Publications of Robert Robinson

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 the seller and printer roles in combination, or an absence of the printer's name following "London: printed:" or "London: printed,":

  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. 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 Robert Robinson

  • Bertholdus, Andreas. The vvonderfull and strange effect and vertues of a new Terra sigillata lately found out in Germanie, with the right order of the applying and administring of it: being oftentimes tried and experienced by Andreas Bertholdus of Oschatz in Misnia. At London: Printed by Robert Robinson for Richard Watkins, 1587. ESTC No. S110682. Grub Street ID 130680.
  • Brooke, Arthur. The tragicall historie of Romeus and Iuliet, contayning in it a rare example of true constancie: with the subtill counsels and practises of an old fryer, and their ill euent. At London: Imprinted by R. Robinson, 1587. ESTC No. S112810. Grub Street ID 132557.
  • Pigg, Oliver. Meditations concerning praiers to almighty God, for the safety of England, when the Spaniards were come into the narrow seas, August 1588. As also other meditations concerning thanksgiuing, for deliuering Englande from the cruelty of the Spaniards, and for their meruailous confusion and ouerthrow. By O. Pygge. With a spirituall song of praises by P. Turner Doctor of phisicke. Printed at London: by R. R[obinson]. for Thomas Man, 1589. ESTC No. S94725. Grub Street ID 152894.
  • Pigg, Oliver. Meditations concerning praiers to almightie God, for the saftie [sic] of England, when the Spaniards were come into the narrow seas. August 1588. As also other meditations concerning thanksgiuing, for deliuering England from the crueltie of the Spaniards, and for their meruellous confusion and ouerthrow. By O.P. Printed at London: By R. R[obinson] for Thomas Man, 1589. ESTC No. S111956. Grub Street ID 131719.
  • Perkins, William. A treatise tending vnto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of damnation or in the estate of grace: and if he be in the first, how he may in time come out of it: if in the second, how he maie discerne it, and perseuer in the same to the end. The points that are handled are set downe in the page following. Printed at London: by R. Robinson, for T. Gubbin, and I. Porter, [1590?]. ESTC No. S94692. Grub Street ID 152873.
  • Perkins, William. A treatise tending vnto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of damnation or in the estate of grace: and if he be in the first, how he may in time come out of it: if in the second, how he maie discerne it, and perseuere in the same to the end. The points that are handled are set downe in the page following. Printed at London: by R. Robinson, for T. Gubbin, and I. Porter, [1590?]. ESTC No. S125446. Grub Street ID 144687.
  • Perkins, William. A treatise tending vnto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of damnation or in the estate of grace: and if he be in the first, how he may in time come out of it: if in the second, how he maie discerne it, and perseuere in the same to the end. The points that are handled are set downe in the page following. Printed at London: By R. Robinson, for T. Gubbin, and I. Porter, [1590?]. ESTC No. S114483. Grub Street ID 134193.
  • W. R. The most horrible and tragicall murther of the right honorable, the vertuous and valerous gentleman, Iohn Lord Bourgh, Baron of Castell Connell. Committed by Arnold Cosby, the foureteenth of Ianuarie. Togeather with the sorrowfull sighes of a sadde soule, vppon his funerall: written by W.R. a seruaunt of the said Lord Bourgh. [London]: Printed by R. R[obinson], 1591. ESTC No. S110583. Grub Street ID 130600.
  • Tacitus, Cornelius. The ende of Nero and beginning of Galba. Fower bookes of the Histories of Cornelius Tacitus. The life of Agricola. [Printed at Oxforde: by Ioseph Barnes [and R. Robinson, London] for Richard Wright], M. D. LXXXXI. [1591]. ESTC No. S117595. Grub Street ID 137264.
  • Three prayers: one for the morning, another for the euening, the third for a sicke man. Whereunto is annexed a godly letter to a sicke friend: and a comfortable speech of a preacher vpon his death bed. Anno 1591. Printed at London: [By R. Robinson] for Thomas Man, dwelling in Pater Noster row at the signe of the Talbot, 1592. ESTC No. S113758. Grub Street ID 133483.
