Publications of Thomas Roycroft

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 Thomas Roycroft

  • Kitchin, John. Jurisdictions: or, The lawful authority of courts leet, courts baron, court of marshallseys, court of pypowder, and ancient demesne: together with the most necessary learning of tenures, and all their incidents, of essoynes, imparlance, view; of all manner of pleadings, of contracts, of the nature of all sorts of actions, of maintenance; of diverse other things, very profitable for all students of innes of court and chancery: and a most perfect directory for all stewards of any the sayd courts. Heretofore writ in French by the methodically learned, John Kitchin of Grays-Inne, Esq; and now most exactly rendred to more ample advantage in the English tongue; with a demonstrative table, pointing out all matter of consequence, throughout the whole work. Whereunto is added the authentick formes of all manner of writs, with their severall returnes in English, very usefull for all men in this Common-wealth, as they be now used. London: printed by T: Roycroft, for M: Walbanke at Grays-Inne Gate, and H: Twyford, in Vine Court in the Middle Temple, 1651. ESTC No. R211060. Grub Street ID 87052.
  • Bacon, Nathaniel. The continuation of An historicall discourse, of the government of England, untill the end of the reigne of Queene Elizabeth. With a preface, being a vindication of the ancient way of parliaments in England. By Nath: Bacon of Grais-Inne, Esquire. London: printed by Tho: Roycroft, for Matthew Walbanck, and Henry Twyford, and are to be sold at Grais-Inne Gate, and in Vine Court Middle Temple, 1651. ESTC No. R10585. Grub Street ID 58939.
  • Flecknoe, Richard. Miscellania. Or, poems of all sorts, with divers other pieces. Written by Richard Fleckno. Dedicated to the most excellent of her sexe. London: printed by Tho: Roycroft for J[ohn]. Martin, and J[ames]. Allestrye, at the Bell in Pauls Churchyard, 1653. ESTC No. R177119. Grub Street ID 69360.
  • Gayton, Edmund. Upon the meeting of the sons of the clergy, at a sermon preached before them in Saint Pauls church the eighth of November, 1655. Specifying their several capacities, as they stood in the time of the law, and now under the gospel. By E. G. London: printed by T. R[oycroft]., 1655. ESTC No. R8940. Grub Street ID 129069.
  • Fowler, (John). J. The history of the troubles of Suethland and Poland, which occasioned the expulsion of Sigismundus the Third, King of those kingdomes, with his heires for ever from the Suethish crown. With a continuation of those troubles, untill the truce, an. 1629. As also, a particular narration of the daily passages at the last and great treaty of pacification between those two kingdomes, concluded at Stumbsdorff in Prussia, anno 1635. Concluding with a Breife commemoration of the life and death of Sr. George Duglas Knight, Lord Ambassadour Extraordinary from the lat King of Great Brittaine, for the treaty above mentioned. Faithfully couched by J. Fovvler, secretary to his Lordship for that embassy. London: printed by Thomas Roycroft for Henry Twyford, and are to be sold at his shop in Vine Court Middle Temple, 1656. ESTC No. R10615. Grub Street ID 58967.
  • Justice restored: or, A guid for His Majestie's justices of peace, both in sessions, and out of sessions; according to the antient laws of the kingdom. London: printed by Th. Roycroft, for H. Twyford, T. Dring, and J. Place, 1661. ESTC No. R37505. Grub Street ID 119736.
  • Buxtorf, Johann. The Jevvish synagogue, or an historical narration of the state of the Jewes, at this day dispersed over the face of the whole earrh [sic]. In which their religion, education, manners, sects, death and burial are fully delivered, and that out of their own writers. Translated out of the learned Buxtorfius, Professor of the Hebrew in Basil, and diligently compared with the Talmud, and other writers, out of which it had its original. Also furnished with divers marginal notes, very profitable and necessary. By A.B. M.A. of Q. Col. in Oxford. London: printed by T. Roycroft for H. R. and T. Young at the Three Pigeons in St. Pauls Church-yard, anno Dom, 1663. ESTC No. R173350. Grub Street ID 66946.
