Publications of S. W.

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 S. W.

  • Fores, (Samuel William). S. W. Nouveau guide des etrangers, par S. W. Fores; comprenant la description la plus complette et la plus exacte des cités de Londres, de Westminster, et de leurs environs, ... En francois et en anglois, avec (ou sans) la carte de Londres; ... Londres: imprimé par S. W. Fores, [1790?]. ESTC No. N42189. Grub Street ID 28531.

Author

  • W., S.. The Parliaments vindication, in ansvver to Prince Ruperts declaration. By S.W. Esquire. London: [s.n], printed in the yeer 1642. ESTC No. R212571. Grub Street ID 88150.
  • W., S.. A letter of vnity tending, generally to a peace, especially to that betweene Presbyterian Independent opinion. Written July 12. 1648. London: [s.l.], printed anno. Dom. 1648. ESTC No. R204709. Grub Street ID 81605.
  • W., S.. The constant man's character. Intended to be sent first as a letter from a gentleman in the country, to a gentlemen his esteemed friend and countryman, a Member of the House of Commons. Since inlarged into a discourse by way of humble advice to keep him from revolting, either directly or collaterally by the side-winde of being Presbyterially affected, through the mistaken and unhappy conceit, that those who have taken the Covenant, cannot without breach of the same, assent and submit unto the late proceedings of the Parliament, when as the parts of the Covenant seem to be inconsistent within themselves, as the author's observations here discoursed do manifest. The scope whereof is 1 Historically to set down the occasion and beginnings of the war. ... 4 To prove the fitness and necessity (as matters now stand) of complying with, and submitting unto this present government. For the powers that be are ordained of God, Rom. 13. Together with some animadversions incident hereunto on the sam. Printed at London: for Giles Calvert at the Black Spread-Eagle, neer the west end of Pauls, 1650. ESTC No. R204161. Grub Street ID 81172.
  • W., S.. Schism dis-arm'd of the defensive weapons, lent it by Doctor Hammond, and the Bishop of Derry. By S.W. At Paris: by M. Blageart, 1655. ESTC No. R6168. Grub Street ID 126530.
  • W., S.. Medela medicorum: or, An enquiry into the reasons & grounds of the contempt of physicians, and their noble art. With proposals to reduce them to their wonted repute; maintaining the joynt interest of doctors, chyrurgions, and apothecaries, against all intruders. By S.W. doctor of physick. London: printed by T[homas]. M[ilbourn]. for Dorman Newman, and are to be sold at his shop, at the Kings-Arms in the Poultery, 1678. ESTC No. R26942. Grub Street ID 110180.
  • W., S.. The constant country-man. Or, A loving dialogue between honest Thomas and his true-love Nancy. Tune is, Woman warrier. Licensed according to order. [London]: Printed for P. Brooksby, J. Deacon, J. Blare, and J. Back, [1690?]. ESTC No. R228105. Grub Street ID 100836.
  • W., S.. An examination of a late treatise of the gout: wherein John Colbatch's demonstrations are briefly refuted, the College cleared from his scandalous imputations; and a short account of his vulnerary powder. By S. W. no inconsiderable branch of the College. London: printed, for the author, and sold by the booksellers of London and Westminster, 1697. ESTC No. R217645. Grub Street ID 92412.
  • W., S.. A poem on the late violent storm, the 26th of November. 1703. By S. W. gent. London: printed for B. Bragg, 1703. ESTC No. N11719. Grub Street ID 1724.
  • W., S.. The practical surveyor, or, the art of land-measuring, made easy. Shewing by plain and practical rules, how to survey any piece of land whatsoever, by the Plain-Table, Theodolite, or Circumferentor: Or, by the Chain only. And how to Protract, Cast up, Reduce, and Divide the same. Likewise How to Protract Observations made with the Needle; and how to Cast up the Content of any Plott of Land: By Methods more Exact and Expeditious than heretofore used. To which is added, an appendix, shewing how to draw the plan of buildings, &c. in Perspective, from Observations made by the Theodolite. As also the Use of a new-invented Spirit-Level. With several other Things never before made Publick. London: printed for J. Hooke, at the Flower-de-Luce against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleet-Street: and J. Sisson, mathematical instrument-maker, the Corner of Beaufort-Buildings in the Strand, M,DCC,XXV. [1725]. ESTC No. T99307. Grub Street ID 318453.
  • W., S.. The history of the two impostors Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck, who, (in the reign of King Henry Vii) were pretenders to the crown of England;set up by Margaret Duchess of Burgundy; chiefly supported by the Kings of France and Scotland; much favour'd by Maximilian King of the Romans; by Philip his Son, the Duke of Burgundy; by the King of Portugal, &c. And acknowledged as Lawful Sovereigns in Flanders, Ireland and England. But were at last detected, defeated, and so deserted by their Adherents, that the One was made a Turn-Spit in the King's Kitchen, and the Other set in the Stocks and Pillory, both in London and Westminster, and then hang'd at Tyburn. With an appendix, shewing the intrigue of the Jesuits at Rome to impose another sham prince upon Great-Britain, in the year 1688. London: printed for J. Watts at the Printing-Office in Wild-Court near Lincoln's-Inn-Fields: and sold by B. Dod at the Bible and Key in Ave-Mary-Lane near Stationers-Hall, [1745]. ESTC No. T36540. Grub Street ID 266459.
  • W., S.. The history of the two impostors Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck, who, (in the reign of King Henry VII) were pretenders to the crown of England: ... With some account of the intrigues of the Jesuits. London: printed for J. Watts: and sold by B. Wood, 1746. ESTC No. T165621. Grub Street ID 203883.
  • W., S.. Serious thoughts on some interesting and important subjects. By S. W. London: printed and sold by T. Bland, and J. Johnson, 1767. ESTC No. N64433. Grub Street ID 46435.
  • W., S.. God all in all. Being a letter to the Baptist-Church meeting at Goodman's Fields, London, Under the Pastoral Care of The Reverend Mr Abraham Booth. By S. W. Who was Ejected by the said Church, 21 Feb. 1770, for not Believing that the Man Christ was God, &c. Are there more Gods than one? Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord. Are there more Saviours than one? I am God, and besides me there is no Saviour. God is the Saviour, Man is the Saved. Ye Men of Israel, Hear these Words, Jesus of Nazareth, a Man approved of God among you, by Miracles, and Wonders, and Signs, which God did by him, &c. To which is added, a few Thoughts on the distinct Properties of the Intelligent and Material Creation, and the Relation they are kept in by God to each other in the Human Body and Soul. London: printed for the author, and sold by S. Baddwin Bladon in Paternoster Row, MDCCLXX. [1770]. ESTC No. T35634. Grub Street ID 265725.
  • W., S.. The Portsmouth Review: or, the Grand Puppet-shew. Written by S.W. Esq; late poet laureat to Punch. [Bath]: Sold by J. Whitaker, Bath, [1780?]. ESTC No. T224137. Grub Street ID 246440.