Publications of George Woodfall

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 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 George Woodfall

  • Ellys, Anthony. A sermon preached before the Honourable House of Commons, at St. Margaret's, Westminster, on Monday, Jan. 30, 1748-9. Being the day appointed to be observed as the day of the martyrdom of King Charles 1. By Anthony Ellys, D. D. And Prebendary of the Cathedral Church of Gloucester. London: printed by George Woodfall at Charing-Cross, [1749]. ESTC No. T47670. Grub Street ID 275626.
  • Noris, Matteo. Tito Manlio. Dramma per musica, da rappresentarsi sopta il Teatro di S.M.B. London: printed by G. Woodfall, 1761. ESTC No. T50372. Grub Street ID 278039.
  • The pharmacopoeia, of the Royal College of Physicians of London, translated into English, with notes, indexes of new names, preparations, &c. &c. By the late Thomas Healde, M.D. F.R.S. Lumleyan Lecturer at the College of Physicians, and Senior Physician of the London Hospital. The seventh edition, revised, and adapted to the last improved edition of the college; with an index, shewing the general doses of medicines, by John Latham, M. D. Fellow of the Royal College Of Physicians, Physician to the Magdalen, and to St. Bartholomew's Hospital. London: printed by G. Woodfall, for T. Longman, Paternoster-Row, 1796. ESTC No. N11349. Grub Street ID 1347.

Sold by George Woodfall

  • Philo-Ierne.. A letter to a Member of the Irish Parliament relative to the present state of Ireland. Wherein Many Advantages, are laid down which would arise to the Province of Munster in particular, and to the Kingdom in general, from improving and farther extending the Navigation of the Blackwater River thro' the Counties of Waterford and Corke. London: printed by H. Woodfall in Pater-Noster Row; and sold by Mrs. Kingman, at the Royal Exchange; and G. Woodfall, at Chairing-Cross, [1755]. ESTC No. T93798. Grub Street ID 313437.
  • The mirror. [London]: Dublin printed: London, reprinted and sold by G. Woodfall, at the King's-Arms, Charing Cross; M. Cooper, at the Globe in Pater-noster-Row; and C. Corbett, in Fleet-street, [1755?]. ESTC No. N5489. Grub Street ID 38511.
  • Il tutore; or, the tutor. A comic burletta. As it is performed at the Theatre-Royal in Drury-Lane. Translated from the Italian, and set to musick by Signor Adolfo Hasse. London: printed and sold by G. Woodfall at the King's-Arms, Charing-Cross, [1759]. ESTC No. T70465. Grub Street ID 294199.

Printed for George Woodfall

  • A genuine and authentic account of the proceedings at the late election for the city and liberty of Westminster. Containing, a complete collection of the papers, letters, &c. &c. printed on both sides, during the said election. Published by permission. London: printed for G. Woodfall; J. and R. Swan: and sold by C. Corbett, the publisher, [1749]. ESTC No. N18111. Grub Street ID 7586.
  • Annet, Peter. Annet's short-hand. More easy to learn and remember than any other, and may be as expeditiously wrote. By this new method every word is to be written without taking off the Pen; and as many words join'd together as may be lineal and legible. The Book alone is a sufficient Instructor. Eccles. IX. 10. London: printed for Geo. Woodfall, at Charing Cross, [1752?]. ESTC No. T1122. Grub Street ID 164198.
  • Baldwin, John. British liberty in chains, and England's ruin on the anvil, in the Isle of Man, now commonly called Little-France. Addressed to all Free-Britons, zealous for the glory of the King, the liberties of the people, and safety of the realm; especially to the laudable association of Antigallicans. By John Baldwin, Esq;. London: printed for G. Woodfall at Chairing-Cross; R. Griffiths in Paternoster-Row; and W. Owen at Temple-Bar, MDCCLV. [1755]. ESTC No. N15597. Grub Street ID 5307.
  • Gentleman at Leyden.. A letter from a gentleman at Leyden, to his friend at Amsterdam, on the motives that have induced the king of Prussia, to prevent the designs of the court of Vienna. London: printed for George Woodfall, 1756. ESTC No. N34172. Grub Street ID 22587.
  • The Æquipoise, or The constitution ballanced. London [England]: printed for G[eorge]. Woodfall, at the King's-Arms, Charing-Cross, [1757]. ESTC No. P2139. Grub Street ID 55853.
  • Patriot in Retirement.. A letter from a patriot in retirement, to the Right Honourable Mr. William Pitt, upon the resigning of his employment. London: printed for G. Woodfall, the Corner of Craig's Court, Charing-Cross, 1761. ESTC No. N11108. Grub Street ID 1100.
  • Migliavacca, Giannambrogio. Solimano: drama da rappresentarsi sopra il Teatro di S. M. B. la musica delle arie di varj autori. = Soliman: an opera. As it is represented at the King's Theatre in the Hay-Market. The music by different masters. London: printed for G. Woodfall. May, 1765. ESTC No. N36649. Grub Street ID 24615.

Printed by and for, or by/for and sold by George Woodfall

  • Impartial hand.. A plain answer to a late pamphlet, intitled, The business of pawnbroking stated and defended. Shewing the false reasoning, and mis-stating of several facts contained in that pamphlet. ... By an impartial hand. London: printed and sold by George Woodfall; and by W. Bickerton, 1745. ESTC No. T103046. Grub Street ID 156719.
  • J- H-.. The national alarm; or, seasonable admonition to the degenerate natives of the once formidable island of Great Britain: occasion'd by the late rumour of a fresh invasion meditating by their Gallic neighbours. Humbly inscrib'd to His Grace the Duke of B--df----d, First Commissioner for executing the office of Lord High Ad--iral. By J- H-, Esq;. London: printed and sold by George Woodfall, at the King's-Arms near Craig's-Court, Charing-Cross, MDCCXLV. [1745]. ESTC No. N11113. Grub Street ID 1105.