Publications of Moses Pitt

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 Moses Pitt

  • Mercator, Nicolaus. Logarithmo-technia: sive Methodus construendi logarithmos nova, accurata, & facilis; scripto antehàc communicata, anno sc. 1667. Nonis Augusti: cui nunc accedit, vera quadratura hyperbolæ, & inventio summæ logarithmorum. Auctore Nicolao Mercatore holsato, societate regia Huic etiam jungitur Michaelis Angeli Riccii Exercitatio geometrica de maximis & minimis; h"c ob argumenti præstantiam & exemplarium raritatem recusa. Londini: typis Guilielmi Godbid, & impensis Mosis Pitt Bibliopolæ, in vico vulgò vocato Little Britain, anno M. DC. LXVIII. [1668]. ESTC No. R25805. Grub Street ID 109192.
  • Crowe, William. Elenchus scriptorum in Sacram Scripturam tam Græcorum, quàm Latinorum &c. In quo exhibentur eorum gens, patria, professio, religio: librorum tituli, volumina, editiones variæ. Quo tempore claruerint vel obierint. Elogia item aliquot virorum clarissimorum. Quibus omnibus præmissa sunt S. Biblia, partesque Bibliorum, variis linguis, variis vicibus edita. Operâ & industriâ Guil. Crowæi, sudouolgiensis, ludimagistri croydoniensis. Londini: typis T[homas] R[oycroft]. impensis authoris, & prostat venalis apud Mosen Pitts, ad insigne Albi Cerui in Vico vulgò vocato Little-Britain, 1672. ESTC No. R24864. Grub Street ID 108607.
  • Boyle, Robert. Exercitatio de origine & viribus gemmarum. In qua proponuntur & historic illustrantur conjecturæ quædam circa materiæ gemmarum consistentiam, necnon subjecta, quibus præcipuæ earum vires inhærent. Authore Roberto Boyle, nobili Anglo, Societate Regiâ. Londini: typis Guilielmi Godbid, & venales prostant apud Mosem Pitt, ad insigne albi Cervi, in vico vulgò vocato Little Britain, 1673. ESTC No. R26548. Grub Street ID 109848.
  • Burnet, Gilbert. Romes glory; or, A collection of divers miracles wrought by popish saints, both during their lives, and after their deaths. Collected out of their own authors, for information of all true-hearted Protestants. Together with a prefatory discourse, declaring the impossibility and folly of such vain impostures. London: printed, and are to be sold by Moses Pitt, at the sign of the White Hart in Little Britain, 1673. ESTC No. R34774. Grub Street ID 117286.

Printed for Moses Pitt

  • Literæ pseudo-senatûs Anglicani, Cromwellii reliquorumque perduellium nomine ac jussu conscriptæ a Joanne Miltono. [Amsterdam]: Impressæ [by Pieter and Willem Blaeu for Moses Pitt, London?], anno 1676. ESTC No. R16771. Grub Street ID 64586.
  • A scriptural catechism; or, The duty of man laid down in express words of Scripture, chiefly intended for the benefit of the younger sort. Divided into two parts: the first containing the chief principles of our Christian belief; the second instructing us in our duty to God and man, according to the method observed in the excellent book, entituled, The whole duty of man. To which is added some private devotions in express words of Scripture; with devout collects for several occasions. London: printed by H[enry]. C[ruttenden]. for Moses Pitt at the Angel in St. Paul's Church-yard, 1676. ESTC No. R1033. Grub Street ID 58712.

Printed by and for, or by/for and sold by Moses Pitt

  • Basilius Valentinus.. Basilius Valentinus, a Benedictine monk, Of natural & supernatural things. Also, of the first tincture, root, and spirit of metals and minerals, how the same are conceived, generated, brought forth, changed and augmented. Translated out of High Dutch by Daniel Cable. Whereunto is added Alex. Van Suchten Of the secrets of Antimony. Translated out of High Dutch by D.CÂÂ.†° person of great skill in chymistry. London: printed, and are to be sold by Moses Pitt at the White Hart in Little Britain, 1670. ESTC No. R11483. Grub Street ID 59764.

