Publications of Richard Ware the First

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 Richard Ware the First

  • Le Clerc, Sébastien. A treatise of architecture, with remarks and observations. Necessary for young people, who would apply themselves to that noble art. By Seb. Le Clerc, Knight of the Empire, designer and engraver in ordinary to the cabinet of the French king. London: printed and sold by Richard Ware, at the Bible and Sun in Amen-Corner, near Pater-Noster-Row, 1732. ESTC No. T79286. Grub Street ID 300861.

Printed for Richard Ware the First

  • Meager, Leonard. The new art of gardening, with the gardener's almanack: containing, the true art of gardening, in all its particulars. ... To each head is added an almanack, shewing what is to be done every month in the year. By Leonard Meager. London: printed for R. Ware. And sold by T. Norris: S. Bates: A. Bettesworth, [1720?]. ESTC No. T83110. Grub Street ID 303591.
  • Dyche, Thomas. A companion to the Lord's table. Declaring plainly the nature of that holy sacrament, the Obligations, which all Christians have to receive it, the true Notions of worthy and unworthy Receiving; the necessary Preparation to it; and the great Advantages of rightly performing this Duty. With short and pious Forms of Prayer, to be used in Private, before, at, and after, Receiving. Written for the Encouragement of the Well-Meaning Professors of Religion, in the Orthodox Church of England. By T. Dyche. London: printed for Richard Ware at the Bible and Sun in Warwick-Lane at Amen-Corner, 1728. ESTC No. T113315. Grub Street ID 165260.
  • A description of three hundred animals; viz. beasts, birds, fishes, serpents, and insects. With a particular account of the whale-fishery. Extracted out of the best authors, and adapted to the Use of all Capacities; especially to allure Children to Read. Illustrated with copper plates, whereon is curiously Engraved every Beast, Bird, Fish, Serpent, and Insect, describ'd in the whole Book. London: printed by J. T. for Rich. Ware at the Bible and Sun in Amen-Corner, Tho. Boreman the Corner of St. Clement's Lane without Temple-Bar, and Tho. Game at the Bible in Prince's-Street, against Stanhope-Street End, M.DCC.XXX. [1730]. ESTC No. T135789. Grub Street ID 184152.
  • Ward, Edward. Nuptial dialogues and debates: or, an useful prospect of the felicities and discomforts of a marry'd life, Incident to all Degrees, from the Throne to the Cottage. Containing Many great Examples of Love, Piety, Prudence, Justice, and all the Excellent Vertues, that largely contribute to the true Happiness of Wedlock. Drawn from the Lives of our own Princes, Nobility, and other Quality, in Prosperity and Adversity. Also the fantastical Humours of all Fops, Coquets, Bullies, Jilts, fond Fools, and Wantons; old Fumblers, barren Ladies, Misers, parsimonious Wives, Ninnies, Sluts and Termagants; drunken Husbands, toping Gossips, schismatical Precisians, and devout Hypocrites of all Sorts. Digested into serious, merry, and satirical poems, wherein both Sexes, in all Stations, are reminded of their Duty, and taught how to be happy in a Matrimonial State. In two volumes. By Edward Ward, Author of the London Spy. London: printed for Mess. Bettesworth, and Hitch, Ware, and Osborn, in Pater-Noster-Row; Hodges, on London-Bridge; Baily, in Mitre-Court, Fleetstreet; and Cummins, at the Royal Exchange, 1737. ESTC No. T125015. Grub Street ID 175188.
  • A description of some curious and uncommon creatures, omitted in the description of three hundred animals, and likewise in the supplement to that book; designed as an addition to those two treatises, ... Compiled by the same hand. In which is included, the natural histor of those great curiosities, the chimpanzee, ... Illustrated with sixteen copper-plates, ... London: printed for Richard Ware; and Thomas Boreman, 1739. ESTC No. T66023. Grub Street ID 290833.
