Publications of Richard Hett the first

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 Richard Hett the first

  • Pickard, Edward. The christian's confidence and joy in the views of death and judgment. A sermon preached at Carter-Lane, December 17, 1758. On Occasion of the much lamented death Of the late Reverend Mr. Thomas Newman. Who departed this Life December 6, 1758. In the Sixty-Seventh Year of his Age. By Edward Pickard. Published at the unanimous Desire of the Congregation. London: printed by Richard Hett: for J. Noon in the Poultry; and C. Henderson under the Royal-Exchange, MDCCLIX. [1759]. ESTC No. T11749. Grub Street ID 169081.
  • Newman, Thomas. Sermons on happiness: viz. I. The happiness of the creature, the Design of his Maker. II. Enquiry after happiness. III. Happiness not in a Life of Pleasure. IV. Happiness not from worldly Abundance. V. God the Fountain of Happiness. VI. Happiness from the State of the Mind. Vii. Happiness from good Affections. Viii. Happiness from agreeable Reflections. IX. Happiness from pleasing prospects. By the late Reverend Mr. Thomas Newman. Vol. I. London: printed by R. Hett, junior, and sold by J. Noon, in the Poultry; J. Buckland, in Pater-Noster-Row; T. Field, in Cheapside; and C. Henderson, under the Royal-Exchange, MDCCLX. [1760]. ESTC No. T56148. Grub Street ID 282697.
  • Pickard, Edward. The character and reward of the good and faithful servant. A sermon preached at Crouched Friars, London, April the 18th, 1762. on occasion of the death of George Benson, ... By Edward Pickard. To which is added, the oration at the interment. By E. Radcliff. London: printed by Richard Hett, for J. Noon; J. Buckland; and C. Henderson, 1762. ESTC No. T66472. Grub Street ID 291219.
  • The plan of the charity for the maintenance, education, and employment of orphans and other poor children, erected at Hoxton in the year 1760. With the present state of it, The Qualifications for Governors, And The Rules for the Government thereof. To which is annexed, A List of the Governors and Annual Subscribers; And a Preface recommending it. London: printed by Richard Hett, MDCCLXVI. [1766]. ESTC No. N20289. Grub Street ID 9687.
  • Martin, John. The believer's safety and satisfaction: a funeral sermon on the death of Mrs. Mary Sturgis: preached in Grafton-Street, Soho, October 31st, 1784. By John Martin. London: printed by R. Hett; and sold by Mr. Buckland, Pater-Noster-Row; Mr. Bishop, in Newport-Street; and by Mr. Ladley, in Mount-Street, Grosvenor-Square, M.DCC.LXXXV. [1785]. ESTC No. T67033. Grub Street ID 291695.

Printed for Richard Hett the first

  • Doddridge, Philip. Free thoughts on the most probable means of reviving the dissenting interest. Occasion'd by the late enquiry into the causes of its decay. Address'd to the author of that enquiry. By a minister in the country. London: printed for Richard Hett. And sold by Mr. Tozer at Exon, 1730. ESTC No. N31730. Grub Street ID 20606.
  • Basset, J. The punishment of sinners in a future state argued and prov'd. In a sermon preach'd at Birmingham, from Luke xvi. 22, 23. By J. Basset. London: printed for Richard Hett at the Bible and Crown in the Poultry near Cheapside, M,DCC,XXXIV. [1734]. ESTC No. N21360. Grub Street ID 10737.
  • Enty, John. The unreasonableness of popish and all persecution on account of religion. A sermon preach'd at Exon, November the 5th, 1737. By John Enty. London: printed for Richard Hett; and sold by Aaron Tozer, Jun. in Exon, 1737. ESTC No. N35993. Grub Street ID 23998.
  • Wright, S. Death abolished by our Saviour: and life and immortality brought to light through the Gospel. A sermon occasioned by the death of the Reverend Mr. John Munckley; preached Aug. 20. 1738. In Bartholomew-Close. By Samuel Wright, D.D. Published at the Request of the Congregation. London: printed for R. Hett, in the Poultry; and T. Saunders, in Little-Britain, [1738]. ESTC No. T9301. Grub Street ID 312752.
  • The psalms of David, imitated in the language of the New Testament, And apply'd to the Christian State and Worship. By I. Watts, D.D. London: printed for R. Hett and J. Brackston, at the Bible and Crown in the Poultry, MDCCXL. [1740]. ESTC No. N11979. Grub Street ID 1984.
  • Overal, Edmund. A christian liturgy. Or, a devout and rational form of divine worship; composed chiefly out of the devotional parts of the sacred Scriptures, and the most Ancient-Liturgies of the Christian Church, especially those in the Apostolical Constitutions, to which is prefixed, some observations upon the liturgy of the Church of England, and upon the present Way of Worship in the Church of Scotland, and among the Protestant Dissenters of all Denominations: Together With an earnest Recommendation of Precomposed Forms of Divine Worship to the Latter; And A short Account of the following Work. By the author of The solemn form for the general fast. London: printed for Richard Hett, at the Bible and Crown, in the Pourtry, MDCCXLL. [1741]. ESTC No. N15007. Grub Street ID 4744.
  • Roberts, Samuel, Dissenting Minister. Love to our country, and zeal for its interest recommended in a sermon preach'd to a congregation of protestant dissenters at Salisbury, on Sunday, October 6, 1745. ... By Samuel Roberts. London: printed for R. Hett; J. Noon; R. King; and M. Cooper, 1745. ESTC No. N19057. Grub Street ID 8480.
  • Savage, Samuel. The happiness of communities most effectually secured by a religious conduct. A sermon preached at Edmonton, December 18. 1745. ... By Samuel Savage. London: printed for R. Hett, 1745. ESTC No. N17251. Grub Street ID 6723.