Publications of Alexander Henderson

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 Alexander Henderson

  • Wagstaffe, Thomas. Sherlock against Sherlock. The master of the temple's reasons for his late taking the oath to their majesties answered, by the rector of St. George Botolph-Lane. With modest remarks on the doctors celebrated notions of allegiance to soveraign powers. Printed at London, and re-printed at Edinburgh: and to be sold by Alexander Henderson bookseller at the upper-end of the Locken-Booths, 1691. ESTC No. R186142. Grub Street ID 74950.

Author

  • Henderson, Alexander. Protestation of the noblemen, barrons, gentlemen, borrowes, ministers, and commons, subscribers of the confession of Faith and Covenant, lately renewed within the kingdome of Scotland, made at the Mercate Crosse of Edinburgh, the 4. of Iulij immediatly after the reading of the proclamation, dated 28. Iune 1638. [Edinburgh: G. Anderson], Printed in the year of God, 1638. ESTC No. S95083. Grub Street ID 153166.
  • Henderson, Alexander. The protestation of the noblemen, barrons, gentlemen, borrowes, ministers, and commons, subscribers of the confession of faith and covenant, lately renewed within the kingdome of Scotland, made at the Mercate Crosse of Edinburgh, the 4. of Iulij immediatly after the reading of the proclamation, dated 28. Iune. 1638. [Edinburgh]: Printed [by J. Wreittoun], in the yeare of God, 1638. ESTC No. S122493. Grub Street ID 142027.
  • Henderson, Alexander. The protestation of the noblemen, barrons, gentlemen, borrowes, ministers, and commons, subscribers of the confession of faith and covenant, lately renewed within the kingdome of Scotland, made at the Mercate Crosse of Edinburgh, the 4. of Iulij immediatly after the reading of the proclamation, dated 28. June 1638. [Edinburgh]: Printed [by George Anderson], in the year of God, 1638. ESTC No. S122494. Grub Street ID 142028.
  • Henderson, Alexander. The protestation of the noblemen, barrons, gentlemen, borrowes, ministers, and commons; subscribers of the Confession of faith and Covenant, lately renewed within the kingdome of Scotland, made at the Mercate Crosse of Edinburgh the 22. of September, immediatly after the reading of the proclamation, dated September 9. 1638. [Edinburgh]: Printed [by George Anderson], in the year of God, 1638. ESTC No. S123280. Grub Street ID 142796.
  • Henderson, Alexander. The government and order of the Chvrch of Scotland. Edinbrugh [sic]: printed for Iames Bryson, anno MDCXLI. [1641]. ESTC No. R3058. Grub Street ID 113419.
  • Henderson, Alexander. The government and order of the Church of Scotland, with an assertion of the said government in the points of ruling elders, and of the authoritie of Presbyteries and Synods. Together with a postscript in answer to a treatise lately published against Presbyteriall government. Edinburgh: printed for James Bryson, 1643. ESTC No. R178153. Grub Street ID 69992.
  • Henderson, Alexander. A sermon preached to the Honourable House of Commons, at their late solemne fast, Wednesday, December 17th. [sic] 1643. By Alexander Henderson, minister at Edinburgh, published by order of the House. London: Printed for Robert Bostock, dwelling at the sign of the King's-head in Paul's Church-yard, 1644. ESTC No. R202408. Grub Street ID 79648.
  • Henderson, Alexander. A sermon preached to the honourable House of Commons, at their late solemne fast, Wednesday, December 27. 1643. By Alexander Henderson, minister at Edenbrugh. Published by order of the House. London: printed for Robert Bostock, dwelling at the signe of the Kings-head in Pauls Churchyard, 1644. ESTC No. R15067. Grub Street ID 63031.
  • Henderson, Alexander. A sermon preached to the Honourable House of Commons, at their late solemne fast, Wednesday, December 27. 1643. By Alexander Henderson, minister at Edinburgh. Published by order of the House. And now printed by especiall commandment at Edinburgh: by Evan Tyler, printer to the Kings most excellent Majestie, 1644. ESTC No. R19093. Grub Street ID 76889.
  • Henderson, Alexander. A sermon preachd before the Right Honourable the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, at Margarets Church in Westminster, upon Thursday 18 July 1644. It being the day of publick thanksgiving, for the great mercy of God, in the happy successe of the forces of both kingdoms neer York, against the enemies of King and Parliament: by Alex. Henderson minister at Edinburgh: and by him dedicated to the Kirk and kingdom of Scotland. 28. August 1644. The Committee of Estates ordains his Majesties printer to re-print this sermon, and discharges all others from printing of it. Lauderdale I.P.D. Com. Reprinted at Edinburgh: by Evan Tyler, printer to the Kings most excellent Majestie, 1644. ESTC No. R32343. Grub Street ID 115059.
  • Henderson, Alexander. A sermon preached before the right honorable the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament: at Margarets Church in Westminster, upon Thursday the 18. day of Iuly, 1644. It being the day of public thanksgiving for the great mercie of God in the happie successe of the forces of both kingdoms neer York, against the enemies of King and Parliament. By Alexander Henderson Minister at Edinburgh. Published by order of both houses. London: printed for Robert Bostock, dwelling in Pauls Church-yard, at the signe of the Kings Head, 1644. ESTC No. R3818. Grub Street ID 120306.
  • Henderson, Alexander. A sermon preached before the Right Honourable House of Lords, in the Abbey-Church at Westminster, Wednesday the 28. of May 1645. Being the day appointed for solemne and publick humiliation. By Alexander Henderson, minister at Edenburgh. London: Printed by F.N. for Robert Bostock, dwelling in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Kings-head, 1645. ESTC No. R200073. Grub Street ID 77623.
  • Henderson, Alexander. The government and order of the Church of Scotland. Edinburgh: printed by the Society of Stationers, for George Mosman, and are to be sold at his shop in the Parliament-Close, 1690. ESTC No. R218902. Grub Street ID 93493.
  • Henderson, Alexander. The bishops doom. A sermon preached before the General Assembly which sat at Glasgow anno 1638, on occasion of pronouncing the sentence of the greater excommunication against eight of the bishops, ... By Mr Alexander Henderson, ... With a postscript on the present decay of church-discipline. Edinburgh: printed by John Gray and Gavin Alston. Sold by them, and by W. Gray, 1762. ESTC No. T189485. Grub Street ID 224954.