Publications of A. R.

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 A. R.

  • Browne, Peter. Of drinking to the memory of the dead. Being the substance of a discourse deliver'd to the clergy of the diocese of Cork, on the fourth of November, 1713, by the bishop of that diocese. And published at their unanimous request. Dublin: printed by A. R. and sold by Jer. Pepyat, 1713. ESTC No. N42216. Grub Street ID 28557.

Printed for A. R.

  • The game law: or, a collection of the laws and statutes made for the preservation of the game of this kingdom. Drawn into a short and easy method, for the information of all gentlemen, and Caution of others. The fourth edition. To which is added, An abstract of The Act, the 9th of Q. Anne, for making the Act for the better preservation of the Game, perpetual, and more effectual. London: printed by J. N. for A. R. and sold by S. Butler, at Bernard's-Inn-Gate in Holborn, 1711. ESTC No. T145438. Grub Street ID 192177.

Author

  • R., A.. The accomplished officer; a treatise containing the most essential and necessary accomplishments of an officer, ... To which are added the art of discovering the strength and weakness of any place; ... Written originally in French by A. R. and now done into English from the manuscript, never printed before. London: printed, and to be sold by John Nutt, 1706. ESTC No. N43307. Grub Street ID 29120.
  • R., A.. The accomplished officer; a treatise containing the most essential and necessary accomplishments of an officer. ... With the art of discovering the strength and weakness of any place. And the military art and discipline of the ancients, compar'd with the modern; ... To which now is added an appendix concerning sieges. The second edition. Written originally in French by A.R. and done into English from the manuscript. London: Printed for Luke Stokoe, 1708. ESTC No. T111908. Grub Street ID 163968.
  • R., A.. Jura regiƦ majestatis in Anglia: or, the rights of the English monarchy. With reflections on Mr. Hoadly's book, entituled, A defence of his sermon. In a letter to a person of quality. Exon: printed by Sam. Farley, for Phil. Bishop, bookseller, 1711. ESTC No. N51733. Grub Street ID 35723.
  • R., A.. The friendly apparition: being an account of the most surprizing appearance of Sarah Malcom's ghost, to a great assembly of her acqauaintance at a noted gin-shop; ... Together with the remarkable speech she then made to the whole company. London: printed in the year, 1733. ESTC No. N47768. Grub Street ID 32402.
  • R., A.. Select contemplations and meditations. To which are added divine poems. With some Reflections upon the Happy State of Saints in Heaven, and our Misery while here, in this State of Mortality. With meditation upon death and judgement. Wrote by a young lady, in her retirement, and in the time of her sickness. London: printed for John Oswald, at the Rose and Crown in the Poultry, near Stocks-Market, MDCCXXXIX. [1739]. ESTC No. T95256. Grub Street ID 314775.
  • R., A.. The curiosities of Paris, in nine letters. ... By A. R. London: printed for W. Owen, 1757. ESTC No. N4876. Grub Street ID 33246.
  • R., A.. The curiosities of Paris, in nine letters. Containing The Manner of Travelling from Calais to Paris, and the Description of the Towns. &c. on the Road. Description of Paris, Course of the Seine, Bridges, Fountains, &c. Palaces, Paintings, Gardens, Statues, Cabinets of Curiosities, and an Execution on the Wheel. Hospitals, Churches, Relics, and Processions. Squares, Statues, and Inscriptions. Different Orders of the Religious, Orders of Knighthood, Equipages, and Theatres. Amphitheatres, public Libraries, Colleges, Nunneries, &c. and the Ceremony of taking the Veil. Description of St. Cloud, the Royal Mausoleum of St. Dennis, and Regalia of the Crown. Description and Curiosities at Versailles, Trianon, Marli, Waterworks, and Machine, Gardens, Statues, Procession of the Knights of the St. Esprit, &c. &c. Interspersed with useful Observations, and particularly adapted for the Perusal of Chirurgical Students and the Traveller. By A. R. London: printed for W. Owen, at Homer's Head, near Temple-Bar, Fleet-Street, [1760?]. ESTC No. T130688. Grub Street ID 179775.
  • R., A.. Meditations and contemplations on various subjects. To which are added divine poems. Viz. I. Complaint of God's Absence. II. Praise for Preservation. III. Evening Meditations. IV. Approaching to the Lord's Table. V. On Death. VI. Midnight Meditations. Vii. Contempt of a deceitful World. Viii. Longing for Death and Glory. IX. Vanity of earthly Things. X. On the Loss of a dear Friend. XI. The Soul mounting Heaven-Ward. XII. On the Inconstancy of Man. XIII. On Man's Treachery. XIV. The Power of Love. XV. Crying to God for Mercy. XVI. Hope of saving Mercy. XVII. On Poverty. XVIII. On the Providence of God. XIX. On Afflictions and Discouragements. XX. Content in a moderate Condition. XXI. The Wisdom of God in Providence. XXII. A Meditation on Mortality. Wrote by a young lady, in her retirement. London: printed for G. Keith, in Gracechurch-Street, 1761. ESTC No. T95178. Grub Street ID 314703.
  • R., A.. Letters upon Parliamentary impeachments, in which the question is considered, whether impeachments are continued in statue [sic] quo, from Parliament to Parliament, or abate by a dissolution? By a barrister at law. London: printed for J. Stockdale, [1790?]. ESTC No. T86367. Grub Street ID 306599.
  • R., A.. The history of Jonathan Griffin and William Peterson. Pointing out an asylum to the destitute. [London]: Printed and sold by J. Marshall, at the cheap repository, No. 17, Queen-Street, Cheapside, and No. 4, Aldermary Church-Yard, Bow-Lane; and may be had of the booksellers, newsmen, and hawkers in town and country, [1797?]. ESTC No. T36404. Grub Street ID 266328.
  • R., A.. Sunday reading. An address to the aged poor. [London]: Printed and sold by John Marshall, London, [1797?]. ESTC No. T48843. Grub Street ID 276673.
  • R., A.. The humble reformer; or, a neighbourly chat. [London]: Printed and sold by J. Marshall, London, [1797?]. ESTC No. T36812. Grub Street ID 266693.
  • R., A.. Sunday reading. The divine model; or, the Christian's exemplar. [London]: Printed and sold by John Marshall, London, [1797?]. ESTC No. T48884. Grub Street ID 276718.