Publications of Abel Roper the Second

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 Abel Roper the Second

  • Southerne, Thomas. Sir Anthony Love: or, The rambling lady. A comedy. As it is acted at the Theatre-Royal by Their Majesties servants. Written by Tho. Southerne. London: printed for Joseph Fox at the Seven Stars in Westminster-Hall, and Abel Roper at the Mitre near Temple Bar, 1691. ESTC No. R40108. Grub Street ID 121945.
  • Saint-Evremond. Miscellany essays: by Monsieur de St. Evremont, upon philosophy, history, poetry, morality, humanity, gallantry, &c. Vol. II. Done into English by Mr. Brown. London: printed for Abell Roper at the Mitre near Temple-Bar, 1694. ESTC No. R203137. Grub Street ID 80275.
  • The post boy, foreign and domestick. London [England]: printed for A[bel]. Roper and R. Clavel in Fleetstreet, 1695. ESTC No. P6590. Grub Street ID 58253.
  • The History of the reign of Queen Anne, digested into annals. London [England]: printed for A[bel]. Roper, at the Black-boy over against St. Dunstan's Church, Fleetstreet, and F[rancis]. Coggan in the Inner-Temple-Lane, 1703-MDCCXIII. [1713]. ESTC No. P2204. Grub Street ID 55908.
  • The history of King William the Third. In III. parts. Vol. I. The second edition. Comprehending the time from His Majesty's birth, ... London: printed for A. Roper; F. Coggan; and Wm. Davis, 1703. ESTC No. N33092. Grub Street ID 21611.
  • Praxis almæ curiæ cancellariæ: in two volumes. Being a collection of precedents by bill and answer, plea and demurrer, in causes of the greatest moment ... which have been commenced in the High Court of Chancery, for more than 30 years last past. ... London: printed by the assigns of Richard and Edward Atkins Esqs; for A. Roper, and sold by J. Isted, 1704-05. ESTC No. N12363. Grub Street ID 2365.
  • Lady.. A poem to Her Grace the Dutchess of Marlborough. Occasion'd by the late glorious victory obtain'd by his Grace the Duke of Marlborough, over the French and Bavarians at Hochstet. Written by a lady. London: printed for Abel Roper, at the Black Boy in Fleetstreet, MDCCIV. [1704]. ESTC No. N11727. Grub Street ID 1731.
  • Praxis alm? curi? cancellari?: compleat in two volumes. Being a collection of precedents by bill and answer, plea and demurrer, in causes of the greatest moment (wherein Equity hath been allowed) which have been commenced in the High Court of Chancery, for more than 30 years last past. With Appeals (in several Cases of great Difficulty) to the House of Peers in Parliament, and the Proceedings thereupon. Also, a Compleat Collection of all the Writs and Process concerning the same. Together with a Praeliminary Discourse, by way of Rules, Succinctly and Methodically drawn up, containing the Practice of the said Court, in every particular Branch of the Equitable Part thereof. The second edition with additions. By William Brown, Gent. Vol. I. London: printed by the assigns of Richard and Edward Atkins Esqs; for A. Roper in Fleet-Street; and sold by D. Brown, without Temple Barr, and J. Isted in Fleetstreet, 1705. ESTC No. N24488. Grub Street ID 13848.
  • The laws concerning the poor. Wherein is treated of overseers, and their office. Of rates and contributions. Of settlements. Of families, vagrants, children, servants, &c. What shall make or amount to a Settlement by the former and latter Statutes. Stat. 14 Car. 2. c. 12. Explained. Of the 40 Days continuance; Of Notice by Statute 1 Jac. 2. and what shall amount to a Notice or not. Statute 3 & 4 W. & M. c. 11. Explained. What shall be said a Disturbance. Of Vagranes, Vagabonds; Stat. 39 El c. 4. 11 W. 3. c. 18. 1 Ann. c. 13. Explained. Of Workhouses, House of Correctio &c. and many other Matters relating to the Poor. All which lying in a confused Manner, are here setled under their proper Titles; And Illustrated with many late Resolutions of the Judges, as to Allowance or quashing several Orders of Sessions. To which are added several forms of orders of sessions, warrants, mittimus, &c. London: printed by the assigns of Richard and Edward Atkins, for Abel Roper at the Black Boy against St. Dunstan's Church, Fleetstreet, 1705. ESTC No. N10420. Grub Street ID 430.
  • A list of the principal officers, civil and military, in Great Britain, in the year 1710. London: printed for Abel Roper; and sold by John Morphew, 1710. ESTC No. N160. Grub Street ID 5700.

Printed by and for, or by/for and sold by Abel Roper the Second

  • A treatise concerning the exercise of William Walcot, Esq; his art of making salt-water fresh. With a short account of the gain and advantages that ships may have by the exercise thereof. London: printed, and are to be sold by A. Roper at the Black Boy in Fleetstreet; and B. Aylmer at the Three Pidgeons in Cornhill, 1697. ESTC No. R225306. Grub Street ID 98517.