Publications of Jonah Bowyer

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 Jonah Bowyer

  • Maundrell, Henry. A journey from Aleppo to Jerusalem at Easter, A D. 1697. The second edition, in which the corrections and additions, which were sent by the author after the book was printed off, are inserted in the Body of the Book in their proper places. By Hen. Maundrell, M.A. late Fellow of Exeter Coll. and Chaplain to the Factory at Aleppo. Oxford: printed at the Theater, An. Dom. MDCCVII. And sold by Jonah Bowyer, at the Rose in Ludgate-Street near St. Paul's Church, 1707]. ESTC No. T186568. Grub Street ID 222708.
  • Snape, Andrew. A letter to the Bishop of Bangor, occasion'd by His Lordship's sermon preach'd before the King at St. James's, March 31, 1717. By Andrew Snape, D.D. Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majesty. [New York]: London, Printed by Jonah Bowyer, and re-printed by William Bradford in N. York, 1717. ESTC No. W39953. Grub Street ID 350511.

Printed for Jonah Bowyer

  • Gastrell, Francis. The religious education of poor children recommended, in a sermon preach'd in the parish church of St. Sepulchres June 5. 1707. ... By Francis Gastrell, ... London: printed by Joseph Downing, for J. Bowyer, and H. Clement, 1707. ESTC No. N12565. Grub Street ID 2563.
  • Todd, Hugh. An answer to a pamphlet; entituled, The case of the Curate of Penrith's taking upon him the office of Church-Warden consider'd 1706. in a letter, from the Arch-Deacon of Nottingham, to the Bishop of Carlisle. In a letter to a person of quality. By Hugh Todd, D. D. Vicar of Penrith, and Prebendary of Carlisle. London: printed for Jonah. Bowyer, at the Rose in Ludgate-Street, near St. Pauls, 1707. ESTC No. N209. Grub Street ID 10281.
  • Lambe, Henry. Christianity from above: a sermon preach'd at the assizes held at Chelmsford in Essex: August the sixth, 1707. Before the Right Honourable the Lord Chief Justice Holt. By Henry Lambe, ... London: printed for Johah Bowyer, 1707. ESTC No. T128163. Grub Street ID 177798.
  • Gastrell, Francis. The religious education of poor children recommended, in a sermon preach'd in the parish church of St. Sepulchres June 5. 1707. Being Thursday in Whitson-Week, at the Anniversary Meeting of the Gentlemen concerned in Promoting the Charity-Schools lately Erected in the Cities of London and Westminster: And of the Poor Children Educated in the said Schools, In Number about Three Thousand. Published at the Request of many Persons concerned in this Charity. By Francis Gastrell, D D. Canon of Christ-Church, and Preacher to the Honourable Society of Lincolns-Inn. London: printed by Joseph Downing, for J. Bowyer at the Rose in Ludgate-Street, and H. Clement at the Half-Moon in St. Paul's Church-Yard, 1707. ESTC No. T108000. Grub Street ID 160972.
  • A representation, of the present state of religion, with regard to the late excessive growth of infidelity, heresy, and profaneness: drawn up by the Upper House of Convocation, of the province of Canterbury, and Transmitted to the Lower House for Their Approbation. London: printed for Jonah Bowyer, at the Rose in Ludgate-Street, 1711. ESTC No. N12963. Grub Street ID 2925.
  • Higgins, Francis. A full and impartial account of the tryal of the Reverend Mr. Francis Higgins, Prebendary of Christ-Church in Dublin. Before His Grace the Lord Lieutenant and Council of Ireland, &c. Occasion'd by a presentment of the Grand-Jury of the County of Dublin. London: printed for Johnah Bowyer, 1712. ESTC No. N7627. Grub Street ID 52562.
  • Snape, Andrew. A sermon preach'd before the Honourable House of Commons at St. Margaret's Westminster, on Wednesday the 29th of May, 1717. being the day of publick thanksgiving to Almighty God, for having put an end to the Great Rebellion, by the Restitution of King Charles II. and Royal Family, and the Restoration of the Government. By Andrew Snape, D. D. Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majesty. [Dublin]: London printed for J. Bowyer. and re-printed and sold by Elizabeth Sadleir in School-House-Lane, Dublin, [1717]. ESTC No. T49014. Grub Street ID 276848.
  • Snape, Andrew. A sermon preach'd before the Honourable House of Commons, at S. Margaret's, Westminster, on Wednesday the 29th of May, 1717. Being The Day of Publick Thanksgiving to Almighty God, for having put an End to the Great Bevellion, by the Restitution of King Charles II. and Royal-Family, and the Restoration of the Government. By Andrew Snape, D. D. Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majesty. London: printed for Jonah Bowyer at the Rose in Ludgate-Street, MDCCXVII. [1717]. ESTC No. N23056. Grub Street ID 12415.
  • Smith, Joseph. The faithful stewardship. A sermon preach'd before the sons of the clergy, at their anniversary meeting in the Cathedral-Church of St. Paul, December 10. 1719. By Joseph Smith, D.D. Rector of S. Dionys Back-Church, and Lecturer of Trinity Chappel. London: printed for Sam. Keble at the Turk's Head in Fleet-Street, and Jonah Bowyer at the Rose in S. Paul's Church-Yard, 1720. ESTC No. T35243. Grub Street ID 265403.
  • The relative duty of pastor and people. Or, a short discourse, shewing the obligation that lies I. Upon him to instruct them from house to house. II. Upon them to consult him as their spiritual guide, ... With proper prayers taken out of the epistles ... London: printed for Jonah Bowyer; and sold by J. Downing, 1722. ESTC No. T168654. Grub Street ID 206536.
  • Lowth, William. Directions for the profitable reading of the Holy Scriptures. Together with some observations for the confirming their divine authority, and illustrating the difficulties thereof. By William Lowth, ... London: printed by J. Bettenham, for Jonah Bowyer: and Stephen Austen, 1726. ESTC No. T87944. Grub Street ID 307950.
  • Sclater, William. An original draught of the primitive church. In answer to a discourse, entituled, An enquiry into the constitution, discipline, unity, and worship, of the primitive church, that flourish'd within the first Three Hundred Years after Christ. By a presbyter of the Church of England. London: printed for Geo. Strahan, at the Golden Ball against the Royal-Exchange, and J. Bowyer at the Rose in Pater-Noster-Row, M.DCC.XXVII. [1727]. ESTC No. T64635. Grub Street ID 289621.