Author

  • Pitt, Moses. A catalogue of the great atlas or general geography of John Janssonius deceased. With his theatre of cities, and the prices for which they are ordinarily sold. Which will be exposed to sale in Holland in November 1675. Any of which may be procured by Moses Pitt bookselle at the Angel in St. Paul's Church-Yard. The persons designing to be furnished with them advancing 2 s. 6 d. in the pound for such sums of money as they shall think fit to lay out, and the rest at their delivery. The mapps marked with an asterism were not in the former edition in six volumes, but are now added to this last. And the theatre of the principal cities of the whole world. London: printed for Moses Pitt bookseller at the sign of the Angel in St. Paul's Church-Yard, M DC LXXV [1675]. ESTC No. R181816. Grub Street ID 72242.
  • Pitt, Moses. Catalogus variorum librorum apud Theatrum Sheldonianum novissimis annis impressorum et aliorum multorum exemplarium propriis sumptibus Mosis Pitt bibliopolæ Lond. excusorum, et quamplurimorum diversorum aliorum incompactorum : quorum auctio habebitur (in gratiam & commodum solummodo biblipolarum) 24 die Februarii, 1678/9, in aula vulgò vocata Petty-Canons-Hall, juxta Cæmeterium Paulinum. [London]: Catalogi gratis solm biblipolis distribuentur ad insigne Angeli in Cæmeterio Paulino, [1679]. ESTC No. R38735. Grub Street ID 120791.
  • Pitt, Moses. A catalogue of books printed at the Theater in Oxford, since the first printing there, which was in the year 1672, to 1682 (with several others): and sold in London, by Moses Pitt at the Angel against the Great North-door of St. Pauls-Church 1682. Those with an asterisc are printed at the Theater. [London]: sold by Moses Pitt, 1682. ESTC No. R214690. Grub Street ID 89874.
  • Pitt, Moses. Proposals for printing a third edition of a book intituled Ludovici Le Blanc Theses theologicæ. With considerable additions. [London: printed by Moses Pitt, 1682]. ESTC No. R12909. Grub Street ID 61055.
  • Pitt, Moses. The cry of the oppressed. Being a true and tragical account of the unparallel'd sufferings of multitudes of poor imprisoned debtors, in most of the gaols in England, under the tyranny of the gaolers, and other oppressors, lately discovered upon the occasion of this present Act of Grace, For the release of poor prisoners for debt, or damages; some of them being not only iron'd, and lodg'd with hogs, felons, and condemn'd persons, but have had their bones broke; others poisoned and starved to death; others denied the common blessings of nature, as water to drink or straw to lodg on; others their wives and daughters attempted to be ravish'd; with other barbarous cruelties, not to be parallel'd in any history, or nation: all which is made out by undeniable evidence. Together with the case of the publisher. Illustrated with copper-plates. London: printed for Moses Pitt, and sold by the booksellers of London and Westminster, 1691. ESTC No. R31800. Grub Street ID 114559.
  • Pitt, Moses. A letter from Moses Pitt, to the authour of a book, intituled, some discourses upon Dr. Burnet (now Ld. Bp. of Salisbury) and Dr. Tillotson (late Ld. A.B. of Canterbury;) occasioned by the late funeral sermon of the former upon the latter. London: printed for Moses Pitt, and sold by the booksellers of London and Westminster, MDCXCV. [1695]. ESTC No. R7270. Grub Street ID 127549.
  • Pitt, Moses. An account of one Ann Jefferies, now living in the county of Cornwall, who was fed for six months by a small sort of airy people call'd fairies. And of the strange and wonderful cures she performed with salves and medicines she received from them, for which she never too one penny of her patients. In a letter from Moses Pitt to the Right Reverend Father in God, Dr. Edward Fowler, Lord Bishop of Glocester. London: printed for Richard Cumberland at the Angel in St. Paul's Church-yard, 1696. ESTC No. R2495. Grub Street ID 108679.