Publications of Edward Griffin 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 by Edward Griffin the second

  • Penkethman, John. Artachthos or A new booke declaring the assise or weight of bread not onely by troy weight, according to the law, but by avoirdupois weight the common weight of England at what price soever, not exceeding five pound the quarter of wheate, shall be sold in the market and conteining divers orders and articles made and set forth by the right honourable the Lords and others of his Majesties most honourable privie Councell, for the making and assising of all sorts of bread lawfull and vendible, within this realme ... whereunto is prefixed a briefe and plaine introduction to the art of numeration ... And lastly hereunto is added. A true relation or collection of the most remarkeable dearths and famines which have happened in England since the comming in of William the Conquerour, as also the rising and falling of the price of wheate and other graine, with the severall occasions thereof. London: Printed by E[dward] G[riffine] and R. B[ishop] and are to be sold [at ye stationers shops, or at ye chamber of Iohn Penkethman .. in Simonds Inn in Chancerie lane] according to the direction in the frontispice, 1638. ESTC No. S114433. Grub Street ID 134145.
  • Reading, John. Characters of true blessednesse, delivered in a sermon preached at Saint Maries Church in Dover. Sep. 21. 1637. At the funeral of Mrs. Alice Percivall, wife of Anthony Percivall Esquire. By Iohn Reading. London: Printed by E. G[riffin] for Ioyce Norton and Ric. Whitakers, at the signe of the Kings Armes in Saint Pauls Church yard, 1638. ESTC No. S119785. Grub Street ID 139423.
  • Sibbes, Richard. A miracle of miracles or Christ in our nature. Wherein is contained the vvonderfull conception, birth, and life of Christ, who in the fulnesse of time became man to satisfie divine iustice, and to make reconciliation betweene God and man. Preached to the honourable society of Grayes Inne, by that godly and faithfull minister of Iesus Christ, Richard Sibbes. D.D. London: Printed by E[dward] G[riffin, and John Norton?] for Iohn Rothwell at the signe of the Sunne in Pauls Church yard, 1638. ESTC No. S117264. Grub Street ID 136937.
  • Gataker, Thomas. The decease of Lazarus Christ's friend. A funerall sermon on Iohn. chap. 11. vers. 11. preached at the buriall of Mr. John Parker merchant and citizen of London. By Tho. Gataker B. of D. and rector of Rotherhith. London: Printed by E[dward] G[riffin] for Edward Brewster, and Fulke Clyfton, and are to be sold at the Bible on Fleet-bridge, and on New-Fishstreet-Hill, 1640. ESTC No. R212839. Grub Street ID 88385.
  • Hepwith, John. The Calidonian forrest. By Iohn Hepwith, gent. London: printed by E[dward]. G[riffin]. for R. Best, and are to be sold at his shop neere Grayes Inne gate in Holbourne, 1641. ESTC No. R10576. Grub Street ID 58932.
  • Yorke, James. The union of honour. Containing the armes, matches and issues of the kings, dukes, marquesses and earles of England from the Conquest, untill this present yeere, 1640. With the armes of the English viscounts and barons now being: and of the gentry of Lincolnshire. Whereunto is annexed, a briefe of all the battels which have beene fought and maintained by the English since the Conquest, till the yeere 1602. Collected out of the most approved authours, former or moderne, by James Yorke, black-smith. London: printed by Edward Griffin for William Leake, and are to be sold at his shop in Chancery-lane, neere unto the Rolls, 1640 [i.e. 1641]. ESTC No. R201225. Grub Street ID 78675.
  • Browne, Edward. A description of an annuall vvorld. Or, Briefe meditations upon all the holy-daies in the yeere. With certaine briefe poeticall meditations of the day in generall, and all the daies in the weeke. By E.B. London: printed by E[dward] G[riffin], 1641. ESTC No. R12452. Grub Street ID 60630.
  • Dorchester, Henry Pierrepont. My Lord Nevvarks speech to the trained-bands of Nottingham-shire at Newark, 13. July. 1642. Concerning His Maiesties commission of array. London: printed by Edward Griffin, 1642. ESTC No. R13240. Grub Street ID 61357.
  • The message from the House of Commons to the Lords, by Master Bulstrode Whitlocke Esquire, and presented to their Lordships by him. Whereunto is added His Maiesties most gracious answer to their message, February 22, 1642. H. Elsinge Cler. do. Com. London: printed by E[dward]. Griffin, 1642 [i.e. 1643]. ESTC No. R26357. Grub Street ID 109682.
  • A spirituall song of a mayds name called Mabell Anna Tatton, made by a tenant of the Lord of Canturburies, in the counter in Wood-Streete, very usefull and comfortable both for a believer in particular, and the Church of Christ in generall, James 5. 13. Colos. 3. 16. London: printed by E[dward]. G[riffin]., 1647. ESTC No. R210805. Grub Street ID 86869.

Printed for Edward Griffin the second

  • Stapylton, Robert. A more full relation of the great victory obtained by our forces near Worchester; the taking of the city of Worcester and totall routing of the Scotch army. With an exact list of the prize and prisoners; of lords, knights, gentlemen, officers and private souldiers taken in the fight and in the pursuit, and the number on both sides slain. Printed and published by speciall authority. London: printed for Edward Griffin, and are to be sold in the little Old-baily, Septem. 8. 1651. ESTC No. R16850. Grub Street ID 64658.