Publications of John Hancock

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 John Hancock

  • Bridge, William. Bridge's remains, being VIII sermons. Viz. 1. Of mans blessedness. 2. Affections rightly placed. 3. How to walk with God in our calling? 4. Of good and bad company. 5. The carnality of professors. 6. What our work is, and how to be done? 7. Soul resignation into the hands of God. 8. The dignity and duty of Gods called ones. By that learned and judicious divine Mr. William Bridge, sometimes Fellow of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and late preacher of the word of God at Yarmouth. Designed by himself for the press, as appears by the marginal notes, except the eighth sermon, which was the last he preached, was taken exactly in short-hand, and published by his son-in-law, after they were perused by Mr. Greenhill. London: printed, and are to be sold by John Hancock Senior and Junior, at the sign of the Three Bibles in Popes head Alley in Cornhill, 1673. ESTC No. R18600. Grub Street ID 74853.

Author

  • Hancock, John. Rulers should be benefactors. As it was consider'd in a sermon preach'd before His Excellency Samuel Shute Esq; His Majesty's Council, and the representatives of the province of the Massachusetts-Bay in New-England, May 30th. 1722. Being the day for election of counsellors By John Hancock, M.A. and Pastor of the Church of Christ in Lexington. Boston in N.E.: Printed by B. Green, printer to His Excellency the governor & Council, 1722. ESTC No. W29075. Grub Street ID 339300.
  • Hancock, John. A sermon preached at the ordination of Mr. John Hancock. A.M.: in the North Precinct of Brantree [sic]; Novem. 2. 1726. By his father the Rev. Mr. John Hancock Pastor of the Church of Christ in Lexington. Boston: Printed for Thomas Hancock in Ann-Street near the drawbridge, 1726. ESTC No. W8559. Grub Street ID 357665.
  • Hancock, John. The prophet Jeremiah's resolution to get him unto great men, and to speak unto them, considered and applied: in a sermon delivered at the publick lecture in Boston, November 21. 1734. Before His Excellency the governour, and the General Court. By John Hancock, A.M. senio Pastor of the Church of Christ in Lexington. N.B. Partly for brevity sake, and partly thro' the infirmity of an old man's memory, some things were omitted in the delivery of this sermon, which are now added in the publication, tho' they are but few. Boston: Printed by S. Kneeland, printer to the Honourable House of Representatives, MDCCXXXIV. [1734]. ESTC No. W28977. Grub Street ID 339190.
  • Hancock, John. The Lord's ministers are the people's helpers. A sermon preached at the ordination of the Reverend Mr. Ebenezer Hancock, at Lexington, January 2d. 1733,4. By his Reverend father John Hancock, A.M. Pastor of the church there. [Two lines from I. Peter]. Boston: N.E.: Printed by S. Kneeland & T. Green, for T. Hancock, at the Bible & Three Crowns in Ann-Street, 1735. ESTC No. W20702. Grub Street ID 330404.
  • Hancock, John. A memorial of God's goodness. Being the substance of two sermons, preach'd in the First Church of Christ in Braintree, Sept. 16th. 1739. On compleating the first century since the gathering of it. By John Hancock, M.A. their present Pastor. Printed at the earnest desire of the hearers; in remembrace of God's mercy. Together with some marginal illustrations. [Nine lines of Scripture texts]. Boston: Printed and sold by S[.] Kneeland, & T. Green, over against the prison in Queenstreet, 1739. ESTC No. W20745. Grub Street ID 330450.
  • Hancock, John. The examiner, or Gilbert against Tennent. Containing a confutation of the Reverend Mr. Gilbert Tennent and his adherents: extracted chiefly from his own writings, and formed upon his own plan of comparing the Moravian principles, with the standard of orthodoxy, in distinct columns. Together with some strictures on the preface to the Rev. Mr. Tennent's Five sermons and appendix lately published, and subscribed by six reverend ministers of Boston. The whole being an essay towards answering three important queries, viz. 1. What is truth in the present religiou commotions in this land? 2. What is the shortest method of finding the whole truth? 3. Whether such as are given to change, ought not in conscience to make their publick retractations, according to St. Austin? The whole essay is submitted to the judgment of common sense. By Philalethes. [Five line of Scripture texts]. Boston: Printed for S. Eliot, in Cornhill, 1743. ESTC No. W32182. Grub Street ID 342655.
