Publications of John Wren

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 John Wren

  • Ayres, Philip. Emblems of love, in four languages. Dedicated to the ladys by Ph: Ayres Esq:. [London]: Printed for John Wren bookseller & binder at ye Bible & Crown near Great Turn-Style Holborn, [1750?]. ESTC No. T232469. Grub Street ID 257558.

Author

  • Wren, John. The clergy-man's companion: or, a collection of the ecclesiastical offices. Consisting I. Of rules for the visitation of the sick; extracted chiefly from the works of Dr. Taylor. II. The order of the visitation of the sick; ... III. Several other prayers and forms of visiting the sick, ... IV. The Communion of the sick. V. The Office of Baptism. VI. The order of the burial of the dead. VII. Some private, as well as family-prayers, ... Purposely design'd for the use of the clergy. London: printed for James Round, 1709. ESTC No. T184953. Grub Street ID 221213.
  • Wren, John. The clergyman's companion in visiting the sick: being a collection of the following particulars for that purpose, Viz. I. Of the manner of Visiting the Sick, extracted from Dr. Taylor. II. The Order for Visitation of the Sick, out of the Common-Prayer-Book. III. The Communion of the Sick. IV. Several other Prayers and Forms, with a considerable variety of Occasional Prayers for the Sick; taken out of the Writings of some of the most Eminent Divines of the Church of England. To which are annex'd, the offices of publick and private baptism. London: printed for J. Churchill, at the Black-Swan in Pater-Noster-Row, and J. Round, at Seneca's Head in Exchange-Alley in Cornhill, 1712. ESTC No. T84835. Grub Street ID 305186.
  • Wren, John. The clergyman's companion in visiting the sick. Being a collection of the following particulars for that purpose, Viz. I. The Manner of Visiting the Sick; extracted chiefly from Bishop Taylor. II. The Order for Visitation of the Sick, out of the Common-Prayer-Book. III. The Communion of the Sick. IV. Some other Prayers and Forms, with a very great Variety of Occasional Prayers for the Sick: Collected for the most part, from the Devotional Writings of some of the most eminent Divines of the Church of England. To which are annex'd, the offices of publick and private baptism. London: printed for J. Churchill at the Black Swan in Pater-Noster-Row, and J. Round at Seneca's Head in Exchange-Alley, 1716. ESTC No. T84836. Grub Street ID 305187.
  • Wren, John. The clergyman's companion in visiting the sick. Being a collection of the following particulars for that purpose, ... To which are annex'd, the offices of publick and private baptism. London: printed for J. Churchill, and J. Round, 1716. ESTC No. T208561. Grub Street ID 237391.
  • Wren, John. The necessity of a divine call or mission in those who take upon them to preach the gospel of Christ. Being, a sermon ... By the author of The clergyman's companion in visiting the sick. London: printed for W. Taylor, 1717. ESTC No. T96515. Grub Street ID 315967.
  • Wren, John. The country life; or an invitation of the soul to retirement. Being a poetical soliloquy on cant. vii. II. By John Wren, A.M. London: printed for W. Taylor, at the Ship in Pater-Noster-Row, [1717]. ESTC No. T34248. Grub Street ID 264582.
  • Wren, John. The country life; or an invitation of the soul to retirement. Being a poetical soliloquy on cant. vii. II. London: printed for W. Taylor, 1717. ESTC No. N1124. Grub Street ID 1238.
  • Wren, John. The clergyman's companion in visiting the sick. Being a collection of the following particulars for that purpose; ... To which are annex'd, the offices of publick and private baptism. London: printed for A. Churchill; and J. Round, 1719. ESTC No. T84839. Grub Street ID 305190.
  • Wren, John. The country life; or a passionate invitation of the soul to retirement. Being a divine soliloquy on cant. vii. II. London: printed for John Bateman, 1721. ESTC No. T191569. Grub Street ID 226391.
  • Wren, John. Retirement: A Divine Soliloquy. London: printed for J. Bateman, at the Hat and Star in St. Paul's Church-Yard, 1722. ESTC No. N13290. Grub Street ID 3228.
  • Wren, John. The clergyman's companion in visiting the sick. Being a collection of the following particulars for that purpose; Viz. I. The Manner of Visiting the Sick; extracted chiefly from Bishop Taylor. II. The Order for Visitation of the Sick, out of the Common-Prayer-Book. III. The Communion of the Sick. IV. Some other Prayers and Forms, with a very great Variety of Occasional Prayers for the Sick; Collected, for the most part, from the Devotional Writings of some of the most eminent Divines of the Church of England. To which are annex'd, the offices of publick and private baptism. London: printed for J. and B. Sprint, and A. Ward, in Little-Britain; J. Round, in Exchange-Alley; W. Taylor, and T. Combes, in Pater-Noster-Row, MDCCXXIII. [1723]. ESTC No. T84842. Grub Street ID 305193.
