Publications of Elizabeth Whitlock

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 Elizabeth Whitlock

  • Marsin, M.. A treatise proving three worlds. London For M. M[arsin], sold by E. Whitlock, J. Clark, and W. Reddish 1696. ESTC No. R180224. Grub Street ID 359240.
  • A practical treatise; shewing when a believer. London For M. M[arsin], sold by E. Whitlock, J. Clark, and W. Reddish 1696. ESTC No. R180223. Grub Street ID 359241.

Printed for Elizabeth Whitlock

  • London mercury. =Mercure de Londres. London [England]: printed for Eliz. Whitlock near Stationers-Hall, [1696]. ESTC No. P3512. Grub Street ID 56838.
  • The act for remedying the ill state of the coyn of this kingdom, enacts, ... London: prrinted [sic] for E. Whitlock: near Stationers-Hall, MDCXCVI. [1696]. ESTC No. R215398. Grub Street ID 90455.
  • Reflections on the papers deliver'd by Mr. Charnock, Mr. King, and Mr. Key to the sheriffs, on the day of their execution. [London]: Printed for E[lizabeth]. Whitlock, near Stationers-Hall, 1696. ESTC No. R182553. Grub Street ID 72619.
  • The ancient and present state of Poland. Giving a short, but exact, account of the scituation of that country. The manners and customs of the inhabitants. The several successions of their kings. Their religion, &c. Drawn out of their best historians. To which is added, a impartial account of the death of the late king, and the present election, as it now stands. London: printed for E. Whitlock, near Stationers-Hall, 1697. ESTC No. R16140. Grub Street ID 64022.
  • C., N.. The weavers case stated, as it was presented to the Honourable the House of Commons. By N.C. a weaver of London. London: printed for E[lizabeth]. Whitlock near Stationers-Hall, 1697. ESTC No. R173307. Grub Street ID 66921.
  • Settle, Elkanah. A farther defence of dramatick poetry: being the second part of the review of Mr. Collier's View of the immorality and profaneness of the stage. Done by the same hand. London: printed for Eliz. Whitlock, near Stationer's Hall, 1698. ESTC No. R15407. Grub Street ID 63350.
  • T., W.. Some reflections on a model now in projection by the Presbyterian dissenters. With a circular letter intimating it. London: printed for E. Whitlock near Stationers-Hall, MDCXCVIII. [1698]. ESTC No. R17952. Grub Street ID 70907.

Printed by and for, or by/for and sold by Elizabeth Whitlock

  • Sprat, Thomas. A true account and declaration of the horrid conspiracy, to assassinate the late K· Charles II· at the Rye-House as it was ordered to be published by His Late Majesty. In the Savoy [London]: printed, and are to be sold by E[lizabeth]. Whitlock near Stationers-Hall, 1696. ESTC No. R16720. Grub Street ID 64537.
  • Reflections upon a treasonable opinion, industriously promoted, against signing the National association: and the entring into it prov'd to be the duty of all subjects of this kingdom. London: printed and sold by E. Whitlock near Stationers-Hall, 1696. ESTC No. R16726. Grub Street ID 64542.
  • A sermon preacht at the Cathedral Church in Norwich, upon the 11th of April, 1696. The day of His Majesties coronation. By Henry Meriton, Rector of Oxborough in Norfolk. London: printed, and are to be sold by Eliz. Whitlock near Stationers-Hall, 1696. ESTC No. R32083. Grub Street ID 114824.
  • Whitrowe, Joan. Faithful warnings, expostulations and exhortations, to the several professors of Christianity in England, as well those of the highest as the lowest quality. Together, with a testimony against divers great errors insome teachers, and other hearers, under strict profession of religion; occasionally written some time ago in opposition to divers atheistical notions deliver'd by Dr. P-----, in a sermon preach'd on the death of the late queen; and now illustrated with several openings of many places of scripture, concerning the great doctrines of the Christian faith and religion. To which is added, two letters written from the minister of Port-Royal in Jamaica, giving a full account of the great destruction ... As also, an epistle of Bartholomew Tertian written to the Waldensian churches, ... With other things, very useful to recover all mankind out of his fallen state into paradise again. By Joan Whitrowe. London: printed, and are to be sold by E[lizabeth]. Whitlock, in Stationers-Court near Stationers-Hall, 1697. ESTC No. R186541. Grub Street ID 75169.
  • Marsin, M.. All the chief points contained in the Christian religion, and those great truths in the word which we have not had a right apprehension of for almost thirteen hundred years, never since the rise of the beast: are now discovered by the finger of God. The whole here collecte into short heads, that thereby they might the better sink down into the understanding, and be registred in our memories, which truths are now proved and published. By M.M. London: Printed and are to be sold by J. Clark at the Bible in the Old Change, at the upper end of Cheapside; E. Whitlock in Stationers-Court in Amen-Corner and W. Reddish ni [sic] Griffiths building near the Royal Cockpit, Westminster, 1697. ESTC No. R35027. Grub Street ID 117493.
  • An answer to a late pamphlet, called An essay concerning critical and curious learning; in which are contained some short reflections on the controversie betwixt Sir William Temple, and Mr. Wotton. And that betwixt Dr. Bentley, and Mr. Boyle. London: printed and sold by E. Whitlock, near Stationers-Hall, 1698. ESTC No. R13099. Grub Street ID 61223.
  • A compleat list of the knights, citizens and burgesses of the new Parliament, appointed by proclamation to meet at Westminster on Tuesday the 27th of September, 1698. London: printed, and are to be sold by Eliz. Whitlock, near Stationers-Hall, 1698. ESTC No. R171478. Grub Street ID 65701.