Publications of Richard Montagu

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).

Sold by Richard Montagu

  • Yeo, excise officer. William. The method of ullaging and inching all sorts of casks and other utensils, used by common brewers, victuallers, distillers, &c. in a new, easy, and accurate manner, by tables of segments. Likewise, The Method of finding their full Contents. Very useful for the Officers of the Revenue, And all other Persons concerned in Gauging. By William Yeo. London: printed for the author, by E. Owen: and sold by J. Davidson, in the Poultry; R. Montagu, in Wild-Street; W. Reeve, in Fleet-Street; and at the printing-office in Hand-Court, Holborn, MDCCXLIX. [1749]. ESTC No. T129446. Grub Street ID 178906.

Printed for Richard Montagu

  • Bennet, John, merchant. Two letters and several calculations on the sugar colonies and trade; addressed to two committees nominated by the West-India merchants, &c. With an appendix: Containing, 1. Four Letters concerning the flourishing Condition, large Extent, and prodigious Increase of the French Sugar Colonies; the Poverty, Weakness and Decay of the British Sugar Colonies; and their vast Importance to the Trade, Navigation, Wealth and Power of this Nation. 2. Some Proposals formerly presented to a Great Minister of State, for the Preservation and Advancement of the British Sugar Colonies, and Interests in the West-Indies: With an Addition of several Notes thereon. By Mr. Bennett, late Agent in the West-Indies, to the South-Sea and Royal Assiento Company of Great Britain; and to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. London: printed for R. Montagu, at the Book Ware-House, the General Post-Office, in Great Wylde-Street, near that End of Great Queen-Street. next Drary Lane. 1738. 1s. 6d, 1738. ESTC No. N14147. Grub Street ID 4040.
  • Bradley, Richard. A philosophical enquiry into the late severe winter, the scarcity and dearness of provisions, and The Occasion of the Distemper raging in several remote Parts of England: with letters from many eminent physicians in the Country to those in Town: And Remarks Physical and Curious. Published for the Information and Advantage of the People of Great Britain. By Richard Bradley, Professor of Botany in the University of Cambridge, and F. R. S. London: printed for J. Roberts, near the Oxford-Arms in Warwick-Lane; R. Montagu, at the Post-Office, the Corner of Great Queen-Street, Drury-Lane: and sold by the booksellers of London and Westminster, 1729. ESTC No. T27160. Grub Street ID 259110.
  • Cowell, nurseryman. John. The curious and profitable gardener: by John Cowell, ... Containing I. The most useful experiments for improving land by grain and seeds. II. Curious directions for cultivating the choicest fruits ... III. Extraordinary remarks concerning the raising of flowers from seed IV. Particular observations ... To which is added, An exact description of the great American aloe, ... London: printed for Richard Montagu, 1730. ESTC No. T220479. Grub Street ID 244154.
  • Oldisworth, William. The delightful adventures of Honest John Cole, that merry old soul. Who from his antipathy to every thing that is white, became president of the Japanner's Company, ... By a tipling [sic] philosopher of the Royal Society. London: printed for R. Montague; and B. Dickinson: and sold by E. Nutt, and J. Brotherton; A. Dod; J. Brindley; J. Jolliffe; Mr. Critchly; and J. Stagg, 1732. ESTC No. T128603. Grub Street ID 178183.
  • The harlot's progress: or, the humours of Drury-Lane. Being the life of the noted Moll Hackabout, in six hudibrastick cantos, with a curious print to each canto, engrav'd from the originals of Mr. Hogarth. I. Her coming to Town in the York Waggon; and being betray'd by an old Baud into the Arms of Colonel Ch-s; with several Comical Dialogues, &c. II. Her being kept by a Jew; with her Intrigues in his House. III. Her living in a Baudy-House in Drury-Lane. A diverting List of the Decorations of her Lodging. Her being detected by Sir Jn G---n, &c. IV. Her Usage at Tothil-Fields Bridewell; and the Humours of the Place. V. Her Sickness and Death. Disputes between two noted Quacks. Her last Will. VI. Her Burial. Characters of the principal Persons who constituted the Funeral Pomp, &c. The Fifth Edition. To which is now first added, a curious Riddle, which Moll learned of the Jew, while in his keeping, and which the learned Col. Ch-s could never answer to her full Satisfaction. London: printed for R. Montagu at the General Post-Office, the Corner of Great Queen-Street, near Drury-Lane; and sold by Mrs. Nut at the Royal Exchange; Mrs. Dod without Temple-Bar; Mr. Brindley in New Bond-Street; Mr. Jollife in St. James's Street; and Mr. Stag in Westminster-Hall, [1732]. ESTC No. N49908. Grub Street ID 34040.
