St. Pauls Church-Yard, 1676. ESTC No. R43827. Grub Street ID 124686.
  • B., J.. Lucerna scholastica. Or, The scholar's companion. In two parts. The first giving rules for making epistles, themes, orations, and all other kinds of oratorical exercise. The second giving directions for making all sorts of poetical exercise. And both fitted to the capacity of children. By J.B. London: printed for Jonathon Robinson at the Golden Lion in S. Paul's Church-yard: and are to be sold by Robert Benson in Penreth in Cumberland, 1680. ESTC No. R31569. Grub Street ID 114350.
  • Shelton, William. A peaceable plea for union and peace, in an expostulatory address both to the conformist and non-conformist. Being an appendix to a late discourse of superstition, &c. By. W.S. London: printed by J[ohn]. M[acock]. for J[onathan]. Robinson at the Golden Lyon in St Paul's Church-Yard, 1681. ESTC No. R184058. Grub Street ID 73771.
  • Wood, Robert. The times mended: or, A rectified account of time, by a new luni-solar year; the true way to number our days. By R.W. LL.D. Fellow of the Royal Society. London: printed by E. Tyler, and R. Holt, for Jonath. Robinson and Ben. Tooke, both in S. Paul's Church-Yard, 1681. ESTC No. R20841. Grub Street ID 84662.
  • The second part of the character of a good-man, neither Whig nor Tory. London: printed for Jonathan Robinson at the Golden Lion in St. Paul's Church-Yard, 1682. ESTC No. R10425. Grub Street ID 58797.
  • The best fence against popery: or, A vindication of the power of the King in ecclesiastical affairs, being an answer to the papists objections against the oath of supremacy. To which is added, Queen Elizabeth's admonition, declaring the sense of the said oath, and King James's vindication of the oath of allegiance. By a learned divine. London: printed for J[ohnathan]. Robinson in St. Paul's Church-Yard, and S[amuel]. Crouch in Cornhill, [1686?]. ESTC No. R27182. Grub Street ID 110375.
  • Divine of the Church of England.. Melius inquirendum: or A further modest and impartial enquiry into the lawfulness of taking the new oath of allegeance. By a divine of the Church of England. London: printed for Jonathan Robinson; and are to be sold by Clement Elis bookseller in Mansfield in Nottinghamshire, 1689. ESTC No. R217406. Grub Street ID 92193.
  • Liberty of conscience asserted and vindicated. By a learned country-gentleman. Humbly offered to the consideration of the Lords and Commons in this present Parliament. London: printed for Jonathon Robinson, at the Golden Lion in St. Paul's Church-Yard, 1689. ESTC No. R21541. Grub Street ID 90464.
  • A relation of a great victory obtained by their majesties forces in Ireland, over the Irish rebels. In a letter from Leverpool to a friend in London. [London]: Printed for J[onathan]. Robinson, at the Golden-Lion in St. Paul's Church-yard, 1691. ESTC No. R182566. Grub Street ID 72623.
  • Chafie, Thomas. A brief tract on the fourth commandment. Wherein is discover'd the cause of all our controversies. About the Sabbath-day, and the means of reconciling them. More particularly is sheweds, 1. That the seventh day from the creation, which was the day of Gods rest, was not the seventh day which God in this law commanded his people to keep holy, neither was it such a kind of day as was the Jews, sabbath-day. 2. That the seventh day in this law commanded to be kept holy, is the seventh day of the week, vje. the day following the fix days of labour with all people. 3. That Sunday is with Christians as truly the sabbath-day, as was Saturday with the Jews. Recommended by the Reverend Dr. Bates, and Mr. John How. London: printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers Chappel, and for Jon. Robinson at the Golden Lyon in St. Pauls Church-yard, 1692. ESTC No. R19953. Grub Street ID 77509.
  • Godwin, Edmond. God the believer's best stronghold in the worst times. A sermon preached upon the preservation of His Majesty's person, and the discovery of the late plot of the intended invasion. By Edmund Godwin, Rector of Cowley. London: printed for Johathan Robinson at the Golden Lion in St. Paul's Church-Yard, 1696. ESTC No. R177501. Grub Street ID 69589.
  • William, King of Great Britain and Ireland. Original letters from King William III. then Prince of Orange, to King Charles II. Lord Arlington, &c. Translated. Together with an account of his reception at Middleburgh, and his speech upon that occasion. London: printed by W. Smith and G. Roydon, for Jonathan Robinson at the Golden Lion in St. Paul's Church-Yard, and Ralph Smith at the Bible under the Piazza of the Royal Exchange. Cornhil, 1704. ESTC No. T43431. Grub Street ID 272011.
  • The case of witnessing against offenders face to face, examined and discussed. In Answer to this Question, Viz. Whether it is always just and necessary in Order to the Conviction and Punishment of an Offender, upon the Statutes against Profaneness and Debauchery, that the Informant or Witness should be made known to him, or give Evidence and Testimony of his Crime, to the Magistrate, before his Face? Published by the direction of a Society for Reformation of Manners. London: printed for Jonathan Robinson, at the Goldeu Lion in St. Paul's Church-Yard, 1704. ESTC No. N16080. Grub Street ID 5773.
  • Lacy, John. A letter to Sir H. Mackworth, concerning his treatise about the late occasional bill. Upon four heads especially. I. Whether all wise Nations in the World do preserve the Administration of Publick Affairs in Persons of one and the same Perswasion, in Matters of Religion. II. Whether the Admission of any into Imployments, other than Sincere Members of a National Church, be consistent with the Safety of the Establish'd Government. III. Whether Occasional Communion with the Church, and abiding Nonconformity, are Contradictions. IV. Whether Dissenters do not still need, in several Instances, to be convinced by the Author, of the Usefulness and Necessity of such a Bill, for their own Good. By John Lacy, Esq;. London: printed for J. Robinson, at the Golden Lion in St. Paul's Church-Yard, 1704. ESTC No. N11450. Grub Street ID 1449.

Printed by and for, or by/for and sold by Jonathan Robinson

  • Cross, Walter, M.A. The summ of two sermons on the witnesses, and the earthquake that accompanies their resurrection. Occasion'd from a late earthquake, Sept. 8. And preach'd on the fast following, Sept. 14. By W.C. M.A. minister of the Gospel. London: printed, and are to be sold by Jonathan Robinson at the Golden Lion in St. Paul's Church-Yard, 1692. ESTC No. R31339. Grub Street ID 114139.