  • Haywood, Eliza. Secret histories, novels, and poems. In four volumes. Written by Mrs. Eliza Haywood. Vol. I. London: printed for R. Ware, in Amen-Corner; S. Birt, in Ave-Mary-Lane; D. Browne, without Temple-Bar; C. Hitch, in Paternoster-Row; and S. Austen, in St. Paul's Church-Yard, 1742. ESTC No. T75388. Grub Street ID 298114.
  • Jacob, Giles. The new law-dictionary: containing the definition of words and terms, and also the whole law, and practice thereof, &c. Carefully abridged: ... for the use and benefit of students, attornies and solicitors, ... Whereto is added, a curious catalogue or register of the year-books and reports, with the times of their publication, &c. By Giles Jacob, gent. [London]: In the Savoy: printed by Henry Lintot, (assignee of Edw. Sayer, Esq;) for R. Ware, A. Ward, J. and P. Knapton, T. Longman, R. Hett, [and 5 others in London], 1743. ESTC No. N10100. Grub Street ID 111.
  • The child's new play-thing: being a spelling-book intended to make the learning to read, a diversion instead of a task. ... London: printed for Messrs. Ware, Hitch, Corbet, Dodsley, and M. Cooper, 1748. ESTC No. N29727. Grub Street ID 18797.
  • Welman, Francis. Charity. A sermon preach'd at Beaumaris in the island of Anglesey, on April the 22d, 1750. By F.W. ... London: printed for R. Ware: and sold by Roger Warne in Chippenham, Wilts, 1750. ESTC No. T90519. Grub Street ID 310380.
  • Shaw, Joseph. Parish law: or, a guide to justices of the peace, ministers, churchwardens, ... and all others concern'd in parish business: compiled from the common, statute, and other authentick books; ... together with correct forms of warrants, commitments, ... To which is added a choice collection of precedents ... By Joseph Shaw, Esq;. [London]: In the Savoy: printed by Henry Lintot; for R. Ware; J. Hodges; and J. Nourse, 1750. ESTC No. N11023. Grub Street ID 1017.
  • Pomfret, John. Poems upon several occasions. By the Reverend Mr. John Pomfret. Viz. I. The choice. II. Love Triumphant over Reason. III. Cruelty and Lust. IV. On the Divine Attributes. V. A Prospect of Death. VI. On the conflagration and last judgment. The twelfth edition, corrected. With some account of his life and writings. To which are added, his Remains. London: printed for R. Ware, on Ludgate-Hill; S. Birt, in Ave-Maria-Lane; D. Browne, without Temple-Bar; C. Hitch, and L. Hawes, in Pater-Noster-Row; J. Hodges, on London-Bridge; and C. Corbett, in Fleet-Street, M.DCC.LIII. [1753]. ESTC No. N21267. Grub Street ID 10650.

Printed by and for, or by/for and sold by Richard Ware the First

  • Le Clerc, Sébastien. A treatise of architecture, with remarks and observations. Necessary for young people, who would apply themselves to that noble art. By Seb. Le Clerc, ... London: printed and sold by Richard Ware, 1727. ESTC No. N47863. Grub Street ID 32504.
  • Albin, Eleazar. A natural history of English song-birds, and such of the foreign as are usually brought over and esteemed for their singing. To which are added, Figures of the Cock, Hen and Egg, of each Species, exactly copied from Nature; by Mr. Eleazar Albin: and curiously engraven on copper. Also a particular Account how to order the Canary Birds in Breeding. London: printed and sold by R. Ware, the Corner of Warwick Lane, A. Bettesworth and C. Hitch in Pater-Noster-Row; and S. Birt in Ave-Mary-Lane, 1738. ESTC No. T62528. Grub Street ID 288019.

Author

  • Ware, Richard, the First. Just published, the second edition, with additions, of A new general English dictionary; ... Originally begun by the late Reverend Mr. Thomas Dyche, ... and now finish'd by William Pardon, gent. London: printed for Richard Ware, 1737. ESTC No. T193223. Grub Street ID 227433.