Publications of Thomas Longman the First

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 Thomas Longman the First

  • Gavin, Antonio. A master-Key to popery. In five parts. Part I. Containing a discovery of the most secret practices of the secular, and regular Romish priests in their auricular confession. Part II. A true Copy of the Pope's yearly Bull of Indulgences and Pardon of Sins, to all those that serve in the War against the Enemies of the Romish Religion. The Explanation of the Bull, with some Remarks upon it. Part III. An Account of their Masses, privileg'd Altars, Transubstantiation, and Purgatory, and of the Means, the Priests make use of, to delude the People. Part IV. Of the Inquisitors, and their Practices in several Instances. Part V. Of their prayers, adoration of images, and relicks, &c. By D. Antonio Gavin, born and educated in Spain, some Years secular Priest in the Church of Rome, and since 1715, Minister of the Church of England. London: printed for J. Stephens, at the Bible in Butcher-Row, near St. Clement's Church in the Strand; and sold by A. Bettesworth, J. Osborn, and T. Longman, in Pater-Noster-Row; W. Meadows, and J. Brotherton. in Cornhill; J. Maceuen in Edinburgh; and by the booksellers of Dublin, 1725. ESTC No. T140325. Grub Street ID 188101.
  • Gavin, Antonio. A master-key to popery. In five parts. Part I. Containing, A discovery of the most secret practices of the secular, and regular Romish priests in their auricular confession. Part II. A true copy of the Pope’s yearly bull of indulgences and pardon of sins, to all those that serve in the war against the enemies of the Romish religion. The explanation of the bull, with some remarks upon it. Part III. An account of their masses, privileg’d altars, transubstantiation, and purgatory, and of the means, the priests make use of, to delude the people. Part IV. Of the inquisitors, and their practices in several instances. Part V. Of their prayers, adoration of images, and relicks, &c. By D. Antonio Gavin, born and educated in Spain, some years secular priest in the Church of Rome, and since 1715, minister of the Church of England. London: Printed for J. Stephens, at the Bible in Butcher-Row, near St. Clement’s Church in the Strand; and sold by A. Bettesworth, J. Osborn, and T. Longman, in Pater-noster-Row; W. Meadows, and J. Brotherton. in Cornhill; J. Maceuen in Edinburgh; and by the booksellers of Dublin, 1725. ESTC No. T205942. Grub Street ID 235559.
  • Gavin, Antonio. A master-Key to popery: containing, I. The damages which the mass causeth, &c. II. A Catalogue of Miracles wrought by the Consecrated Wafer. III. The Miracles of many living Persons. IV. The Revelations of three Nuns. V. The life of the good primate, and Metropolitan of Aragon, &c. omitted in the Second Volume. Vol.III. By the Reverend Mr. Gavin, &c. London: printed for J. Stephens, at the Bible in Butcher Row, over against the Bear and Harrow Tavern without Temple-Bar. And sold by A. Bettesworth, J. Osbourn, and T. Longman in Paternoster Row, W. Meadows and J. Brotherton in Cornhill, and the booksellers of London and Westminster. By E. Mackeuen in Edinburgh, and by the booksellers of Dublin, MDCCXXVI. [1726]. ESTC No. T140323. Grub Street ID 188099.

Printed for Thomas Longman the First

  • Nieuwentyt, Bernard. The religious philosopher: or, the right use of contemplating the works of the Creator. ... Design'd for the conviction of atheists and infidels. In two volumes. Throughout which, all the late discoveries in anatomy, philosophy, and astronomy, ... are most copiously handled by that learned mathematician Dr. Nieuwentyt. Translated from the Low-Dutch. To which is prefix'd, a letter to the translator by ... J. T. Desaguliers, ... London: printed for Tho. Longman, 1724. ESTC No. N63118. Grub Street ID 45335.
  • Addison, Joseph; Steele, Sir Richard. The lucubrations of Isaac Bickerstaff, Esq; revised and corrected by the author. ... London: printed for E. Nutt, J. Knapton, B. Sprint, D. Midwinter and A. Ward, J. Tonson, R. Gosling, W. Innys and R. Manby, J. Osborn and T. Longman, R. Robinson, B. Motte, and H. Lintott, M DCC XXXIII. [1733]. ESTC No. N11680. Grub Street ID 1685.
  • Shaw, Peter. A new practice of physic: wherein the various diseases incident to the human body are describ'd, their causes assign'd, their diagnostics and prognostics enumerated, And the Regimen proper in each deliver'd; with A competent Number of Medicines for every Stage and Symptom thereof, Prescrib'd after the Manner Of the most eminent Physicians among the Moderns, and particularly those of London. The whole formed on the Model of Dr. Sydenham, to execute the Design of his Processus Integri. In two volumes. By Peter Shaw, Physician at Scarborough. London: printed for Thomas Longman, and Thomas Shewell, at the Ship in Pater-Noster Row, MDCCXLV. [1745]. ESTC No. N10289. Grub Street ID 293.
  • Crouch, Henry. A complete view of the British customs. Part the second. Containing ample instructions for the entering, examining, and delivering of goods and merchandizes imported into Great Britain from Foreign Parts. Illustrated By Examples of the Present Practice of the Officers of the Customs, at the Water-Side in the Port of London; in the several Sorts of Goods that are now most usually imported into the said Port. To which is Added An Appendix, Containing The Theory and Practice of Measuring and Cask-Gauging. Designed, not only for the Use of the Officers of His Majesty's Customs in the Out-Ports; but for the Service of all concerned in the Importation of Foreign Goods. By Henry Crouch, Of the Custom-House, London. London: printed for Thomas Longman and Thomas Shewell, at the Ship in Pater-Noster-Row, M.DCC.XLVI. [1746]. ESTC No. T135848. Grub Street ID 184203.
  • Bath. A poem. London: printed for Mess. Longman and Shewell, in Pater-Noster-Row, London; J. Leak, in Bath; and M. Lewis, in Bristol, MDCCXLVIII. [1748]. ESTC No. T21400. Grub Street ID 240613.
  • Panarithmologia: or, the trader's sure guide. Containing exact and useful tables, ... To which is added, a table of commission, ... The ninth edition. By William Leybourn. London: printed by A. Wilde, for T. Longman: A. Wilde: J. Oswald: J. Ward: and W. Johnston, 1750. ESTC No. N11654. Grub Street ID 1657.
  • Terence.. The comedies of Terence. Translated into English prose. To which is prefixed, some account of the author, and of the dramatic poetry of the antients. By Mr. Gordon. London: printed for Thomas Longman; and Charles Hitch and Lacey Hawes, in Pater-Noster Row; and John and James Rivington, in St. Paul's Church-Yard, MDCCLII. [1752]. ESTC No. T137836. Grub Street ID 185739.

Printed by and for, or by/for and sold by Thomas Longman the First

  • The practical farrier: or, full instructions for country gentlemen, farmers, graziers, farriers, carriers, sportsmen, &c. ... taken from the latest and most approved authors, ... viz. Capt. Burdon, Dr. Bracken, Lord Orrery, ... By a society of country gentlemen, farmers, graziers, sportsmen, &c. London: printed and sold by T. Longman; and by T. Astley, 1737. ESTC No. T209576. Grub Street ID 238120.