Publications of Robert Vincent

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 Robert Vincent

  • Ellis, John. Instructions for collectors of excise, in prosecutions before Justices of the Peace, for Forfeitures incurred, or Offences committed against the Laws relating to the Duties of Excise, and other Duties under the Management of the Commissioners of Excise. With some observations on several clauses in the Excise-Acts, and other Acts relating to such Proceedings, and to Proceedings upon Appeals, at the Quarter-Sessions, in those Cases. And some Precedents of Informations, Summons, Judgments, and Warrants to be used in such Cases. In two parts. Part I. London: printed by Robert Vincent, at the Crown and Scepter in Fleetstreet, 1716. ESTC No. T136283. Grub Street ID 184552.

Printed for Robert Vincent

  • [London] ss [to John Aston and John ... appointed and approved collectors for Grub Street & Hore Street ... in the parish of St. Giles without Cripple Gate] in the [city] aforesaid of the several rates, duties and sums of money, granted to His Majesty King William III by virtue of an act of Parliament made in the sixth and seventh year of His said Majesty's reign, inituted, An Act for Granting to His Majesty Certain Rates and Duties upon Marriages, Births and Burials, and upon Batchlors and Widowers, for the Terms of Five Years, for Carrying on the War against France with Vigour. [London]: Printed for Rob. Vincent .. Chr. Coningsby .. and Joshua Brixey .., 1695. ESTC No. R38506. Grub Street ID 120594.
  • Godolphin, John. The orphan's legacy: or, a testmentary abridgment. In three parts. I. Of last wills and testaments. II. Of executors and administrators. III. Of legacies and devises. Wherein The most Material Points of Law relating to that Subject, are succinctly Treated, as well according to the Common and Temporal, as Ecclesiastical and Civil Laws of this Realm. Illustrated With a great Variety of Select Cases in the Law of both Professions, as well delightful in the Theory, as useful for the Practice of all such as Study the one, or are either Active or Passive in the other. The fourth edition much augmented and enlarged. By John Godolphin, LL.D. London: printed by the assigns of Richard and Edward Atkins, Esquires; for Robert Vincent in Cliffords-Inn Lane in Fleetstreet, 1701. ESTC No. N12133. Grub Street ID 2148.
  • ss. To [blank] approved and appointed collectors for the [blank] of [blank] in the [blank] of [blank] of the moneys payable to His Majesty, King William the Third, by vertue of an act of Parliament, made in the twelfth and thirteenth year of his said Majesty's reign, and i the first session of this present Parliament, intituled, an Act for granting an aid to His Majesty, for defraying the expence of his navy, guards, and garrisons for one year, and for other necessary occasions. [London]: Printed for Robert Vincent; Christopher Coningsby; and Joshua Brixey, 1701. ESTC No. N69518. Grub Street ID 50545.
  • Molloy, Charles. De jure maritimo et navali: or, a treatise of affairs maritime and of commerce. In three books. The fifth edition. By Charles Molloy, late Barrester at Law. London: printed for R. Vincent and John Walthoe; and sold by Ralph Smith, at the Bible under the Piazza of the Royal-Exchange, Cornhill, 1701. ESTC No. N437. Grub Street ID 29408.
  • Collins, Richard. The original, nature and advantages of [union]: Or, The imitation of Christ’s Kingdom, the duty and security of all other kingdoms. A sermon preach’d May 1. 1707. Upon the wonderful and happy union of the two ancient kingdoms, that day compleated. By the Reverend Mr. Collins, vicar of Burham in Kent; and chaplain to the Right Honourable Mary, countess dowager of Faucenberg. Publish’d at the earnest request of his friends. London: Printed for Rob. Vincent in Cliffords-Inn-Lane in Fleetstreet, 1707. ESTC No. T9670. Grub Street ID 316155.
  • A new book of instruments: consisting of presidents [sic] fitted for the use of attorneys. ... And generally for all persons concerned in trade and commerce. Being the most compleat collection ... hitherto extant. London: printed for R Vincent, and sold by Cha. Smith, 1708. ESTC No. T174572. Grub Street ID 211657.
  • A collection of the laws of the customs now in force, to prevent frauds and abuses in the revenue, and the illegal importation and exportation of prohibited and uncustomed goods: Being an abridgement of several acts of Parliament from the II Edw. III. to the 12 Car. II. and the clauses at large from the several acts passed since the 12 Car. II. with notes connecting those which relate to each other: wherein are continued the powers given by the laws now in force to justices of the peace, for the more effectual executing the laws of the customs: together with a list of the several head and member ports and creeks thereto belonging, in England and Wales; and the names, descriptions and dimensions of the lawful kesy, wharfs, &c. in each port and creek, where goods and merchandize, carried to or brought from foreign parts, or wooll or woollen goods coastways, can be shipped or landed: as also forms of warrants, to be gained by justices of the peace, in several cases where they are empowered to act for the security of His Majesty’s Customs: to which are added, the opinions and resolutionsof council, in particular doubtful cases, for the information of the justices; and an alphabetical index to the whole. London: Printed by Thomas Baskett and Robert Baskett, for Robert Vincent, at the Crown and Scepter, in Ludgate-street, M.DCC.XLII. [1742]. ESTC No. N27603. Grub Street ID 16853.