Publications of John Twyn

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 Twyn

  • Reyner, Edward. Considerations concerning marriage, the honour, duties, benefits, troubles of it. Whereto are added, 1. Directions in two particulars. 1. How they that have wives may be as if they had none. 2 How to prepare for parting with a dear yoke-fellow by death, or otherwise. 2. Resolution of this case of conscience. Whether a man may lawfully marry his wives sister? By Edward Reyner, minister of the Gospel in Lincoln. London: printed by J. T[wyn]. for Thomas Newbery, and are to be sold at the three Golden Lions in Cornhill, neer the Royal Exchange, MDCLVII. [1657]. ESTC No. R3111. Grub Street ID 113926.
  • Chishull, John. The danger of being almost a Christian by John Chishull. London: Printed by J. Twyn for Francis Eglesfield, 1658. ESTC No. R24127. Grub Street ID 107943.
  • Preston, John. Riches of mercy to men in misery. Or Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity and duty of Gods children. By the late reverend and faithfull minister of Jesus Christ, John Preston. Doctor of Divinity and Chaplin in Ordinary to his Majesty, master of Emanuel colledge in Cambridge and sometime preacher of Lincolns Inne. London: printed by J[ohn]. T[wyn]. and are to be sold by John Alen at the Rising Sun in [St] Pauls Church Yard, 1658. ESTC No. R13568. Grub Street ID 61659.
  • Stubbe, Henry. The Savilian professours case stated. Together with severall reasons urged against his capacity of standing for the publique office of antiquary in the University of Oxford, which are enlarged and vindicated against the exceptions of Dr. John Wallis (heretofore of Cambridge) Savilian Professour of Geometry in the said university, wherein he hath been elected (as it is said) and since admitted to the office of Antiquary. The whole processe is faithfully penned, and submitted to the judgement of all conscientious men, and in particular to those honourable personages who are protectors of Sr. Henry Saviles statutes. By Henry Stubbe M.A. and student in Ch. Ch. London: printed by J[ohn]. T[wyn]. for Andrew Crook, and are to be sold by Richard Davis in Oxon., 1658. ESTC No. R38191. Grub Street ID 120318.
  • Woodall, Frederick. A vindication of The preacher sent, or A vvarrant for publick preaching without ordination. Wherein is further discovered. 1. That some gifted men unordained, are Gospel preachers. 2. That officers sustain not a relation (as officers) to the universal Church; and other weighty questions concerning election and ordination, are opened and cleared. In answer to two books. 1. Vindiciæ ministrij evangelici revindicatæ or the Preacher (pretendly) sent, sent back again. By Dr. Colling of Norwich. 2. Quo warranto, or a moderate enquiry into the warrantableness of the preaching of gifted and unordained persons. By Mr. Pool, at the desire and appointment of the Provincial Assembly of London. With a reply to the exceptions of Mr. Hudson and Dr. Collings against the epistle to the preacher sent. Published by Frederick Woodal, minister of the Gospel at Woodbridge i Suffolk. Samuel Petto minister of the GospeI [sic] at Sandcraft in Suffolk. London: printed by J[ohn]. T[wyn]. Livewell Chapman at the Crown in Popes head Alley, 1659. ESTC No. R204138. Grub Street ID 81151.
  • Hoole, Charles. A new discovery of the old art of teaching schoole, in four small treatises. 1. concerning A petty-schoole. 2 The ushers duty 3. The masters method 4. Scholastick discipline in a grammar schoole. Shewing how children in their playing years may grammatically attain to a firm groundedness in and exercise of the Latine, Greek, and Hebrew tongues. Written about twenty three yeares ago, for the benefit of the Rotherham School, where it was first used; and after 14. years trial by diligent practise in London in many particulars enlarged, and now at last published for the general profit, especially of young schoole-masters. By Charles Hoole Master of Arts, and teacher of a private grammar-school in Lothbury Garden, London. London: printed by J[ohn]. T[wyn]. for Andrew Crook at the Green Dragon in Pauls Church-yard, 1660. ESTC No. R16111. Grub Street ID 63995.
  • Hermas. The three books of Hermas, the disciple of Paul the Apostle. Viz. I. The church. II. The sheepherd. III. The similitudes. Englished by John Pringle. London: printed for John White in Threadneedle Street, behinde the Old Exchange, 1661. ESTC No. R216863. Grub Street ID 91720.
  • Tombes, John. Sephersheba: or The oath-book. Being a treatise concerning swearing: the nature, forms, rights, lawfulnesse, rules of swearing, adjuration, and keeping of oaths; wherein the errors of papists, Quakers and others about swearing are detected; many cases about swearing and keeping oaths are resolved in XX. catechetical lectures delivered at Lemster in Herefordshire on the third commandment, in the year 1636. but now much enlarged by John Tombes. B.D. London: printed by John Twyn for Andrew Crook at the Green Dragon in St. Pauls Church Yard, 1662. ESTC No. R28199. Grub Street ID 111287.
  • A treatise of the execution of justice, wherein is clearly proved, that the execution of judgement and justice, is as well the peoples as the magistrates duty; and that if magistrates pervert judgement, the people are bound by the law of God to execute judgement without, the and upon them. [London: by John Twyn, 1663]. ESTC No. R25658. Grub Street ID 109113.