Publications of John Wright

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 John Wright

  • Christ's Hospital (London, England).. A psalm of thanksgiving to be sung by the children of Christ's Hospital, on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday in Easter-Week, according to ancient custom, for their founders and benefactors. Composed by Mr. Horwood, master of the musick-school. The words by S. H. M.A. London]: Printed by John Wright on St. Peter's Hill, near Doctors-Commons, 1729. ESTC No. T169055. Grub Street ID 206904.
  • Pope, Alexander. The dunciad, variorum. With the prolegomena of Scriblerus. London: printed [by John Wright] for A. Dod, 1729. ESTC No. T5544. Grub Street ID 282018.
  • West, Gilbert. Stowe, the gardens of the Right Honourable Richard Lord Viscount Cobham. Address'd to Mr. Pope. London: printed by J. Wright, for Lawton Gilliver at Homer's Head against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet, 1732. ESTC No. T48719. Grub Street ID 276560.
  • Bramston, James. The man of taste. Occasion'd by an epistle of Mr. Pope's on that subject. By the author of the Art of politicks. London: printed by J. Wright, for Lawton Gilliver at Homer's Head against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet, 1733. ESTC No. T38912. Grub Street ID 268301.
  • Bramston, James. The man of taste. Occasion'd by an epistle of Mr. Pope's on that subject. By the author of The art of politicks. London: printed by J. Wright for Lawton Gilliver at Homer's Head against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet, 1733. ESTC No. T38913. Grub Street ID 268302.
  • Lyttelton, George, 1st Baron Lyttelton. Observations on the life of Cicero. London: printed by J. Wright, for Lawton Gilliver, 1733. ESTC No. T41818. Grub Street ID 270631.
  • Pope, Alexander. Of the use of riches, an epistle to the Right Honorable Allen Lord Bathurst. By Mr. Pope. London: printed by J. Wright, for Lawton Gilliver at Homer's Head against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet, 1732. [1733]. ESTC No. T5712. Grub Street ID 283475.
  • Pope, Alexander. Of the use of riches, an epistle to the Right Honourable Allen Lord Bathurst. By Mr. Pope. The second edition.. London: printed by J. Wright, for Lawton Gilliver at Homer's Head against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet, [1733]. ESTC No. T5713. Grub Street ID 283480.
  • Bramston, James. The man of taste. Occasion'd by an epistle of Mr. Pope's on that subject. By the author of The art of politics. London [i.e. Edinburgh]: printed by J. Wright, for Lawton Gilliver at Homer's Head against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleet-Street, 1733. ESTC No. T63045. Grub Street ID 288344.
  • Pope, Alexander. Of the use of riches, an epistle to the Right Honourable Allen Lord Bathurst. By Mr. Pope. The second edition.. London: printed by J. Wright, for Lawton Gilliver at Homer's Head against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet, [1733]. ESTC No. T5714. Grub Street ID 283486.
  • Pope, Alexander. Of the use of riches, an epistle to the Right Honorable Allen Lord Bathurst. By Mr. Pope. London [Edinburgh]: printed by J. Wright, for Lawton Gilliver at Homer's Head against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleet-Street, 1732 [1733]. ESTC No. T5715. Grub Street ID 283490.
  • The man of taste. Occasion'd by an epistle of Mr. Pope's on that subject. By the author of the Art of politicks. London: printed by J. Wright, for Lawton Gilliver at Homer's Head against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet, 1733. ESTC No. T490340. Grub Street ID 366262.
  • Bramston, James. The man of taste. Occasion'd by an epistle of Mr. Pope's on that subject. By the author of the Art of politicks. London: printed by J. Wright, for Lawton Gilliver, 1733. ESTC No. N67824. Grub Street ID 49364.
  • Bramston, James. The man of taste. Occasion'd by an epistle of Mr. Pope's on that subject. By the author of the Art of politicks. London: printed by J. Wright, for Lawton Gilliver, 1733. ESTC No. N67826. Grub Street ID 49366.
  • Bramston, James. The man of taste. Occasion'd by an epistle of Mr. Pope's on that subject. By the author of the Art of politicks. London: printed by J. Wright, for Lawton Gilliver, 1733. ESTC No. N67827. Grub Street ID 49367.
  • Freind, John. Johannis Freind, M.D. Serenissimæ reginæ Carolinæ archiatri, opera omnia medica. Londini: typis Johannis Wright. Impensis Gul. Innys, Ric. Manby Regiae Societatis Typographorum, & L. Gilliver in Vico voc. Fleetstreet, MDCCXXXIII. [1733]. ESTC No. T95591. Grub Street ID 315099.
  • Bramston, James. The man of taste. Occasion'd by an epistle of Mr. Pope's on that subject. By the Author of the Art of politicks. London: Printed by J. Wright, for Lawton Gilliver at Homer's Head against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet, 1733. ESTC No. N110. Grub Street ID 991.
