Publications of Leonard Lichfield III

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 Leonard Lichfield III

  • Langbaine, Gerard. An account of the English dramatick poets. Or, some observations and remarks on the lives and writings, of all those that have publish'd either comedies, tragedies, tragi-comedies, pastorals, masques, interludes, farces, or opera's in the English tongue. By Gerard Langbaine. Oxford: printed by L[eonard]. L[ichfield] for George West, and Henry Clements, an. Dom. 1691. ESTC No. R20685. Grub Street ID 83318.
  • Wallis, John. A defense of the Christian Sabbath. In answer to a treatise of Mr. Tho. Bampfield pleading for Saturday-Sabbath. By John Wallis, D.D. and Professor of Geometry in the University of Oxford. Oxford: printed by L. Litchfield, and are to be sold by Chr. Coningsby, at the Golden Turks-Head over against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleet-street, London, 1692. ESTC No. R2541. Grub Street ID 109047.
  • Abbadie, Jacques, 1654-1727. The art of knowing one-self: or, an enquiry into the sources of morality. Written originally in French, by the Reverend Dr. Abbadie. In two parts. Oxford: printed by L[eonard]. Lichfield: and are to be sold by richard Wellington, at the Lute in St. Pauls Church-yard, London, 1697. ESTC No. R175350. Grub Street ID 68274.
  • Barlow, Thomas. Autoschediasmata, de studio theologiæ: or, directions for the choice of books in the study of divinity. Written by the Rt Reverend Father in God, Dr. Thomas Barlow, late Ld Bishop of Lincoln, provost of Queen's College, and Margaret Professor of Divinity in Oxford. Publish'd from the original manuscript, by William Offley, M.A. Prebendary of Lincoln, and domestick chaplain to His Lordship. Oxford: printed by L[eonard]. Lichfield; and are to be sold by T[homas]. Leigh and D[aniel]. Midwinter, at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-yard, in London, 1700. ESTC No. R170447. Grub Street ID 65111.
  • Pufendorf, Samuel. Of the law of nature and nations. Eight books. Written in Latin by the Baron Pufendorf, Counsellor of State to His late Swedish Majesty, and to the present King of Prussia. Translated into English, from the best edition. With a short introduction. Oxford: printed by L. Lichfield, for A. and J. Churchil, R. Sare, H. Bonwick, W. Freeman, T. Goodwyn, M. Wotton, J. Waltho, S. Manship, J. Nicholson, R. Parker, B. Tooke, MDCCIII. [1703]. ESTC No. N10427. Grub Street ID 437.
  • Proast, Jonas. A second letter to the author of The three letters for toleration. From the author of The argument of the letter concerning toleration, briefly consider'd and answer'd. And of the defense of it. With a postscript, taking some notice of two passages in The rights of the Protestant dissenters. Oxford: printed by L. Lichfield for Hen. Clements, 1704. ESTC No. N21801. Grub Street ID 11157.
  • Tilly, William. A return to our former good old principles and practice, the only way to restore and preserve our peace. A sermon preach'd before the University of Oxford, at St. Mary's, on Sunday, May the 14th 1710. By William Tilly, B. D. Fellow of C. C. C. Oxon. Rector of Wightham near Oxford: And Domestick Chaplain to The Right Honourable the Earl of Abingdon. With a letter to Dr. Sacheverell. [Dublin]: Oxford: printed by L. Lichfield; and re-printed in Dublin, at the old post-office in Fish shamble street, 1710. ESTC No. T171582. Grub Street ID 209198.
  • Reeves, William. A sermon preach'd at the assizes holden at Abingdon, in the County of Berks, July 14. 1713. ... By William Reeves, ... Oxford: printed by Leonard Lichfield, for Benjamin Shirley in Reading: and are to be sold by John Morphew, London, 1713. ESTC No. N22898. Grub Street ID 12256.
  • Pointer, John. A chronological history of England: or, an impartial abstract of the most remarkable transactions, ... that have happen'd in the several kings reigns, since the first attempt by Julius Cæsar, upon this southern-part of Great-Britain, down to the end of Queen Anne's reign ... By John Pointer, ... Oxford: printed by Leon. Litchfield, for Bernard Lintott, London, 1714. ESTC No. T70486. Grub Street ID 294219.
