Publications of Thomas Astley

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 Astley

  • The choice: being a collection Of Two Hundred and Fifty Celebrated Songs. London: printed by J. Watson, over-against Hungerford-Market in the Strand, and sold by R. King at the Prince's Arms, and T. Astley at the Rose, in St. Paul's Church-Yard; and by R. Willock [at] Sir Isaac Newton's Head in Cornhill, 1729. ESTC No. T59140. Grub Street ID 285162.

Printed for Thomas Astley

  • Gay, John. Polly: an opera. Being the second part of The beggar's opera. Written by Mr. Gay. London: printed [by James Watson and Samuel Aris] for T. Thomson, and sold by the booksellers of London and Westminster, 1729. ESTC No. T13801. Grub Street ID 185888.
  • Switzer, Stephen. The country gentleman’s companion: Or, Ancient husbandry restored; and modern husbandry improved. By Stephen Switzer, gardiner. Shewing, I. The most expeditions manner of raising and propagating foreign sallads and other kitchen plants, viz. Italian brocoli, Spanish cardoon, celeriac, finochi, &c. rendring them more useful dishes than they have hitherto been. II. The method of buring clay, proving it to be not only the cheapest, but the best discovery for the improvement of land, especially that which is cold and poor, ever yet practiced. Invented by the Right Honourable George Earl of Halifax. III. The great improvement of land by grass seeds, viz. The Lucerne, St. Foyne, Clover, Reygre, Trefoyle, &c. The quantities to be sown on an acre and the soil proper for the reception of each kind of seed. IV. The excellency of the medicago, or cythisus maranthae of the ancients; demonstrating that plant, (so much esteemed by the Romans) to be the best fodder for all kinds of cattle, poultry, bees, &c. from its hardiness, being capable of enduring the severest weather, and prospering on the most barren, dry land; fully answering the character given of it by columella, cato, pliny, varrro, virgil, &c. With a detection of the errors of some writers relating to this plant. London: Printed for T. Astley at the Rose in St. Paul’s Church-Yard; and sold at the Seed Shop in Westminster-hall, 1732. ESTC No. T34233. Grub Street ID 264568.
  • The London magazine: or ... London [England]: printed for T[homas]. Astley, removed from St. Paul's Church-yard, to the Rose in Pater-Noster-Row. Of whom may be had, compleat sets from the beginning to this time, neatly bound, or stitch'd, or any single month to compleat sets, [1732]-1747. ESTC No. P2034. Grub Street ID 55756.
  • Mallory, John. Quare impedit. In two parts. Part I. Containing an abridgment of the law concerning the patronages of churches, the titles of ecclesiastical persons ... Part II. Containing precedents of pleadings, ... By John Mallory, ... [London]: In the Savoy: printed by E. and R. Nutt, and R. Gosling (assigns of Edw. Sayer, Esq;) for Thomas Astley; and John Shuckburgh, 1737. ESTC No. N37075. Grub Street ID 25029.
  • Gay, John. Polly: an opera. Being the second part of The beggar's opera. Written by Mr. Gay, Author of the First Part. London: printed for T. Astley, at the Rose in St. Paul's Church-Yard, 1742. ESTC No. N11888. Grub Street ID 1891.
  • Ellis, William. The practical farmer; or, the Hertfordshire husbandman: containing many new improvements in husbandry. I. Of Meliorating the different Soils, and all other Branches of Business relating to a Farm. II. Of the Nature of the several Sorts of Wheat, and the Soil proper for each. III. Of the great Improvement of Barley, by Brineing the Seed, after an entire new Method, and without Expence. IV. Of increasing Crops of Peas and Beans by House-Houghing. V. Of Trefoil, Clover, Lucerne, and other Foreign Grasses. VI. A new Method to Improve Land at a small Expence, with Burnt Clay. Vii. Of the Management of Cows, Sheep, Suckling of Calves, Lambs, &c. with Means to prevent, and Remedies to cure Rottenness in Sheep. Viii. How to keep Pigeons and Tame Rabbits to Advantage. IX. A new Method of Planting and Improving Fruit-Trees in Ploughed-Fields. By William Ellis, Of Little Gaddesden in Hertfordshire. Part I. London: printed for T. Astley , at the Rose ; and S. Austen at the Angel and Bible, in St. Paul’s Church-Yard, MDCCXLII. [1742]. ESTC No. N20712. Grub Street ID 10096.