  • The sermons of Master Henrie Smith, gathered into one volume. Printed according to his corrected copie in his lifetime. At London: Printed by Thomas Orwin, [R. Robinson, and T. Scarlet?] for Thomas Man, dwelling in Pater noster row at the signe of the Talbot, 1592. ESTC No. S113761. Grub Street ID 133486.
  • (The psalter or psalmes of Dauid.) [With the morning and evening prayer.]. London [[col.:] R. Robinson [sub tp:] by the assignes of W. Seres, 1592.]. ESTC No. S90586. Grub Street ID 149907.
  • Norden, John. [A pensiue mans practise very profitable for all personnes.]. [London: R. Robinson, 1592]. ESTC No. S94486. Grub Street ID 152733.
  • The sermons of Maister Henrie Smith, gathered into one volume. Printed according to his corrected copies in his life time. At London: Printed by Richard Field [, T. Orwin, and R. Robinson] for Thomas Man, dwelling in Pater Noster row, at the signe of the Talbot, 1593. ESTC No. S117445. Grub Street ID 137115.
  • Marlowe, Christopher. The troublesome raigne and lamentable death of Edward the second, King of England: with the tragicall fall of proud Mortimer: as it was sundrie times publiquely acted in the honourable citie of London, by the right honourable the Earle of Pembrooke his seruants. Written by Chri. Marlow Gent. Imprinted at London: [By R. Robinson] for William Iones dwelling neere Holbourne conduit, at the signe of the Gunne, 1594. ESTC No. S120996. Grub Street ID 140605.
  • Dent, Arthur. A plaine exposition of the articles of our faith, by short questions and answeres, for the vnderstanding of the simple. Gathered by Arthur Dent minister of the worde of God: especially for the benefite of his own flocke: who hauing taught his people these points, is careful that they all may learne them: to this end, that euerie of them of his charge, may be able to giue a reason of their faith. London: Printed by R. Robinson for W. Yong, and R. Iackson, 1594. ESTC No. S120067. Grub Street ID 139705.
  • Raleigh, Walter. The discouerie of the large, rich, and bevvtiful empire of Guiana, with a relation of the great and golden citie of Manoa (which the spanyards call El Dorado) and the prouinces of Emeria, Arromaia, Amapaia, and other countries, with their riuers, adioyning. Performed in the yeare 1595. by Sir W. Ralegh Knight, captaine of her Maiesties Guard, Lo. Warden of the Sannerries [sic], and her Highnesse Lieutenant generall of the countie of Cornewall. Imprinted at London: by Robert Robinson, 1596. ESTC No. S110574. Grub Street ID 130592.
  • Morton, Thomas. Prioris Corinthiacæ epistola expositio quædam. Londini: [Printed by R. Robinson], apud Robertum Dexter, 1596. ESTC No. S112931. Grub Street ID 132676.
  • Bull, Henry. Christian praiers and holie meditations, as wel for priuate as publique exercise: gathered out of the most godly learned in our time, by Henrie Bull. Whereunto are added the praiers, commonly called Lidleys praiers. At London: Printed by R. Robinson, for S. Waterson. and N. Ling, 1596. ESTC No. S120490. Grub Street ID 140119.
  • A spiritual wedding. Wherein we are by similitudes taught, how Christ his bride, the faithfull soule, is in this life prepared & adorned, before shee be by Christ her bridegroome ledde home to the heauenly wedding. Writen first in the high Dutch tongue, and dedicated to the Empresse Leonora, now newly translated into English. Imprinted at London: By [R. Robinson for] Iohn Wolfe, 1597. ESTC No. S121743. Grub Street ID 141315.
  • Pie, Thomas. An houreglasse contayning I a computation from the beginning of time to Christ by X. articles. II A confirmation of the same for the times controuersed before Christ: as also that there wanteth a yeare after Christ, in the vsuall computation. With other matters, offered to the iudgement of the learned, and vse of the studious in chronologie and historie. By Thomas Pie Doctor of Diuinitie. London: printed by [R. Robinson for] Iohn Wolfe, 1597. ESTC No. S114788. Grub Street ID 134493.

Sold by Robert Robinson

  • W., R.. The tragedie of Tancred and Gismund. Compiled by the gentlemen of the Inner Temple, and by them presented before her Maiestie. Newly reuiued and polished according to the decorum of these daies. By R.W. London: Printed by Thomas Scarlet, and are to be solde by R. Robinson, 1591. ESTC No. S111807. Grub Street ID 131582.
  • W., R.. The tragedie of Tancred and Gismund. Compiled by the gentlemen of the Inner Temple, and by them presented before her Maiestie. Newly reuiued and polished according to the decorum of these daies. By R.W. London: Printed by Thomas Scarlet, and are to be solde by R. Robinson, 1592. ESTC No. S120106. Grub Street ID 139743.