  • Bramston, James. The man of taste. Occasion'd by an epistle of Mr. Pope's on that subject. By the Author of the Art of politicks. London: Printed by J. Wright, for Lawton Gilliver at Homer's Head against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet, 1733. ESTC No. N34749. Grub Street ID 23039.
  • Royal Exchange Assurance Office.. Proposals by the Corporation of the Royal Exchange Assurance, established by His Majesty's royal charter, for assuring houses and other buildings, goods, wares, and merchandizes, from loss or damage by fire. London: Printed by John Wright, on St. Peter's Hill, near Doctors Commons, 1734. ESTC No. T188475. Grub Street ID 224288.
  • Pope, Alexander. The second satire of the second book of Horace praprhased [sic]. By the author of the first. London: printed by J. Wright for Lawton Gilliver, 1735 [1734?]. ESTC No. T5742. Grub Street ID 283692.
  • Pope, Alexander. An essay on man, being the first book of ethic epistles. To Henry St. John, L. Bolingbroke. London: Printed by John Wright, for Lawton Gilliver, MDCCXXXIV. [1734]. ESTC No. T222362. Grub Street ID 245294.
  • Pope, Alexander. An essay on man. Being the first book of ethic epistles. To Henry St. John, L. Bolingbroke. London: Printed by John Wright, for Lawton Gilliver, MDCCXXXIV. [1734]. ESTC No. T202704. Grub Street ID 233538.
  • Pope, Alexander. An essay on man, being the first book of ethic epistles. To Henry St. John, L. Bolingbroke. London: printed by John Wright, for Lawton Gilliver, MDCCXXXIV. [1734]. ESTC No. N52535. Grub Street ID 36519.
  • Pope, Alexander. An essay on man, being the first book of ethic epistles. To Henry St. John, L. Bolingbroke. London: printed by John Wright, for Lawton Gilliver, MDCCXXXIV. [1734]. ESTC No. T5607. Grub Street ID 282617.
  • Pope, Alexander. Of the characters of women: an Epistle to a lady. By Mr. Pope. London: printed by J. Wright, for Lawton Gilliver at Homer's Head against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet, MDCCXXXV. [1735]. ESTC No. T5707. Grub Street ID 283431.
  • Pope, Alexander. Of the characters of women: an Epistle To a Lady. By Mr. Pope. London [Edinburgh]: printed by J. Wright, for Lawton Gilliver, at Homer's Head against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet, 1735. ESTC No. T5708. Grub Street ID 283440.
  • Pope, Alexander. An epistle from Mr. Pope, to Dr. Arbuthnot. London: printed by J. Wright for Lawton Gilliver at Homer's Head in Fleetstreet, 1734 [1735]. ESTC No. T5567. Grub Street ID 282232.
  • Pope, Alexander. An epistle from Mr. Pope, to Dr. Arbuthnot. London [i.e. Edinburgh]: printed by J. Wright, for Lawton Gilliver, 1734 [1735]. ESTC No. T5568. Grub Street ID 282243.
  • Trapp, Joseph. Thoughts upon the four last things: death; judgment; heaven; hell. A poem in four parts. Part II. Judgment. London: printed by J. Wright, for Lawton Gilliver at Homer's Head against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet, MDCCXXXIV. [1734] [1735]. ESTC No. T50253. Grub Street ID 277937.
  • Trapp, Joseph. Thoughts upon the four last things: death; judgment; heaven; hell. A poem in four parts. Part III. Heaven. London: Printed by J. Wright, for Lawton Gilliver at Homer's Head against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleet street, MDCCXXXV. [1735]. ESTC No. T50255. Grub Street ID 277939.
  • Trapp, Joseph. Thoughts upon the four last things: death; judgment; heaven; hell. A poem in four parts. Part IV. Hell. London: printed by J. Wright, for Lawton Gilliver at Homer's Head against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet, MDCCXXXV. [1735]. ESTC No. T50256. Grub Street ID 277940.
  • Harte, Walter. An essay on reason. The second edition.. London: printed by J. Wright for Lawton Gilliver at Homer's Head against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet, M.DCC.XXXV. [1735]. ESTC No. T61480. Grub Street ID 287172.
  • Pope, Alexander. The works of Mr. Alexander Pope. Volume II. London: printed by J. Wright, for Lawton Gilliver at Homer's Head in Fleetstreet, MDCCXXXV. [1735]. ESTC No. T5390. Grub Street ID 280776.
  • Pope, Alexander. The works of Mr. Alexander Pope. Volume II. London: printed by J. Wright, for Lawton Gilliver at Homer's Head in Fleetstreet, MDCCXXXV. [1735]. ESTC No. T5391. Grub Street ID 280778.
  • Pope, Alexander. The works of Mr. Alexander Pope. Volume II. London: printed by J. Wright, for Lawton Gilliver at Homer's Head in Fleetstreet, MDCCXXXV. [1735]. ESTC No. T5392. Grub Street ID 280785.