  • Power, Henry. Experimental philosophy, in three books: containing new experiments microscopical, mercurial, magnetical. With some deductions, and probable hypotheses, raised from them, in avouchment and illustration of the now famous atomical hypothesis. By Henry Power, Dr. of Physick. London: printed by T. Roycroft, for John Martin, and James Allestry, at the Bell in S. Pauls Church-yard, 1664. ESTC No. R19395. Grub Street ID 77056.
  • Ogilby, John. The fables of Æsop paraphras'd in verse: adorn'd with sculpture, and illustrated with annotations. By John Ogilby, Esq; master of His Majesties revells in the Kingdom of Ireland. London: printed by Thomas Roycroft, for the author, MDCLXV. [1665]. ESTC No. R11060. Grub Street ID 59381.
  • Torriano, Giovanni. The Italian reviv'd: or, The introduction to the Italian tongue. Containing such grounds as are most immediately useful, and necessary for the speedy and easie attaining of the same. As also a new store-house of proper and choice dialogues, most useful for such as desire the speaking part, and intend to travel into Italy, or the Levant. Together with the modern way of addressing letters, and stiling of persons, as well in actual discourse, as in writing. With alterations and additions. By Gio. Torriano, an Italian, and professor of the Italian tongue, &c. in London. London: printed by T[homas] R[oycroft] for J. Martyn, and are to be sold at the sign of the Bell in St. Pauls Church-yard, 1673. ESTC No. R23779. Grub Street ID 107632.
  • Ingelo, Nathaniel. Bentivolio and Urania, in six books: by Nathanael Ingelo, D.D. The third edition, with some amendments. Wherein all the obscure words throughout the book are interpreted in the margin, which makes this much more delightful to read than the former editions. London: printed by T[homas]. R[oycroft]. for Richard Marriott, and are to be sold by Benj. Tooke at the Ship in St. Pauls Church-yard, and Tho. Sawbridge at the three Flower de Luces in Little Britain, MDCLXXIII. [1673]. ESTC No. R10220. Grub Street ID 58613.
  • Hooke, Robert. An attempt to prove the motion of the earth from observations made by Robert Hooke Fellow of the Royal Society. London: printed by T. R[oycroft]. for John Martyn printer to the Royal Society, at the Bell in St. Pauls Church-yard, 1674. ESTC No. R11231. Grub Street ID 59540.
  • Kitchin, John. Jurisdictions: or, the lawful authority of courts leet, courts baron, court of marshal-seys, court of pypowder, and ancient demesn. together with the most necessary learning of tenures, and all their incidents of essoyns, imparlance, view; of all manner of pleadings, of contracts, of the nature of all sorts of actions, of maintenance; of divers other things very profitable for all students of Inns of Court and Chancery: and a most perfect directory for all stewards of any the said courts. With the return and forms of several original and judicial writs now in use relating to writs of error, writs of false judgment, and other proceedings of frequent use in the courts at Westminster. Written by the methodically learned John Kitchin of Grays-Inn Esq; and double reader. To which is also added Brevia Selecta, of a choice collection of divers special writs, ... By Richard Antrobus and Thomas Impey, late attorneys of His Majesties courts of Kings-Bench and Common-Pleas. London: printed by T[homas]. R[oycroft], and are to be sold by William Crook at the Green Dragon without Temple Barr, 1675. ESTC No. R188393. Grub Street ID 76339.
  • Smith, Thomas. A sermon of the credibility of the mysteries of the Christian religion, preached before a learned audience. By Tho. Smith, Fellow of St. Mary Magdalen College in Oxon. London: printed by Tho. Roycroft, for Ric. Davis bookseller in Oxford, 1675. ESTC No. R10064. Grub Street ID 58460.
  • Dixon, Robert. The nature of the tvvo testaments; or, The disposition of the will and estate of God to mankind. For holiness and happiness by Jesus Christ, concerning things to be done by men, and concerning things to be had of God; contained in his two great testaments the law and the gospel; demonstrating the high spirit and state of the gospel above the law. In two volumes: the first volume, of the will of God. The second volume, of the estate of God. The first volume, of the will of God concerning things to be done by men. By Robert Dixon, D.D. Prebendary of Rochester. London: printed by Tho. Roycroft for the author, MDCLXXVI. [1676]. ESTC No. R12215. Grub Street ID 60424.