Publications of John Morphew

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 Morphew

  • Finch, Anne. The Tunbridge prodigy. Written by a lady. London: printed and sold by J. Morphew, [1706]. ESTC No. T52002. Grub Street ID 279180.
  • Griffith, Robert. No man has right to complain. A sermon preach'd in the parish-church of St. Martin Outwich. The 28th day of March, ... By Robert Griffith ... London: printed and sold by John Morphew, 1711. ESTC No. T5078. Grub Street ID 278321.
  • Arbuthnot, John. A letter from the famous Sir Humphry Polesworth, author of the 1st, 2d and 3d part of John Bull in his senses: ... to the author of The examiner. Printed from a manuscript. ... [Dublin]: London: printed by John Morphew; and reprinted in Dublin, 1712. ESTC No. N19735. Grub Street ID 9153.
  • Swift, Jonathan. The conduct of the allies, and of the late ministry, in begining [sic] and carrying on the present war. [Dublin]: London: printed by John Morphew: and re-printed by Edward Waters in Essex-Street, at the Corner of Sycamore-Alley, Dublin, 1712. ESTC No. N14815. Grub Street ID 4578.
  • Some Whig-principles demonstrated to be good sense and sound divinity, from their natural consequences. [Edinburgh]: London: printed for Samuel Keble, and sold by John Morphew. Re-printed at Edinburgh, 1713. ESTC No. T155646. Grub Street ID 199345.

Sold by John Morphew

  • Epicurus. Epicurus's morals. Translated from the Greek by John Digby, Esq; with comments and reflections Taken out of several Authors. Also Isocrates his advice to Demonicus. Done out of Greek by the same Hand. To which is added, an essay on Epicurus's morals. Written by Monsieur St. Evremont. And made English by Mr. Johnson. London: printed for Sam. Briscoe, and sold by J. Morphew near Stationers-Hall, and Ja. Woodward in Scalding-Alley, against Stocks-Market, 1712. ESTC No. T111326. Grub Street ID 163704.
  • Gregory, David. The elements of astronomy, physical and geometrical. By David Gregory M. D. Savilian Professor of Astronomy at Oxford, and Fellow of the Royal-Society. Done into English, with additions and corrections. To which is annex'd, Dr. Halley's synopsis of the astronomy of comets. In two volumes. Vol. I. London: printed for J. Nicholson at the King's-Arms in Little-Britain, and sold by J. Morphew near Stationers-Hall, MDCCXV. [1715]. ESTC No. N1387. Grub Street ID 3766.