  • The Memoirs of Cap. George Carleton, an English officer, who served in the two last wars against France and Spain, and was present in several engagements both in the fleet and army. Containing an account of the conduct of the Earl of Peterborough, and other general officers, admirals, &c. and several remarkable transactions both by sea and land. In which the genius, pride, and barbarity of the spaniards, during the author’s being a prisoner of war among them, are set in a true light. Together with a description of many of their cities, towns, &c. particularly Valencia, Barcelona, Molviedro, Saguntum, Alicant, Montserat, Denia, St. Clement de la Mancha, Madrid, Valadolid, Bilboa, St. Jean, de Luz, Bayonne, Pont d’Esprit, Pampelona, Saragoza, &c. Their manners and customs, both religious and civil; observations on their monasteries and nunneries, and their manner of investing nuns. Likewise their bull-feasts, and other publick diversions. London: Printed for Tho. Astley, at the Rose in St. Paul’s Church-Yard, MDCCXLIII. [1743]. ESTC No. N1015. Grub Street ID 159.
  • Ellis, brewer. William. The London and Country Brewer. Containing the whole art of brewing all sorts of malt-liquors, as practised both in town and country; according to observations made by the author in four years travels through the several counties in England. Also, the method of preserving liquors in the cask, and directions to be observed in bottling them. In three parts. To which is added, a supplement. By a person formerly concerned in a Public Brew-House in London. London: Printed for Thomas Astley, at the Rose in St. Paul’s Church-Yard, MDCCXLIV. [1744]. ESTC No. N10038. Grub Street ID 48.
  • Lockman, John. A new Roman history, by question and answer. In a method much more comprehensive than any of the kind extant. Extracted from ancient authors, and the most celebrated among the modern. And Interspers'd with such Customs as serve to Illustrate the History. With a complete index. Designed principally for schools. By the author of the History of England by question and answer. The third edition corrected. And adorned, with sixteen copper-plates representing the most memorable Occurrences. London: printed for T. Astley, in Cornhill; and sold by R. Baldwin, Jun. in Pater-Noster-Row, MDCCXLIX. [1749]. ESTC No. N20068. Grub Street ID 9483.
  • Lockman, John. A new Roman history, by question and answer. In a method much more comprehensive than any of the kind extant. Extracted from ancient authors, and the most celebrated among the modern. And interspers’d with such customs as serve to illustrate the history. With a complete index. Designed principally for schools. By the author of the History of England by question and answer. The fourth edition corrected. and adorned with sixteen copper-plates, representing the most memorable occurences. London: Printed for T. Astley: and sold by R. Baldwin, in Pater-noster-Row, MDCCLIV. [1754]. ESTC No. N41564. Grub Street ID 27909.
  • Mabbut, George. Sir Isaac Newton's tables for renewing and purchasing the leases of cathedral-churches and colleges, according to the several rates of interest: ... Also tables for ... land or houses: ... annuities on lives: ... compound interest; ... London: printed only for Tho. Astley: and sold by R. Baldwin, 1758. ESTC No. T18622. Grub Street ID 222381.

Printed by and for, or by/for and sold by Thomas Astley

  • Nicole, Pierre. Logic: or, the art of thinking. Containing (besides the common rules) many new observations, ... In four parts. ... Done from the new French edition. By Mr. Ozell. London: printed and sold by T. Astley, 1727. ESTC No. N55395. Grub Street ID 38907.