  • Hancock, John. A discourse upon the good work. Delivered at the monthly Tuesday lecture in Pembrook, September 7th. 1742. And now published at the earnest desire of the hearers. By John Hancock, A.M. Pastor of the First Church in Braintree. [Six lines of Scripture texts]. Boston: Printed and sold by Rogers and Fowle in Queen Street below the prison, near the town-house, 1743. ESTC No. W20212. Grub Street ID 329867.
  • Hancock, John. The danger of an unqualified ministry, represented in a sermon, preached at Ashford, in the colony of Connecticut, Sept. 7th. 1743. And now printed at the earnest desire of the hearers. By John Hancock, Pastor of the First Church in Braintree. [Four lines of Scripture texts]. Boston: Printed and sold by Rogers and Fowle in Queen Street, next to the prison, 1743. ESTC No. W34112. Grub Street ID 344715.
  • Hancock, John. An expostulatory and pacifick letter, by way of reply to the Revd Mr. Gee's letter of remarks, on the printed testimony of the late convention of pastors in Boston, against several errors and disorders in the land: address'd to the Revd Mr. Nathanael Eells their moderator. By John Hancock, Pastor of the First Church of Christ in Braintree. [Four lines of Scripture texts]. Boston: Printed and sold by Rogers and Fowle in Queen-Street, next to the prison, 1743. ESTC No. W32225. Grub Street ID 342702.
  • Hancock, John. The examiner, or Gilbert against Tennent. Containing a confutation of the Reverend Mr. Gilbert Tennent, and his adherents: extracted chiefly from his own writings, and formed upon his own plan of comparing the Moravian principles, with the standard of orthodoxy, in distinct columns. Together with some strictures on the preface to the Rev. Mr. Tennent's Five sermons and appendix lately published, and subscribed by six reverend ministers of Boston. The whole being an essay towards answering three important queries, viz. 1. What is truth in the present religiou commotions in this land? 2. What is the shortest method of finding the whole truth? 3. Whether such as are given to change, ought not in conscience to make their publick retractations, according to St. Austin? The whole essay is submitted to the judgment of common sense. By Philalethes. [Four line of Scripture texts]. [Philadelphia]: Boston, printed, 1743. Philadelphia: re-printed and sold by B. Franklin, [1743]. ESTC No. W9663. Grub Street ID 358841.
  • Hancock, John. An oration; delivered March 5, 1774, at the request of the inhabitants of the town of Boston: to commemorate the bloody tragedy of the fifth of March 1770. By the Honorable John Hancock, Esq; [Five lines in Latin from Virgil]. Boston: Printed by Edes and Gill, in Queen Street, M,DCC,LXXIV. [1774]. ESTC No. W2613. Grub Street ID 336155.
  • Hancock, John. An oration delivered March 5, 1774, at the request of the inhabitants of the town of Boston; to commemorate the bloody tragedy of the fifth of March, 1770. By the Hon. John Hancock, Esq; [Five lines in Latin from Virgil]. Newport, Rhode-Island: Reprinted and sold by S. Southwick, in Queen-Street, 1774. ESTC No. W21491. Grub Street ID 331259.
  • Hancock, John. An oration; delivered March 5, 1774, at the request of the inhabitants of the town of Boston: to commemorate the bloody tragedy of the fifth of March, 1770. By the Honorable John Hancock, Esq; [Five lines in Latin from Virgil]. New-Haven: Re-printed by Thomas and Samuel Green, M,DCC,LXXIV. [1774]. ESTC No. W21492. Grub Street ID 331260.
  • Hancock, John. An oration: delivered March 5, 1774, at the request of the inhabitants of the town of Boston; to commemorate the bloody tragedy of the fifth of March, 1770. By the Honorable John Hancock, Esquire. [Five lines in Latin from Virgil]. Philadelphia: Printed by J. Douglass M'Dougall, in Chesnut-Street, M,DCC,LXXV. [1775]. ESTC No. W2614. Grub Street ID 336165.