Printed for John Morphew

  • On the death of Mr. Edmund Smith, late student of Christ-Church, Oxon. A poem, in Miltonic verse. London: printed for J. Morphew, near Stationers-Hall, 1712. ESTC No. N10392. Grub Street ID 402.
  • The Plain dealer. London [England]: printed for J[ohn]. Morphew, near Stationers-Hall, [1712]. ESTC No. P2316. Grub Street ID 56004.
  • Arbuthnot, John. John Bull in his senses: being the second part of Law is a bottomless-pit. Printed from a manuscript found in the cabinet of the famous Sir Humphry Polesworth. London: printed for John Morphew, near Stationer's-Hall, 1712. ESTC No. N10231. Grub Street ID 235.
  • The testimonies of several citizens of Fickleborough, in the Kingdom of Fairy-Land, concerning the life and character of Robert Hush, commonly called, Bob. To which are prefixed, some memoirs of the life of Charity Hush, the grandfather, and of Oliver Hush, the Father of the said Bob. London: printed for John Morphew. near Stationers-Hall, [1713]. ESTC No. T99516. Grub Street ID 318631.
  • Bentley, Richard. Remarks upon a late Discourse of free-thinking: in a letter to F. H. D.D. By Phileleutherus Lipsiensis. Part the second. London: printed for John Morphew; and E. Curl, 1713. ESTC No. N12747. Grub Street ID 2729.
  • Arbuthnot, John. Histoire burlesque de la présente guerre. Premire partie. Traduit de l'anglois. Londres: imprimé pour Jean Morphew, 1713. ESTC No. T151939. Grub Street ID 197060.
  • Noble Venetian. A new voyage to the island of fools, representing the policy, government, and present state of the Stultitians. By a noble Venetian. Inscrib'd to the Right Honourable, the Lord Ferdinando. Translated from the Italian. London: printed for John Morphew near Stationer's-Hall, 1713. ESTC No. N10218. Grub Street ID 221.
  • Lord Chancellor Phipps vindicated. The Examiner. [Dublin: London: printed for John Morphew: and, reprinted and sold by E. Waters in Essex-Street, 1714]. ESTC No. N19439. Grub Street ID 8857.
  • R., T.. Presbytery the pest of society; in answer to Andrew Low's vindication of the Scots Kirk, in the case of Mr. William Dugud. Together with his introductory epistle to Sir James Stewart of Good-Tree's approving of his zeal against the mittre and the crown. By T. R. of D-ls. London: printed for J. Morphew near Stationers-Hall, 1714. ESTC No. N12473. Grub Street ID 2474.
  • An answer to Willoughby Willey's letter to the church-wardens of White-chapel. [London: printed for John Morp]hew, [1714]. ESTC No. T83893. Grub Street ID 304307.
  • Penstrong, Peter. The maypole's new-years-gift, or thanks return'd to its benefactors humbly inscrib'd to the two corners of Catherine-Street. Written by a parishoner of St. Mary Savoy. London: printed for J Morphew, 1714. ESTC No. N10982. Grub Street ID 972.
  • The secret history of the lives of the most celebrated beauties, ladies of quality, and jilts, ... By Captain Alexander Smith, ... [London]: Printed for J. Brown without Temple-Bar, J. Graves next White's Chocolate-House in St. James's Street, and J. Morphew near Stationers-Hall, 1715. ESTC No. N36767. Grub Street ID 24723.
  • A certain dutiful son's lamentation for the death of a certain right reverend. With the certain particulars of certain sums, and goods that are bequeath'd him, ... To which is added, a certain funeral poem ... London: printed for J. Morphew; and S. Jeeves, 1715. ESTC No. N26699. Grub Street ID 16066.
  • Barrington, John Shute Barrington. Some arguments made use of in the Bishop of Bangor's Preservative against the principles and practices of the nonjurors, briefly consider'd. By a lay-man. London: printed for J. Morphew: and E. Berrington, 1716. ESTC No. N36661. Grub Street ID 24625.
  • A full and pithy vindication of the Bp. of Bangor. In a Letter to Dr. Snape. By the Reverend Mr. Patt---n. London: printed for J Morphew near Stationers Hall in the year 1717. ESTC No. T40300. Grub Street ID 269379.
  • The Scourge. [London, England]: Printed for J[ohn]. Morphew near Stationers Hall, where letters and subscriptions are taken in, [1717]. ESTC No. P1714. Grub Street ID 55497.

Printed by and for, or by/for and sold by John Morphew

  • The poet's paradise: or the art of contentment. London: printed and sold by John Morphew, 1708. ESTC No. N11895. Grub Street ID 1897.
  • South, Robert. A sermon preach'd on the anniversary-fast for the martyrdom of King Charles I. at court. in the last century. London: printed, and are to be sold by J. Morphew in Stationers-Court, near Stationers-Hall, [1710?]. ESTC No. N36258. Grub Street ID 24237.
  • A letter to the French refugees concerning their behavior to the government. London: printed and sold by John Morphew near Stationers-Hall, 1710. ESTC No. N19253. Grub Street ID 8680.
  • Mige, Guy. The present state of His Majesty's dominions in Germany. Containing an exact description of the same, and a new map of them all. London: printed and sold by J. Morphew, 1715. ESTC No. N11509. Grub Street ID 1509.
  • Great Britain's rules of health: or, The British physician. London [England]: printed and sold by J[ohn]. Morphew, near Stationers-Hall; and by the booksellers of London and Westminster, [1716]. ESTC No. P6330. Grub Street ID 58049.
  • The way of the town: or, the sham-heiress. A Burlesque Poem. Being a Satyr on the Ladies of Pleasure and the Beaux's of the Town. With the Fable of the Lady's Silver Piss-Pot. London: printed; and sold by J. Morphew near Stationer's-Hall, and A. Dodd at Temple-Bar, [1717] [1716]. ESTC No. T54928. Grub Street ID 281554.
  • E., D.. The houswife's hospital, for the cure of diseases incident to human bodies. Containing one hundred and fifty recipe's [sic]: with many other curious preparations, never before extant. London: printed and sold by J Morphew, 1717. ESTC No. T225020. Grub Street ID 247058.