Publications of John King

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 King

  • Ridgley, Thomas. The advantage of falling into the hand of God rather than man. A sermon, preach'd October the 11th, at the evening lecture in the Old-Jewry. On the death of Mr. Nathan Hall, who was murder'd by high-way men, October 1. 1719. By Thomas Ridgley. London: printed for John King, at the Bible and Crown in Fore Street near great Moor-Gate, 1719. ESTC No. T11742. Grub Street ID 169012.
  • Wood, James. Stedfastness in religion recommended. In a farewel sermon preach'd in Old-Jewry, to the Society of Catechumens, February 23. 1723. Published at their unanimous request. By James Wood. London: printed for Eman. Matthews, at the Bible in Pater-Noster-Row; and John King, at the Bible and Crown, in Fore-Street, near Great More-Gate, MDCCXXIV. [1724]. ESTC No. T48650. Grub Street ID 276500.
  • Ward, Edward. The parish-Gutt'lers: or, the humours of a vestry. A merry poem. London: printed for John King, near Little Moorgate in Moorfields; and at the corner of Tokenhouse Yard, in Lothbury, MDCCXXXII. [1732]. ESTC No. N19930. Grub Street ID 9354.
  • Puckle, James. The club: or, a grey-cap for a green-head. Containing maxims, advice and cautions. Being a dialogue between a father and son. In which is Interspers'd the following Characters. Viz. Antiquary, Buffoon, Critic, Detractor, Envioso, Flatterer, Gamester, Hypocrite, Impertinent, Knave, Lawyer, Morose, News-Monger, Opiniater, Projector, Quack, Rake, Swearer, Traveller, Usurer, Wiseman, Xantippe, Youth, Zany, the Vintner. These Characters being meerly intended, to expose Vice and Folly; let none pretend to a Key; nor seek for another's Picture, least he find his own. For, Qui capit ille facit. In vino veritas. London: printed for John King, at Sir Walter Raleigh's Head; and Thomas King, at Shakespear's Head, both in Moorfields, near Little Moorgate, [1733?]. ESTC No. N26569. Grub Street ID 15940.
  • Warren, Robert. The devout Christian's remembrancer. Being practical discourses upon the four last things: viz. death, judgment, heaven, and hell. Collected from the works of Bishop Taylor, Bp. Beveridge, Dr. Sherlock, Mr. Kettlewell, &c. The second edition. By the author of The devout Christian's companion. London: printed for John King, at Sir Walter Raleigh's Head, and Thomas King, at the Wheat Sheaf in Moor-Fields, near Little Moorgate, [1736]. ESTC No. T83881. Grub Street ID 304294.
  • Defoe, Daniel. The life, remarkable adventures and pyracies, of the famous Capt. Singleton: Containing An Account of his being set on Shore in the Island of Madagascar, his Settlement there, with a Description of the Place and Inhabitants: Of his Passage from thence, in a Paraguay, to the main Land of Africa, with an Account of the Customs and Manners of the People: His great Deliverances from the barbarous Natives and wild Beasts: Of his meeting with an Englishman, a Citizen of London, among the Indians, the great Riches he acquired, and his Voyage Home to England. As also the Captain's Return to Sea, with an Account of his many Adventures and Pyracies with the famous Captain Avery and others. London: printed for John King at Sir Walter Raleigh's Head, and Thomas King at Shakespear's Head, in Moorfield's near Little Moorgate, 1737. ESTC No. T69687. Grub Street ID 293637.
  • The right, Pleasant, and Diverting. History of Fortunatus. And his Two sons. In Two parts. I. Containing an Account of his noble Birth, remarkable Travels, and strange Adventures, in many Kingdoms; how he obtained a Purse, which supplyed him with a continuance of Money, and a wishing hat by which he could be conveyed in an instant, to any Place which he desired to be: As also his Death at which he bequeathed his Purse and Hat to his Two Sons, with his sumptuous Funeral Monument, &c II. Containing the Travels and remarkable actions, of his Sons, with their untimely Deaths & Durials. First Penn'd in the Dutch Tongue, thence abstracted, and now Published in English, by T. C. illustrated with Variety of New Pictures and New Additions. London: printed for J. Osborne, in Pater-Noster-Row; J. King, in Moorfields; and J. Hodges, at the Looking-Glass, on London-Bridge, 1740. ESTC No. T65408. Grub Street ID 290321.
  • Olivier, abbĂ©. J. Memoirs of the life and adventures of Signor Rozelli, late of the Hague. Giving a particular account of his birth, education, slavery, Monastie State, Imprisonment in the Inquisition at Rome, and the different Figures he has since made, as well in Italy, as in England, France and Holland. With the Continuation of the same to the Day of his Death. Written by Himself, just before his Decease And committed to the Care of an intimate Friend. The Whole being a Series of the most diverting History, and surprising Events, ever yet made public. Adorn'd with curious copper cuts. Vol. I. London: printed for J. Osborn, at the Golden Ball, in Pater-Noster-Row; J. King, in Moorfields; and C. Corbett, at Addison's Head, Fleet-Street, M.DCC.XL. [1740]. ESTC No. T66384. Grub Street ID 291131.
  • Eliot, Joseph. The life of faith, exemplified and recommended, in a letter found in the study of the Reverend Mr. Joseph Belcher, late of Dedham in New-England, since his Decease. An answer to this question, How to live in this world, so as to live in heaven? To which is added, a few verses by the late Reverend Mr. Killinghall, upon reading of it. London: printed: and sold by J. Oswald in the Poultry, and J. King in Forestreet, MDCCXLI. [1741]. ESTC No. T81097. Grub Street ID 301942.

Printed by and for, or by/for and sold by John King

  • Mughouse-Diversion. Or, a collection of loyal prologues, and songs, spoke and sung at the mug-houses. Most of which were never yet printed. London: printed, and sold by S. Popping at the Black-Raven in Pater-Noster-Row, E. Harrison at the Royal-Exchange, A. Dodd without Temple-Bar, J. Marshal at the Bible in Newgate-Street, and J. King over-against the Globe Tavern in Fore-Street, [1717]. ESTC No. T91616. Grub Street ID 311445.
  • Mughouse-diversion: or, A collection of loyal prologues and songs, spoke and sung at the mug-houses. Particularly, the order and method of the loyal sosieties, by way of prologue. London: printed, and sold by S. Popping at the Black Raven in Paternoster Row, E. Harrison at the Royal Exchange, A Dodd without Temple Bar, J. Marshal at the Bible in Newgatestreet, and J. King overagainst the Globe Tavern in Forestreet, 1717. ESTC No. N70985. Grub Street ID 51405.