  • Harte, Walter. An essay on reason. London: printed by J. Wright for Lawton Gilliver at Homer's Head against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet, M.DCC.XXXV. [1735]. ESTC No. T33338. Grub Street ID 263891.
  • Harte, Walter. An essay on reason. The second edition.. London: printed by J. Wright for Lawton Gilliver at Homer's Head against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet, M.DCC.XXXV. [1735]. ESTC No. T60592. Grub Street ID 286434.
  • Harte, Walter. An essay on reason. The third edition, corrected. By the Reverend Walter Harte, M. A. of St. Mary-Hall in Oxford. London: printed by J. Wright for Lawton Gilliver at Homer's Head against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet, M.DCC.XXXVI. [1736]. ESTC No. T127193. Grub Street ID 177018.
  • [The works of Mr. Alexander Pope: in prose.]. London: printed by J. Wright for J. Knapton ... L. Gilliver ... J. Brindley ... and R. Dodsley ..., 1737-1741. ESTC No. N473687. Grub Street ID 405815.
  • Pope, Alexander. Letters of Mr. Alexander Pope, And Several of his Friends. London: printed by J. Wright for J. Knapton in Ludgate-Street, L. Gilliver in Fleetstreet, J. Brindley in New Bond-Street, and R. Dodsley in Pall-Mall, MDCCXXXVII. [1737]. ESTC No. T5513. Grub Street ID 281737.
  • Pope, Alexander. Letters of Mr. Alexander Pope, And Several of his Friends. London: printed by J. Wright for J. Knapton in Ludgatestreet, L. Gilliver in Fleetstreet, J. Brindley in New Bond street, and R. Dodsley in Pall-Mall, MDCCXXXVII. [1737]. ESTC No. T5514. Grub Street ID 281747.
  • Pope, Alexander. Letters of Mr. Alexander Pope, And Several of his Friends. London: printed by J. Wright for J. Knapton in Ludgatestreet, L. Gilliver in Fleetstreet, J. Brindley in New Bond street, and R. Dodsley in Pall-Mall, MDCCXXXVII. [1737]. ESTC No. T5515. Grub Street ID 281758.
  • Pope, Alexander. Epistles of Horace imitated. By Mr. Pope. London: printed by J. Wright, for J. and P. Knapton, L. Gilliver, J. Brindley, R. Dodslely, 1838. [i.e.1738]. ESTC No. N66113. Grub Street ID 47889.
  • Pope, Alexander. The works of Mr. Alexander Pope. . London: printed by J. Wright, for Lawton Gilliver at Homer's Head in Fleetstreet, MDCCXXXV. [1735] [1739?]. ESTC No. T5393. Grub Street ID 280796.
  • Pope, Alexander. The works of Mr. Alexander Pope: containing his epistles and satires: with some never before printed. London: printed by J. Wright for J. Knapton, L. Gilliver, J. Brindley, and R. Dodesley [sic], 1737 [1742]. ESTC No. T116579. Grub Street ID 168242.
  • Christ's Hospital (London, England).. A new plan, or Method for instructing the children in the grammar school at Christ's Hospital. This plan divides the school into eight forms; four under the care of the lower-master, and four under the upper-master: and shows the books taught in, or necessary to each form: with the method by which they are adapted to each particular day of the week. London: Printed by John Wright, on St. Peter's Hill, near Doctors Commons, printer to Christ's Hospital, MDCCXLV. [1745]. ESTC No. T219893. Grub Street ID 243817.
  • Christ's Hospital (London, England).. An abstract of the orders to be observed by the carr-men of the city of London, and liberties thereof, published by the worshipful the governors of Christ's-Hospital, who sit every first Tuesday in the month, in the afternoon, in the compting-house of the said hospital, to hear and relieve any person that can make a *just complaint, either against the carr-man, his journey-man, or servant, for not observing the orders following. London]: Printed by John Wright, on St. Peter's Hill, Printer to Christ-Hosptial, 1746. ESTC No. T57138. Grub Street ID 283484.
  • Christ's Hospital (London, England).. A psalm of thanksgiving to be sung by the children of Christ's Hospital on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday in Easter-Week, according to ancient custom, for their founders and benefactors. Composed by Mr. Young, master of the musick-school. London]: Printed by John Wright on St. Peter's Hill, near Doctors-Commons, printer to Christ's Hospital, London, 1748. ESTC No. N39932. Grub Street ID 27126.
  • London. ss. Ad general' quarterial session' pacis Dom' Regis & Reginae tent' pro civitat' London, apud Guihald' ... die Lunae, scil' duodecimo, die Octobris, anno Reg' Dom' nost' Will' & Mariae ... tertio ... Whereas daily complaints are made by merchants . London]: Printed by John Wright, on St. Peter's Hill, near Doctors Commons, printer to Christ's Hospital, 1749. ESTC No. T57143. Grub Street ID 283488.