Publications of Samuel Roycroft

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 Samuel Roycroft

  • A vindication of the Friendly conference, between a minister and a parishioner of his inclining unto Quakerism, &c. from the exceptions of Thomas Ellwood, in his pretended answer to the said conference. By the same author. London: printed by Sam. Roycroft, for R. Clavel, at the Peacock at the west end of St. Pauls, 1678. ESTC No. R20275. Grub Street ID 79959.
  • Hancock, Robert. A sermon preached before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, and the Court of Aldermen, at Guildhall-Chappel, Septemb. 19. 1680. By Robert Hancocke, fellow of Clare-hall in Cambridge, and rector of Northill in Bedfordshire. London: printed by S. Roycroft for Tho. Flesher at the Angel and Crown in St. Paul's Church-yard, and W. Leech at the Crown in Cornhill, 1680. ESTC No. R10880. Grub Street ID 59217.
  • Nalson, John. Vox populi, fax populi. Or, A discovery of an impudent cheat and forgery put upon the people of England by Elephant Smith, and his author of Vox populi. Thereby endeavoring to instill the poysonous principles of rebellion into the minds of His Majesties subjects. Humbly recommended to all loyal subjects and true Englishmen. London: printed by S[amuel]. R[oycroft]. for Benj. Tooke, at the Ship in St. Paul's Church-yard, 1681. ESTC No. R11667. Grub Street ID 59930.
  • Elston, John. A sermon preached at Great Torrington in Devon, Septemb. 14. At the visitation of the Right Reverend father in God, Thomas Lord Bishop of Exon. By John Elston, M.A. Rector of Langtree. London: printed by S[amuel]. Roycroft for Charles Yeo, bookseller in Exeter, 1681. ESTC No. R174959. Grub Street ID 67980.
  • By the Mayor. To the alderman of the ward of [blank] Whereas the last Lords Day there were great tumults in divers places within this city, on occasion of putting the laws in execution against conventicles and unlawful meetings, ... [London]: Printed by Samuel Roycroft printer to the Honourable City of London, 1682. ESTC No. R205916. Grub Street ID 82518.
  • Moxon, Joseph. A tutor to astronomy and geography. Or an easie and speedy way to know the use of both the globes, c?estial and terrestrial. In six books. ... More fully and amply than hath yet been set forth, either by Gemna [sic] Frisius, Metius, Hues, Wright, Blaew, or any others that have taught the use of the globes: and that so plainly and methodically, that the meanest capacity may at first reading apprehend it, and with a little practice grow expert in these divine sciences. With an appendix shewing the use of the Ptolomaick sphere. The fourth edition corrected and enlarged. By Joseph Moxon. Whereunto is added the antient poetical stories of the stars: shewing reasons why the several shapes and forms are pictured on the c?estial globe. As also a discourse of the antiquity, progress and augmentation of astronomy. London: printed by S. Roycroft, for Joseph Moxon: and sold at his shop in Ludgate Street, at the sign of Atlas, 1686. ESTC No. R11899. Grub Street ID 60128.
  • At the Court at White-Hall, March 18th, 1687/8. Present, The King's most excellent Majesty. His Royal Highness Prince George of Denmark. Lord Chancellor. Lord President. Lord Privy-Seal. Marquis of Powis. Lord Chamberlain. Earl of Peterborough. Earl of Huntington. Earl of Bathe. Earl of Craven. Earl of Berkley. Earl of Rochester. Earl of Morray. Earl of Middleton. Earl of Melfort. Lord Vicount Preston. Lord Bishop of Durham. Lord Godolphin. Lord Dover. Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer. Lord Chief Justice Herbert. [London: printed by Samvel Roycroft, London, [1688]]. ESTC No. R175274. Grub Street ID 68211.
  • Com' Concil' tent' in Camera Guihald' civitat' London, die Veneris decimo nono die Octobr', anno regni Domini & Dominæ nostrorum, Willielmi & Mariæ ... an Act of Common Council for regulating the Company of Joyners and Ceilers, London. [London]: Printed by S[a]muel Roycroft .., 1694. ESTC No. R39359. Grub Street ID 121257.
  • Commune Concil' tent' in camera Guihald' civitat' London, die Veneris, vicesimo secundo die Octobris, ... 1703, ... An act to impower the Lord Mayor for the time being to nominate one or more person or persons to be Sheriff of the City of London, and County of Middlesex, for the year ensuing. London: printed by Samuel Roycroft, [1703]. ESTC No. T64615. Grub Street ID 289603.
  • Withers mayor. Die martis, xiv?. die septembris, anno Domini 1708. Annoque regni reginæ Annæ, Magnæ Britanniæ, &c. septimo. To the end that all persons owners of any spices, drugs, or other ware or merchandises, garbleable within this city and liberties thereof, and desirous to have the same garbled, may know who is the proper officer to perform that duty ... [London]: Printed by Samuel Roycroft, printer to the honourable city of London, 1708. ESTC No. N25821. Grub Street ID 15177.