Publications of Samuel Ballard

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).

Sold by Samuel Ballard

  • Lowe, Solomon. Latin rudiments contrived by Solomon Lowe containing every thing in Lilye, except a few particulars, instead of which, several generals are here added, of much more importance. For the use of Prince William. London: Sold by J. Wyat, in Paul’s Church-Yard; S. Ballard, in Little Britain. J. Noon, in Cheapside, T. Woodward, in Fleet-street; J. Groenwege & N. Prevost, in the Strand; J. Jackson, in Pall-mall, C. King, in Westminster hall, MDCCXXVII. [1727]. ESTC No. T176684. Grub Street ID 213700.
  • Lowe, Solomon. Italian rudiments for the use of Prince William. Propos'd as every way better than any, and more comprehensive than all the grammars and grammatical treatises yet extant in any language. London: MDCCXXVIII. Sold by J. Wyat in Paul's Church-Yard, S. Ballard in Little-Britain, J. Noon in Cheapside, T. Woodward in Fleet-Street, J. Groenwege and N. Prevost, in the Strand, J. Jackson in Pall-Mall, C. King in Westminster-Hall, 1728]. ESTC No. T167067. Grub Street ID 205207.
  • Lowe, Solomon. Latin rudiments for the use of Prince William. Propos'd as much easier than any, and full as comprehensive as need by for the generality of those that learn the language. London: MDCCXXVIII. Sold by J. Wyat in Paul’s Church-yard, S. Ballard in Little-Britain, J. Noon in Cheapside, T. Woodward in Fleet-street, J. Groenwege and N. Prevost in the Strand, J. Jackson in Pall-Mall, C. King in Westminster-hall, [1728]. ESTC No. N54233. Grub Street ID 38048.

Printed for Samuel Ballard

  • Tutchin, John. A poem in the praise of folly and knavery. By Mr. Tutchin. Author of, The Observator. London: printed for Sam. Ballard, at the Blue-Ball, in Little-Britain, MDCCIV. [1704]. ESTC No. N11772. Grub Street ID 1773.
  • Mandeville, Bernard. The grumbling hive: or, knaves turn'd honest. London: printed for Sam Ballard: and sold by A. Baldwin, 1705. ESTC No. T200098. Grub Street ID 231889.
  • Packwood, Samuel. A sermon preach'd at the assizes held at Warwick, on Wednesday April 2. 1712. Before Mr. Justice Dormer. By Samuel Packwood, ... London: printed for Samuel Ballard; and are to be sold by Tho. Hurt, in Coventry, 1712. ESTC No. T173388. Grub Street ID 210652.
  • Foreign tales, witty & merry sayings, repartees, &c. from the best authors. In French and English. For the use of those who love Good Humour, and desire to understand the French Tongue.= Recueil de contes etrangers, Bons Mots, Reparties Spirituelles, Ramasses avec soin des plus celebres Auteurs Pour l'usage de ceux qui aiment la joie & la Langue Francoise. London: printed for Sam. Ballard in Little-Britain, MDCCXIX. [1719]. ESTC No. T182341. Grub Street ID 218829.
  • The merry and facetious companion: being a collection of the most entertaining stories, witty sayings, and smart repartees, that are to be found either in our own or foreign authors. Written in French and English, for the use of those who are desirous to understand the French tongue. London: printed for Samuel Ballard at the Blue Ball in Little Britain, 1724. ESTC No. N70930. Grub Street ID 51355.
  • The compleat French-Master, for ladies and gentlemen. Containing I. A new methodical French grammar II. A Well-Digested and copious Vocabulary. III. Familiar Phrases and Dialogues, on all manner of Subjects. IV. Dialogues of Wit and Humour. V. A Taste of the French Poetry. VI. A Collection of French Songs. Vii. A Collection of choice Proverbs, both French and English. Viii. A catalogue of the best French books, fit for a Lady's, or Gentleman's Library. For the Use of His late Highness the Duke of Glocester. By Mr. A. Boyer, Author of the Royal Dictionary, French and English. London: printed for Samuel Ballard, at the Blue Ball, in Little-Britain; and Richard Williamson, near Grays-Inn-Gate, in Holborn, MDCCXXXIII. [1733]. ESTC No. T112402. Grub Street ID 164396.
  • Exercises to the accidence; or, an exemplification of the several moods and tenses, and of the principle rules of construction; consisting chiefly of moral sentences, collected out of the best Roman authors, ... With references to the Latin syntax; and notes. The fifth edition, with additions. By William Turner, M.A. late Master of the Free School at Colchester. London: printed for S. Ballard; and J. Osborn and T. Longman, 1733. ESTC No. N48129. Grub Street ID 32732.
  • Culpeper, Nicholas. A directory for midwives: or, a guide for women, in their conception, bearing, and suckling their children. The first part contains. 1. The anatomy of the vessels of generation. 2. The Formation of the Child in the Womb. 3. What hinders Conception, and its Remedies. 4. What furthers Conception. 5. A Guide for Women in Conception. 6. Of Miscarriage in Women. 7. A Guide for Women in their Labour. 8. A Guide for Women in their Lying-In. 9. Of nursing children. To cure all diseases in women, read the second part of this book. By Nicholas Culpeper, Gent. Student in Physick and Astrology. Newly corrected from many gross errors. London: printed for S. Ballard, R. Ware, S. Birt, C. Hitch, and L. Hawes, and J. Hodges, M.DCC.LV. [1755]. ESTC No. N2151. Grub Street ID 10881.

Printed by and for, or by/for and sold by Samuel Ballard

  • Erskine. The entertaining travels and adventures of Mademoiselle de Richelieu. Cousin to the present Duke of that Name who made the tour of Europe, dressed in men's cloaths, attended by her Maid Lucy as her Valet de Chambre. Now done into English from the lady's own manuscript. By the translator of the Memoirs and adventures of the Marques of Bretagne and Duke of Harcourt. Vol I. London: printed and sold by S. Ballard at the Blue-Ball in Little-Britain, [1740?]. ESTC No. T119034. Grub Street ID 170513.