  • Wren, John. The clergyman's companion in visiting the sick. Being a collection of the following particulars for that purpose; viz. I. The Manner of Visiting the Sick; extracted chiefly from Bishop Taylor. II. The Order for Visitation of the Sick out of the Common-Prayer-Book. III. The Communion of the Sick. IV. Some other Prayers and Forms, with a very great Variety of Occasional Prayers for the Sick; Collected, for the most Part, from the Devotional Writings of some of the most eminent Divines of the Church of England. To which are annex'd. The offices of publick and private baptism. London: printed for J. and B. Sprint, and A. Ward, in Little-Britain; J. Round in Exchange-Alley; J. Osborne, T. Longman, and T. Combes in Pater-Noster-Row; and B. Motte at Temple-Bar, MDCCXXVIII. [1728]. ESTC No. N27240. Grub Street ID 16495.
  • Wren, John. The clergyman's companion in visiting the sick. Being a collection of the following particulars for that purpose; ... To which are annex'd, the offices of publick and private baptism. London: printed for J. J. and P. Knapton; D. Midwinter; J. Round; A. Ward; T. Longman; and S. Birt, 1735. ESTC No. T166996. Grub Street ID 205141.
  • Wren, John. Cydymaith yr eglwyswr yn ymweled a'r claf. Yn cynnwys cynnulliad o'r amryw bethau neillduol sy'n canlyn, i'r perwyl hwnnw; sef I. Y Modd neu Wedd o Ymweled a'r Claf; wedi ci gasglu gan mwyas allan o Waith Esgob Taylor. II. Y Drefn am Ymweled a'r Claf, allan o Lyfr Gweddi Gyffredin. III. Cymmun y Claf. IV. Rhai gweddiau a Fsurfiau eraill, ynghyd a Chynnulliad ddewisol o Weddiau neillduol dros y Claf; wedi eu casglu, gan mwyaf, allan o Scrifennadau Defosionawl rhai o'r Difeinyddion en woccaf o Eglwys Loegr. At yr hyn y Cyssylltwyd, Gweinidogaethau Bedydd Public a Phrifat. A gyfeithiwyd, allan o'r chweched argraphiad yn Saesonaeg, gan E. Jones o Lanafrewig. [Shrewsbury]: Argraphwyd yn y Mwythig ac ar werth yno gan Richard Lathrop, Gwerthwr Llyfrau, [1740?]. ESTC No. T185296. Grub Street ID 221506.
  • Wren, John. Cydymaith yr eglwyswr, yn ymweled a'r claf. ... A gyfeithiwyd, ... gan E. Jones o Lanafrewig. [Shrewsbury]: Agraphwyd yn y Mwythig ac ar werth yno gan Tho. Durston, [1740?]. ESTC No. T99314. Grub Street ID 318456.
  • Wren, John. The clergyman's companion in visiting the sick. Being a collection of the following particulars for that purpose; ... To which are annex'd, the offices of publick and private baptism. London: printed for D. Midwinter; R. Ware; A. Ward; J. and P. Knapton; J. Clarke; [and 3 others in London], 1742. ESTC No. T208560. Grub Street ID 237390.
  • Wren, John. The clergyman's companion in visiting the sick. Being a collection of the following particulars for that purpose; ... To which are annex'd, the offices of publick and private baptism. London: printed for R. Ware, J. and P. Knapton, S. Birt, T. Longman, C. Hitch and L. Hawes [and 4 others in London], 1752. ESTC No. T167072. Grub Street ID 205211.
  • Wren, John. The clergyman's companion in visiting the sick. Being a collection of the following particulars for that purpose; Viz. I. The Manner of Visiting the Sick: extracted chiefly from Bishop Taylor. II. The Order for Visitation of the Sick out of the Common-Prayer-Book. III. The Communion of the Sick. IV. Some other Prayers and Forms, with a very great Varity of Occasional Prayers for the Sick; Collected for the most Part, from the Devotional Writings of some of the most eminent Divines of the Church of England. To which are annexed, the offices of publick and private baptism. Dublin: printed by the executor of G.A. Grierson, Printer to the King's Most Excellent Majesty, and Jane Grierson, at the King's Arms and Two Bibles in Essex-Street, MDCCLVII. [1757]. ESTC No. T84837. Grub Street ID 305188.
  • Wren, John. The clergyman's companion in visiting the sick. Being a collection of the following particulars for that purpose; Viz. I. The Manner of Visiting the Sick; extracted chiefly from Bishop Taylor. II. The Order for Visitation of the Sick out of the Common-Prayer Book. III. The Communion of the Sick. IV. Some other Prayers and Forms, with a very great Variety of Occasional Prayers for the Sick: Collected, for the most part, from the devotional Writings of some of the most eminent Divines of the Church of England. To which are annexed, the offices of publick and private baptism. London: printed for A. Wilde, J. Rivington, W. Johnston, L. Hawes and W. Clarke and R. Collins, T. Longman, C. and R. Ware, G. Kearsly and M. Richardson, M.DCC.LXIV. [1764]. ESTC No. T84838. Grub Street ID 305189.
  • Wren, John. The clergyman's companion in visiting the sick. Containing I. Rules for visiting the sick. ... IV. A great variety of occasional prayers for the sick,... To which are added, the offices of publick and private baptism. London: printed for R. Faulder, 1783. ESTC No. N47172. Grub Street ID 31907.
  • Wren, John. The clergyman's companion in visiting the sick. Being a collection of the following particulars for that purpose ; viz. I. The manner of visiting the sick ; extracted chiefly from Bishop Taylor. II. The Order for Visitation of the Sick out of the Common Prayer Book. III The Communion of the Sick. IV. Some other prayers and Forms, with a very great Variety of occasional Prayers for the Sick; collected for the most Part, from the Devotional Writings of some of the most eminent Divines of the Church of England. To which are annexed, the offices of publick and private baptism. Dublin: printed by the executors of David Hay, assignee of the late Boulter Grierson, Printer to the King's Most Excellent Majesty, 1783. ESTC No. T119002. Grub Street ID 170483.