Publications of Isaac Thompson

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

On this last point, trade publishers such as Mary Cooper appeared in imprints as having "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, 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 Isaac Thompson

  • Story, Thomas. A journal of the life of Thomas Story: containing, an account of his remarkable convincement of, and embracing the principles of truth, as held by the people called Quakers; And also, of his Travels and Labours in the Service of the Gospel: With many other Occurrences and Observations. Newcastle upon Tyne: printed by Isaac Thompson and Company, at the New Printing-Office on the Side, MDCCXLVII. [1747]. ESTC No. N8411. Grub Street ID 53317.
  • Statutes, rules, and orders for the government of the Infirmary for the Sick and Lame Poor of the Counties of Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Northumberland. With a list of the contributors. To which is prefixed, an account of the rise, progress, and state of this charity. Newcastle upon Tyne: printed by I. Thompson and Company, MDCCLII. [1752]. ESTC No. N23437. Grub Street ID 12794.
  • The General magazine, for ... Newcastle upon Tyne [England]: printed by I[saac]. Thompson and Co. at the new printing office on the side, [1759-1760]. ESTC No. P2040. Grub Street ID 55762.
  • Brown, John. On the natural duty of a personal service, in defence of ourselves and country. A sermon, preached at St Nicholas church, in Newcastle, on occasion of a late dangerous insurrection, at Hexham. To which is prefixed, a short and authentic account of the insurrection. By John Brown, ... Newcastle upon Tyne: printed by I. Thompson, Esq; and Company, 1761. ESTC No. N10895. Grub Street ID 881.
  • The dutch florist: or, true method of managing all sorts of flowers with bulbous roots. By Nicholas van Kampen and Son, Florists, at Harlem, in Holland. Translated from the original, which is signed by the authors to prevent imposition. Newcastle upon Tyne: printed by Isaac Thompson, Esq; and Company; and sold by Mr Charnley, Mr Akenhead, Mr Fleming, and Mr Barber, Booksellers in Newcastle; and by all the other booksellers in Great Britain and Ireland, 1763. ESTC No. T92142. Grub Street ID 311935.
  • A particular of the valuable and extensive freehold manor of Harte, in the county of Durham; late the estate of the Hon. James Lumley, deceas'd; together with the rectory impropriate of Harte, and divers messuages, farms, and lands lying in Harte and Hartlepoole ... Which will be sold by auction, by Mr. Langford and Son, ... on Friday and Saturday the 20th and 21st of July 1770. ... [Newcastle upon Tyne?: printed by Isaac Thompson?, 1770]. ESTC No. T168393. Grub Street ID 206316.
  • The proceedings of the Stewards of the several Companies of the Corporation of Newcastle, respecting an enquiry into the rights, by which any roads over the town-moor, &c. are enjoyed. ... [Newcastle upon Tyne]: Printed by I. Thompson,, [1771]. ESTC No. T44525. Grub Street ID 272937.
  • Neither a bigot nor enthusiast, but a friend to society. An address to English protestants, of every class, and denomination. Recommending a conscientious attendance on public religious offices, as Essential both to the Temporal and Spiritual Intersts of Mankind. By neither a bigot nor enthusiast, but a friend to society. Newcastle: printed by Isaac Thompson, Esq; and Company; and sold by W. Charnley, in Newcastle, and all other Booksellers in Town and Country, [1780?]. ESTC No. T104355. Grub Street ID 157888.

Printed for Isaac Thompson

  • Turford, Hugh. The grounds of a holy life: or, the way by which many who were heathens, came to be renowned Christians; and such as are now sinners, may come to be number'd with saints; by little preaching. To which is added, Paul's speech to the Bishop of Cretia: as also, a true touchstone, or trial of Christianity. By Hugh Turford. Newcastle upon Tyne: printed for Isaac Thompson and Company, by John Gooding, 1748. ESTC No. N17966. Grub Street ID 7439.
  • The Newcastle general magazine, or Monthly repository of useful and curious intelligence, and literary performances, for the year ... Newcastle upon Tyne [England]: printed for I[saac]. Thompson and Company, by John Gooding, [1748-1760]. ESTC No. P2039. Grub Street ID 55760.

Author

  • Thompson, Isaac. A collection of poems, occasionally writ on several subjects. By Isaac Thompson. Newcastle upon Tyne: printed by John White, for the author, and sold by the booksellers, 1731. ESTC No. T98091. Grub Street ID 317417.
  • Thompson, Isaac. Poetic essays, on nature, men, and morals. Essay I. To Dr Askew, of Newcastle. [Newcastle upon Tyne]: printed for R. Akenhead, jun. in Newcastle upon Tyne and C. Hitch, in London, MDCCL. [1750]. ESTC No. T42692. Grub Street ID 271465.
  • Thompson, Isaac. A description of the orrery: wherein the structure and several parts of that curious machine, are fully explain'd. ... By Isaac Thompson. Newcastle: printed by W. Cuthbert, [1750?]. ESTC No. T98090. Grub Street ID 317416.
  • Thompson, Isaac. A short account of a course of natural and experimental philosophy, comprehending mechanics, hydrostatics, and pneumatics, with the elements of optics and astronomy which will include all the useful and curious Discoveries that have been made by the most diligent and accurate Enquirers into Nature. To be begun on Monday the 10th of January, at six o'clock in the evening, at the Cordwainers Hall, by I. Thompson, and R. Harrison. Newcastle upon Tyne: printed by I. Thompson and Company, MDCCLVII. [1757]. ESTC No. T98108. Grub Street ID 317432.