Publications of Richard Wilkin

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), or an obfuscation of the actual printer's name (e.g., "London: printed, and sold by x"):

  1. "printed and sold by x"; or "printed for and sold by x"; or "printed by and for x"; or "printed: and sold by x"; or "printed, and sold by x";  and so on.

On this last point, trade publishers may seem to have "printed" or "published" the work, though they did not own the copyright (see, e.g. Mary Cooper). The lists below reflect only the information on the imprint, except where ESTC provides extra information.

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. Booksellers may also be 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 (or what we might call a wholesaler) rather than a copyright holder. Copyright owners may also be identified by the words printed for. 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.

He cautions, "The only way to avoid being misled is to regard any imprint which says a book is printed for a publisher as meaning it is sold by him" (5).

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 Richard Wilkin

  • N., J.. A short compendium of trigonometry, both plain and spherical. By J. N. Together with the construction of the canon of sines and tangents. Cambridge: printed at the University-Press, for Thomas Webster: and are to be sold by Ric. Wilkins. London, 1710. ESTC No. T175712. Grub Street ID 212774.
  • Lewis, Hugh. The methods, unreasonableness, and danger of sinners enticing others to sin. A sermon preach'd before the University of Oxford, at St. Mary's on Sunday morning July IX. 1710. ... By H. Lewis, ... Oxford: printed at the Theater, for Edw. Whistler; and are to be sold by Rich. Wilkin, and Rob. Gosling, London, [1710]. ESTC No. T104375. Grub Street ID 157905.

Sold by Richard Wilkin

  • Sherwill, Thomas. Monarchy attended with high birth the best establishment. A sermon preach'd before the University of Cambridge, on Tuesday March the 8th, 1708/9. Being the anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Ann's Happy Accession to the Throne. By Thomas Sherwill, M. A. and Fellow of Christ's College Cambridge. Cambridge: printed at the University Press, for Tho. Webster. Bookseller in Cambridge, and sold by Richard Wilkin, Bookseller at the King's Head, in St. Paul's Church-Yard, London, 1709. ESTC No. T11959. Grub Street ID 170975.

Printed for Richard Wilkin

  • An answer to W. P. his Key about the Quakers light within and oaths. With an appendix of the sacraments. London: printed for R[ichard]. Wilkin at the King's Head in St. Paul's Church-yard, 1695. ESTC No. R172382. Grub Street ID 66265.
  • Woodward, John. An essay toward a natural history of the earth: and terrestrial bodies, especially minerals: as also of the sea, rivers, and springs. With an account of the universal deluge: and of the effects that it had upon the earth. By John Woodward, M.D. Professor of Physick in Gresham-College, and Fellow of the Royal Society. London: printed for Ric. Wilkin at the Kings-Head in St. Paul's Church-yard, 1695. ESTC No. R1666. Grub Street ID 64480.
  • Hewerdine, Thomas. The countrey-curate to the countrey-people. Endeavouring a plain account of the cross in baptism, kneeling at the Holy Communion, the wedding-ring, and the surplice. With a brief introduction, shewing the true state of the toleration. . London: printed by W. B. for Rich. Wilkin, 1701. ESTC No. N27663. Grub Street ID 16911.
  • Sharpe, Isaac. Presbyterian loyalty, in two letters: one directed to Mr Palmer, author of the Vindication of the loyalty, &c. of the Dissenters. The other to a tacking Member of Parliament, Giving some Account of The History of Dissenters Loyalty, &c. Part I. In answer to Mr Palmer's fifth chapter of his vindication of the Dissenters Behaviour towards Authority. In which there is Some Account of the Presbyterian Plot of making James Duke of Monmouth King of England. By a friend of the tackers. London: printed by E. P. for R. Wilkin, at the Kings-Head in St. Paul's Church-Yard, 1705. ESTC No. N12472. Grub Street ID 2473.
  • Bray, Thomas. Bibliotheca parochialis, &c. Or A scheme of such theological and other heads, as seem requisite to be perus'd, or occassionally consulted, by the reberend clergy. Together with the books which may be profitably read on each of those points, in order to promote the forming and erecting libraries of three degrees, viz. General, deranal or lending, and parochial, throughout Her Majesty's dominions, both at home and abroad. To which will be subjoyn'd an account how far the design has been hitherto advanc'd; and how practicable it may be to perfect the same. The second edition, with large additions. By Thomas Bray, D.D. London: Printed by S.H. for R. Wilkin, at the King's Head in St. Paul's Church-Yard; and W. Hawes at the Bible in Ludgate-Street, 1707. ESTC No. T173033. Grub Street ID 210347.
  • Burrell, William. A sermon preach'd at Horsham in Sussex, at the assizes held there July 28, 1712. ... By William Burrell,. London: printed by W. S. for Richard Wilkin, 1712. ESTC No. N22796. Grub Street ID 12152.
  • Holdsworth, Winch. A sermon preached before the University of Oxford at St Mary's on Easter-Monday, 1719. In which the Cavils, False Reasonings, and False Interpretations of Scripture of Mr Lock and Others, against the Resurrection of the same Body are Examin'd and Answered. By Winch Holdsworth D. D. Fellow of St John Baptist's College. Oxford: printed at the Theatre, for Rich. Wilkin at the King's Head in St Paul's Church Yard, London, 1720. ESTC No. T47843. Grub Street ID 275815.
  • Burgh, Thomas. A method to determine the areas of right-lined figures universally. Very useful for ascertaining the contents of any survey. By Tho. Burgh, ... Dublin: printed by A. Rhames, for Richard Wilkins, London, 1724. ESTC No. T144039. Grub Street ID 190983.
  • Bysshe, Edward. The art of English poetry. Containing, I. Rules for making verses. II. A collection of the most natural, agreeable and sublime thoughts, viz. Allusions, Similes, Descriptions and Characters of Persons and Things, that are to be found in the best English Poets. III. A dictionary of rhymes. By Edward Bysshe, gent. The seventh edition corrected and enlarged.. London: printed for R. Wilkin in St. Paul's Church-Yard; O. Loyd in the Temple; J. Osborn in Lombard-Street; W. Mears, and F. Clay without Temple-Bar,, and J. Hooke in Fleet-Street, M.DCC.XXV. [1725]. ESTC No. N16359. Grub Street ID 6028.