Publications of John Stagg

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 Lectures 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 Stagg

  • The form of the proceeding to the royal coronation of their Majesties King George II. and Queen Caroline, ... on Wednesday the 11th of this instant October, 1727. [London]: Printed by John Stagg, bookseller in Westminster, 1727. ESTC No. T10414. Grub Street ID 157695.

Sold by John Stagg

  • Select translations from the works of Sannazarius, H. Grotius, Bapt. Amaltheus, D. Heinsius, G. Buchanan, and M. Hier. Vida. To which is prefix'd, some account of the authors. By Mr. Rooke. London: printed for J. Millan at Locke's-Head in Shug-Lane, near the upper End of the Hay-Market; and sold by G. Strahan in Cornhill, A. Bettesworth in Pater-Noster-Row, T. Woodward in Fleet-Street, J. Stagg in Westminster-Hall, S. Harding in St. Martin's-Lane, J. Jackson in Pall-Mall, and N. Blandford at Charing-Cross, MDCCXXVI. [1726]. ESTC No. N21772. Grub Street ID 11126.
  • The British compendium: or, rudiments of honour. Containing the origin of the Scots, and sucession of their kings for above 2000 Years: Also, the Titles, Descents, Marriages, Intermarriages, Issue, Posts, and Seats of all the Scottish nobility, with their Robes, and arms, exactly Engrav'd on 80 Copper Plates. To which is added, An Alphabetical List of Second Titles, or those given by Courtesy to Dukes, Marquesses, and Earls eldest Sons: Also, a List of the Peers who have been chose to serve in the several Parliaments of Great Britain since the Union. Together with, An Account of the Knights of the Thistle and Nova Scotia, the Regalia and Arms of Scotland, and the Riding of Parliaments. London: printed by R. Nutt, for A. Bettesworth at the Red Lion in Pater-Noster Row: sold also by G. Strahan and J. Clarke in Cornhill; D. Browne without Temple-Bar; J. Stagg in Westminster-Hall; and J. Jackson in Pall-Mall, [1729]. ESTC No. T78305. Grub Street ID 300169.

Printed for John Stagg

  • A true, authentick, and impartial history of the life and glorious actions of the Czar of Muscovy: from his birth to his death. ... The whole compiled from the Russian, High Dutch and French languages, state papers, and other publick authorities. London: printed for A. Bettesworth in Pater-Noster Row, G. Strahan, W. Meadows in Cornhill, J. Stagg in Westminster-hall, J. Graves in St. James’s-Street, S. Chapman in Pall-Mall, R. Frankling in Covent-Garden, J. Harding in St. Martin’s-Lane, T. Edlin in the Strand, and J. Jackson near St. James’s House, [1725?]. ESTC No. N14081. Grub Street ID 3983.
  • The phantom. London: printed for J. Stagg, in Westminster-Hall, M.DCC.XXV. [1725]. ESTC No. N11196. Grub Street ID 1191.
  • A collection of Bacchanalian songs. London: printed for J. Stagg in Westminster-Hall, and T. Astley at the Rose in St. Paul's Church Yard, 1729. ESTC No. N14981. Grub Street ID 4718.
  • Grey, Richard. Memoria technica: or, a new method of artificial memory, applied to, and exemplified in chronology, history, geography, astronomy. Also Jewish, Grecian, and Roman Coins, Weights, and Measures, &c. With Tables proper to the respective Sciences, and Memorial Lines adapted to each Table. By Richard Grey, D. D. Rector of Hinton in Northamptonshire. London: printed for John Stagg in Westminster Hall; and sold by A. Bettesworth and C. Hitch in Pater Noster Row, F. Clay, and D. Brown without Temple Bar, 1737. ESTC No. T116568. Grub Street ID 168230.
  • Maddox, Isaac. A sermon preach'd before the House of Lords in the Abbey-Church of Westminster, on Saturday, May 29. 1742. Being The Anniversary-Thanksgiving for the Restoration of the King and Royal Family. By Isaac, Lord Bishop of St. Asaph. London: printed for John Stagg, in Westminster-Hall, M.DCC.XLII. [1742]. ESTC No. N23176. Grub Street ID 12534.
  • Cowper, Ashley. The progress of physic. By Timothy Scribble, Esq;. London: printed for J. Stagg; and sold by J. Roberts, 1743. ESTC No. N20462. Grub Street ID 9863.

Printed by and for, or by/for and sold by John Stagg

  • Defoe, Daniel. The history and remarkable life of the truly honourable Col. Jacque, commonly call'd Col. Jack, who was born a gentleman, put 'prentice to a pick-pocket, was six and twenty years a thief, and then kidnapp'd to Virginia. Came back a merchant, married four wives, and five [sic] of them prov'd whores; went into the wars, behav'd bravely, got preferment, was made colonel of a regiment, came over, and fled with the Chevalier, and is now abroad compleating a life of wonders, and resolves to dye a general. London: printed, and sold by J. Brotherton, at the Royal-Exchange; T. Payne, near Stationers-Hall; W. Mears, at the Lamb, and A. Dodd, at the Peacock without Temple-Bar; W. Chetwood, in Covent-Garden; J. Graves, in St. James's-Street; S. Chapman, in Pall-Mall, and J. Stagg, at Westminster-Hall, MDCCXXIII. [1723, i.e. 1722]. ESTC No. N33025. Grub Street ID 21547.
  • Defoe, Daniel. The fortunes and misfortunes of the famous Moll Flanders, &c. who was born in Newgate, ... Written from her own memorandums. London: printed for, and sold by T. Edlin; W. Chetwood; and W. Mears; J. Brotherton; C. King, and J. Stags, 1722. ESTC No. N31966. Grub Street ID 20845.
  • Defoe, Daniel. The fortunes and misfortunes of the famous Moll Flanders, &c. who was born in Newgate, And during a Life of continu'd Variety for Threescore Years, besides her Childhood, was Twelve Year a Whore, five times a Wife (whereof once to her own Brother) Twelve Year a Thief, Eight Year a Transported Felon in Virginia, at last grew Rich, liv'd Honest, and died a Penitent. Written from her own memorandums. London: printed for, and sold by W. Chetwood, at Cato's-Head, in Russel-Street, Covent-Garden; and T. Edlin, at the Prince's-Arms, over-against Exeter-Change in the Strand; W. Mears, at the Lamb without Temple-Bar; J. Brotherton, by the Royal-Exchange; C. King, and J Stags, in Westminster Hall, MDCCXXII. [1722]. ESTC No. T70315. Grub Street ID 294074.
  • Defoe, Daniel. The history and remarkable life of the truly honourable Col. Jacque, commonly call'd Col. Jack, who was born a gentleman, put 'prentice to a pick-pocket, was six and twenty years a thief, and then kidnapp'd to Virginia. Came back a Merchant; was Five times married to Four Whores; went into the Wars, behav'd bravely, got Preferment, was made Colonel of a Regiment, came over, and fled with the Chevalier, is still abroad compleating a Life of Wonders, and resolves to dye a General. London: printed and sold by J. Brotherton, at the Royal-Exchange; T. Payne, near Stationers-Hall; W. Mears, at the Lamb, and A. Dodd, at the Peacock without Temple-Bar; W. Chetwood, in Covent Garden; J. Graves, in St. James's-Street; S. Chapman, in Pall Mall, and J. Stagg, at Westminster-Hall, MDCCXXIII. [1723]. ESTC No. T69662. Grub Street ID 293612.