Publications of Samuel Birt

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 Samuel Birt

  • Bentham, Edward. An introduction to moral philosophy. By Edward Bentham B. D. Fellow of Oriel College, Oxford. Oxford: printed at the Theater, MDCCXLVI. For James Fletcher in the Turl; and sold by Sam. Birt and M. Senex in London; and in Cambridge, [1746]. ESTC No. T97788. Grub Street ID 317155.
  • Hurly, James. The divinity of Christ asserted, and the censures in the Athanasian creed considered. A sermon Preached at the visitation Of the Reverend George Atwood, B.D. Archdeacon of Taunton, held at St. Mary Magdalen's in Taunton, On Thursday, June 19. 1746. By James Hurly, B. A. Curate of Wilton in Somersetshire. Oxford: printed at the Theatre for James Fletcher in the Turl: and sold by S. Birt in Ave-Mary-Lane, London; and S. Chaulklin in Taunton, MDCCXLVII. [1747]. ESTC No. T1423. Grub Street ID 189705.
  • Dodwell, William. The nature extent and support of human laws considered. A sermon preached at the assizes held at Oxford, By the Honourable Mr Baron Clarke And Mr Justice Foster, on Thursday, March 8. 1749. By William Dodwell D. D. Rector of Shottesbrook Berks, and Prebendary of Sarum. Published at the Request of Mr Vice-Chancellor and the Heads of Houses. Oxford: printed at the Theatre for James Fletcher in the Turl: and sold by Sam. Birt in Ave Mary Lane, and by J. and J. Rivington in St. Paul's Church-Yard, London, MDCCL. [1750]. ESTC No. T39692. Grub Street ID 268916.
  • Dodwell, William. The nature, mischiefs, and remedy of superstition illustrated. In two sermons preached before the University of Oxford, on Sunday, Feb. 17. 1754. By William Dodwell ... Oxford: printed at the Theatre for James Fletcher; and sold by S. Birt, and J. and J. Rivington, London, [1754]. ESTC No. T39695. Grub Street ID 268919.

Printed for Samuel Birt

  • The new-Years-Gift complete: in six parts. Composed of meditations and prayers for every day in the week: with Devotions for the Sacrament, Lent, and Other Occasions. London: printed by assignment from G. Mortlock, for Samuel Birt at the Bible and Ball in Ave-Mary-Lane, and Samuel Harding in St. Martin's-Lane, M,DCC,XXV. [1725]. ESTC No. T136356. Grub Street ID 184582.
  • Baker, George. The respect due to a church of God, a sermon preached Oct. 11. 1733. at the consecration of St. George's chapel in Tiverton, ... By George Baker, ... London: for S Birt, and E. Score in Exeter, 1733. ESTC No. T44836. Grub Street ID 273188.
  • Simons, William. The nature and guilt of bearing false witness. A sermon preached in the cathedral church of St. Peter in Exeter, at the assizes held for the county of Devon, August 7, 1734. ... By William Simons, ... London: printed for Samuel Birt, and Edward Score, in Exeter, 1734. ESTC No. T104152. Grub Street ID 157707.
  • Upton, James. A sermon on the nature and grounds of anger. By James Upton, ... London: printed for Samuel Birt; Sarah Chaulklin in Taunton; and Edward Score in Exeter, 1736. ESTC No. N22748. Grub Street ID 12101.
  • