Publications of Francis Noble

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 Francis Noble

  • Limojon de Saint-Didier, Alexandre-Toussaint. The hermetical triumph: or, the victorious philosophical stone. A treatise More compleat and more intelligible than any yet Extant, concerning the hermetical magistery. Translated from the French. To which is added, The ancient war of the knights ; Being an Alchymistical Dialogue betwixt our Stone, Gold and Mercury; of the true Matter, of which those who have traced Nature, do prepare the Philosopher's Stone. Translated from the German. London: printed by F. Noble, at Otway's-Head, in St. Martin's-Court, near Leicester-Fields, [1740]. ESTC No. T111138. Grub Street ID 163575.

Printed for Francis Noble

  • Phillips, Edward. The stage-Mutineers: or, a play-house to be let. A tragi-comi-farcical-ballad opera, as it is acted at the Theatre-Royal in Covent-Garden. By a gentleman late of Trinity-College, Cambridge. London: printed for H. Slater, in Clements Inn; F. Noble, at Otway’s Head, St. Martin’s-Court; T. Wright, at the Bible in Exeter-Exchange, Strand; J. Duncan, in St. Martin’s-Court, St. Martin’s-Lane, [1733]. ESTC No. T68219. Grub Street ID 292535.
  • Roe, Thomas. A speech delivered in Parliament by a person of honour, wherein is shewn the cause, and cure of the decay of trade and merchandize. To which is added the remarkable speech of Sir Benjamin Rudyerd (made ... 1623.) ... London: printed for F. Noble. And sold at the pamphlet shops of London and Westminster, 1739. ESTC No. T49613. Grub Street ID 277393.
  • The quintessence of English poetry: or, a collection of all the beautiful passages in our poems and plays: ... Collected from some hundred volumes, by the ingenious Tho. Hayward, and other gentlemen. ... In three volumes. ... London: printed for Olive Payne, at Horace’s-Head, in Pope’s-Head-Alley, opposite the Royal-Exchange, in Cornhill; John Millan, opposite the Admiralty, Charing-Cross; Henry Chapelle, in Grovesnor-Street; and Francis Noble, at Otway’s-Head, in St. Martin’s-Court, near Leicester-Fields, MDCCXI. [1711]. ESTC No. N68405. Grub Street ID 49807.
  • Erasmus, Desiderius. The praise of folly. Made English from the Latin of Erasmus. By W. Kennet, ... Adorn'd with forty-eight copper-plates, ... from the designs of the celebrated Hans Holbeine. To which is prefix'd, a preface by the translator. London: printed for R. Dodsley, in Pall-Mall; H. Chappelle, in Grovesnor-Street; J. Jolliffe, in St. James’s-Street; W. Sare, in Long-Acre; O. Payne, in Popes’s-Head Alley, Cornhill; C. Marsh, in Round Court, in the Strand; and F. Noble, in St. Martin’s-Court, 1740. ESTC No. T140366. Grub Street ID 188138.
  • An historical account of mandrakes, both male and female. With a particular account of those which Rachel long'd for. London: printed for H. Slater, in Clements Inn; F. Noble, at Otway's Head, St. Martin's-Court; T. Wright, at the Bible in Exeter-Exchange, Strand; J. Duncan, in St. Martin's-Court, St. Martin's-Lane, MDCCXLI. [1741]. ESTC No. T86894. Grub Street ID 306993.
  • Castiglione, Baldassare. Il cortegiano, or the courtier: written by the learned Conte Baldassar Castiglione, and a new version of the same into English. Together with his other celebrated pieces, as well Latin as Italian, both in prose and verse. To which is prefix'd The life of the author. By A. P. Castiglione, Gent. London: printed for H. Slater, in Clement's-Inn; F. Noble, at Otway's Head, in St. Martin's-Court, near Leicester-Fields; W. and T. Payne, at Horace's Head in Round-Court, opposite York-Buildings in the Strand; T. Wright, at the Bible, in Exeter-Exchange; and J. Duncan, in St. Martin's Court, near Leicester-Fields, MDCCXLII. [1742]. ESTC No. T160849. Grub Street ID 200131.
  • Saint-Yves, M. de. A chirurgical treatise on the diseases of the eyes. Containing proper remedies, and describing the operations requisite for their cures. With Some New Discoveries in the Structure of the Eye, that demonstrate the immediate Organ of Vision. Written in French by M. De St. Ives, Surgeon-Occulist of the Company of Paris. Translated into English by J. Stockton, M.D. This Book was so well receiv'd by the Members of the Royal Academy of Sciences, that it is sign'd with the Approbation of Messieurs Burette, Winslow, Sylva, Helvetius, Arnaud, Petit, &c. Recommending it as the most useful and necessary Companion for all young Surgeons ever published. London: printed for F. Noble, at Otway's Head, in St. Martin's Court, near Leicester-Fields; and J. Wren, opposite Featherstone's, Buildings, near Great Turnstile, Holborn, MDCCXLVIII. [1748]. ESTC No. N15068. Grub Street ID 4803.
  • Woodfin, Mrs.. Northern memoirs: or, the history of a Scotch family. Written by a lady. In two volumes. Vol. I. London: printed for F. Noble; at his Circulating-Library in King-Street, Covent-Garden; and J. Noble, at his Circulating-Library in St. Martin's-Court, near Leicester-Square, [1756]. ESTC No. N10004. Grub Street ID 11.
  • The mother-in-Law: or, the innocent sufferer. Interspersed with the uncommon and entertaining adventures of Mr. Hervey Faulconer. In two volumes. Vol. I. London: printed for F. Noble, at his Circulating Library in King-Street, Covent-Garden; and J. Noble, at his Circulating Library in St. Martin's Court, near Leicester-Square, MDCCLVII. [1757]. ESTC No. N10227. Grub Street ID 230.
  • The nunnery; or, the history of Miss Sophia. In two volumes. ... London: printed by W. Hoggard, for Francis Noble; and John Noble, 1767. ESTC No. N11131. Grub Street ID 1122.
  • Haywood, Eliza. Clementina; or, the history of an Italian lady, who made her escape from a monastery, for the love of a Scots nobleman. London: printed by W. Adlard, Wine-Office-Court, Fleet-Street, for Francis Noble, at his Circulating Library, near Middle-Row, Holbour; and John Noble, at his Circulation Library, in St. Martin's Court, near Leicester-Square, MDCCLXVIII. [1768]. ESTC No. T75384. Grub Street ID 298110.
  • A lesson for lovers. Or the history of Colonel Melville, and Lady Charlotte Richley. ... London: printed for Francis Noble, 1783. ESTC No. N19506. Grub Street ID 8924.

Printed by and for, or by/for and sold by Francis Noble

  • Wharton, Philip Wharton. The works of Philip late Duke of Wharton; with a few pieces by the Duke's intimate acquaitance. Patricularly, Lord Bolingbroke, ... Doctor Delany. In two volumes. London: printed and sold by F. Noble; and J. Duncan, 1740. ESTC No. N65295. Grub Street ID 47191.