Publications of Henry Whitridge

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 for Henry Whitridge

  • Female piety and virtue. A poem. London: printed for J. Roberts in Warwick-Lane, J. Billingsley under the Piazzas of the Royal-Exchange in Cornhill, A. Dodd at the Peacock without Temple-Bar, J. Stagg in Westminster-Hall, and H. Whitridge in Serle-Street near Lincoln's-Inn Back-Gate, MDCCXXV. [i.e. 1724]. ESTC No. N31942. Grub Street ID 20820.
  • Mitchell. The totness address, versified. To which is annex'd, the original address, as presented to His Majesty. London: printed [by Samuel Richardson] for H. Whitridge, at the Royal-Exchange, M.DCC.XXVII. [1727]. ESTC No. N13710. Grub Street ID 3611.
  • Haywood, Eliza. Persecuted virtue: or, the cruel lover. A true secret history. Writ at the request of a lady of quality. London: Printed for J. Brindley in New Bond-street, Mr. Whitridge at the Royal Exchange, and sold by the booksellers and pamphlet-shops of London and Westminster, 1729. ESTC No. N20113. Grub Street ID 9519.
  • Waddington, Edward. A sermon preach'd before the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament Assembled, at the Collegiate Church of St. Peter's Westminster, on Thursday, January 30, 1728/9. Being the Anniversary of the Martyrdom of King Charles the First. By the Right Reverend Father in God, Edward Lord Bishop of Chichester. London: printed for Henry Whitridge, at the Corner of Castle-Alley in Cornhill, 1729. ESTC No. N23180. Grub Street ID 12539.
  • Hughes, Michael, of London, volunteer. A plain narrative and authentic journal of the late rebellion, begun in 1745: describing its progress in Scotland, and England, till the full and glorious defeat at Culloden. By Michael Hughes, A Voluntier from the City of London. London: printed for Henry Whitridge at the Royal Exchange, [1747]. ESTC No. T55102. Grub Street ID 281710.
  • The morning: or, judgment. An essay. London: printed for H. Whitridge; and W. Owen, 1748. ESTC No. T175463. Grub Street ID 212554.
  • A compleat collection of all the articles and clauses which relate to the marine, in the several treaties now subsisting between Great-Britain, and other kingdoms and states. To which is prefixed a preface, or introductory discourse: Shewing The True Force, Extent, Design, and Meaning, of the Principal Articles in each Treaty. London: printed for H. Whitridge under the Royal-Exchange, MDCCLX. [1760]. ESTC No. T69552. Grub Street ID 293520.
  • The Gentleman’s new memorandum book improv’d: or, The merchant’s and tradesman’s daily pocket journal for the year 1765. Disposed in a method more useful and convenient for all sorts of business, than any of those who have pretended to imitate it; and as it was the first, so it is now the best book of the kind. Containing, 1. The times of the dividends and transfer days at the bank, India and South-Sea [Houses]. 2. The holydays kept at all the publick offices. 3. An account where all the publick offices are kept. 4. A table explaining at one view, the value of any number of Portugal pieces, Louis d’Ors and, pistoles, in English pounds, shillings and pence. 5. Fifty-two pages for the receipts and expences of every week in the year. 6. Dividings for every day in the year, or ... to enter any future appointments or engagements, or to shew when any notes or payments will become due. To which is added an alphabetical list of the House of Peers, with their town residence, and the titles of the eldest sons of the Dukes, Marquisses, and Earls. And also a list of the counties, boroughs, &c. with the members returned for the present Parliament, and that place of abode. Likewise the nature and rise of the several offices of Privy Seal, Treasury, Exchequer, Chancery, and the other courts of law, office of ordinance, admiralty, trade and plantations, war office, mint, and customs. London: Printed for J. Dodsley, in Pall-Mall; and sold by Hawes, Clark and Collins, in Pater Noster-Row; T. Caslon, against Stationers-Hall; H. Whitridge at the Royal Exchange; John Rivington in St. Paul’s Church-yard; B. Dod, and B. Law in Ave-Mary-Lane; W. Flexney, in Holborn; G. Woodfall, and J. Walter, at Charing-cross, [1765]. ESTC No. T203894. Grub Street ID 234306.

Printed by and for, or by/for and sold by Henry Whitridge

  • Henley, John. Samuel sleeping in the tabernacle: or, the model of Christian preaching asserted, in vindication of the Reverend Mr. Guise's idea of preaching Christ, in his Two Sermons lately publish'd, from the Exceptions of the Reverend Mr. Chandler, in his Letter to him: Tracing historically the Difference of Preachers, on this Head; proving it by Instances, comparing the Reverend Mr. C's Conduct of the Point with his Motto from Erasmus, and proposing the most ready and sure Scheme to discuss and decide the Question. By John Henley, M.A. London: printed and sold by H. Whitridge, the Corner of Castle-Alley in Cornhill; and A. Dodd, without Temple-Bar, [1730]. ESTC No. T47065. Grub Street ID 275058.