  • Guarini, Battista. Il pastor fido, tragi-comedia pastorale, del Signor Cavalier Baptista Guarini. = The faithful shepherd. A pastoral tragi-comedy, written in Italian, by the celebrated Signor Baptista Guarini. Translated into English, and adorn'd with a new set of cuts. London: printed for Richard Montagu; John Torbuck; and Charles Corbett, 1736. ESTC No. N19933. Grub Street ID 9355.
  • Guarini, Battista. The faithful shepherd. A pastoral tragi-comedy, written in Italian by the celebrated Signor Baptista Guarini. Translated into English, and adorn'd with a new set of cuts. London: printed for Richard Montagu the Corner of Great-Queen-Street; John Torbuck in Clare-Court; both near Drury-Lane; and Charles Corbett at Addison's Head, against St Dunstan's Church in Fleet-Street, 1736. ESTC No. N8283. Grub Street ID 53190.
  • Bacchus and Venus: or, a select collection of near 200 of the most witty and diverting songs and catches in love and gallantry, Many whereof never appeared in Print before. To which is added, a collection of songs in the canting dialect, with a dictionary explaining all the burlesque and canting terms used by the several Tribes of Gipsies, Beggars, and other Clans of Cheats and Villains. Intersper'd with Proverbs, Sayings, Figurative Speeches, &c. Detecting, under the respective Articles, the several Tricks made use of by Varlets of all Denominations, and therefore useful for all sorts of People. With a preface giving an Account of the Orginal Progress, &c. of the Canting Crew, and recommending Methods for Diminishing their Number, by better Employment of the Poor. London: printed for R. Montague at the Book-Warehouse and General Post-Office, that End of Great Queens-Street next Drury lane, 1737. ESTC No. N31988. Grub Street ID 20861.
  • Houlbrook, William. A genuine and faithfull account of the sufferings, of William Houlbrook, black-smith of Marlborough, in the reign of King Charles the First. Shewing the artifices and treacherous insinuations of cornet Joyce, Tynn, and others of that horrid crew, how he was ensnar'd into all the dangers and difficulties those regicides could invent. Together with his commitment to Newgate, where he was inhumanly treated, and loaded with irons: also his several examinations before Bradshaw and his execrable companions: with other particulars in prose and verse. The whole written by himself during his confinement. To which is added, a learned speech made by a worthy member of Parliament in the House of Commons, concerning the other House, of that critical and dangerous year 1659. London: printed for R. Montague, at the Book Ware-House in Wild-Street, [1744]. ESTC No. T114613. Grub Street ID 166411.
  • An address to the lower sort of people; on the subject of popery and the Pretender. Written to confute the notion, that our religion, laws and liberties can be safe, under a popish government; the fourth edition. And that it may have its proper effect by the nobility and gentry dispersing it, sold at a guinea and half per hnudred [sic]. London: printed for R. Montagu; and sold by Charles Corbett, 1745. ESTC No. N67599. Grub Street ID 49158.

Author

  • Montagu, Richard. R. Montagu at the General Post-Office in Great Queen's-Street ... has opened a new convenient ware-house, with a catalogue of curious books; ... to begin selling on Monday, March, 6, 1731-2. ... [London]: [printed by Henry Woodfall], [1732]. ESTC No. T68080. Grub Street ID 292411.
  • Montagu, Richard. At R. Montagu's book ware-house, (the Post-Office) the corner of Great Queen-Street ... will be a sale of books, being a new parcel, purchased since the printing of my last catalogue. Which will begin to be sold on Wednesday next, being the 26th of April, 1732; ... [London: printed by Henry Woodfall, 1732]. ESTC No. T68081. Grub Street ID 292412.
  • Montagu, Richard. At R. Montagu's book-warehouse, the General-Post-Office, that end of Great Queen-Street, ... is a collection of books, of above seven thousand volumes, being the libraries of John Ayliffe, ... and the Reverend Mr. Baily, ... to be sold ... on Thursday the 4th day of April, 1734. ... [London: printed by Henry Woodfall, 1734]. ESTC No. T81803. Grub Street ID 302478.