  • Head, Henry. The general nature of the Christian religion, endeavour'd to be Briefly Stated and Explain'd to the Capacity of the Common People. In a sermon upon 2 Cor. V. 18, 19, 20. By Henry Head, Master of the Free-School at Ambrosbury in Wiltshire. Imprimatur, Bern. Gardiner, Mar. 30. 1714. Vice-Can. Oxon. Oxford: printed by L. Lichfield: and are to be sold by Edw. Whistler in Oxford, Hen. Clements in London, and Sylv. Pope in Salisbury, [1714]. ESTC No. T18005. Grub Street ID 216729.
  • Newlin, Thomas. The wisdom and goodness of God's dispensation to the poor. A sermon preach'd before the University of Oxford, At St. Mary's, Nov. 17. 1717. By Thomas Newlin, M. A. Fellow of Magdalen College. Oxon. Aug. 28. 1718. Imprimatur, Bern. Gardiner, Vice-Canc. Oxford: printed by Leon. Lichfield, for Henry Jones: and are to be sold by J. Knapton, at the Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard, London, 1718. ESTC No. T54183. Grub Street ID 281049.
  • Welchman, Edward. A second conference with an Arian, occasion'd by Mr. Whiston's reply to the Right Honourable the Earl of Nottingham. By Edward Welchman, M. A. Rector of Lapworth in Warwick-Shire. Oxford: printed by Leonard Lichfield for the author, and to be sold by Anth. Peisley Bookseller in Oxford: W. Meadows, T. Combes, and J. Roberts, Booksellers in London, 1723. ESTC No. N21642. Grub Street ID 11001.
  • Pointer, John. Britannia Romana, or Roman antiquities in Britain, viz. coins, camps, and publick roads. Being a full account and explanation of the Roman coins found in Britain at different places and divers times, ... Also a large preface, shewing the usefulness of ancient coins and medals, in relation to history, poetry, sculpture, painting, and architecture: ... By John Pointer, M. A. ... Oxford: printed by Leon. Lichfield for Anth. Peisley, and are to be sold by J. Knapton, J. Wyat and W. Meadows booksellers in London, 1724. ESTC No. N48252. Grub Street ID 32842.
  • The winchester converts: or, a full and true discovery of the real usefulness and design of a late right seasonable and religious treatise, entitled, A plain account of the nature and end of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. In three dialogues. Oxford: printed by L. Lichfield, for James Fletcher, and sold by T. Cooper, at the Globe, in Pater-Noster-Row. London, 1735. ESTC No. T52549. Grub Street ID 279600.
  • Ayscough, Francis. A proper answer to a late abusive pamphlet entitled, The Winchester converts, In a Letter to the Author. By a Member of the University. Oxford: printed by Leon. Lichfield, for Anthony Peisley, and sold by J. J. and P. Knapton in Ludgate-Street, W. Meadows in Cornhill, and A. Dod. near Temple-Bar. London, 1735. ESTC No. N12139. Grub Street ID 2153.
  • Shenstone, William. Poems upon various occasions. Written for the entertainment of the author, and printed for the amusement of a few friends, prejudic'd in his favour. By William Shenstone, gent. Oxford: printed by Leon Lichfield, 1737. ESTC No. N12461. Grub Street ID 2461.
  • Dryden, John. Alexander's feast: or, the power of musick. An ode written by Mr. Dryden. Set to musick by Mr. Handel. Oxford: printed by Leon. Lichfield: and sold by Edward Broughton, 1738. ESTC No. N42406. Grub Street ID 28685.
  • Freeman, Byam. Southampton; a poem. Inscrib'd to a lady. By a gentleman of Oriel-College, Oxford. Oxford: printed by Leon. Litchfield, for William Hayes, 1748. ESTC No. N23883. Grub Street ID 13244.

Sold by Leonard Lichfield III

  • Gay, John. The masque of Acis and Galatea. Oxford: printed and sold by L. Lichfield, 1735. ESTC No. N64259. Grub Street ID 46284.
  • Israel in Egypt, an oratorio. By Mr. Handel. Oxford: printed and sold by Leon. Lichfield, near East-Gate; and by William Cross, at his musick-shop, opposite the New-Inn, [1740?]. ESTC No. T37433. Grub Street ID 267103.

Printed for Leonard Lichfield III

  • The lord's lamentation; or, the Whittington Defeat. London: printed for John Litchfield, near the Admiralty, [1747]. ESTC No. T41244. Grub Street ID 270171.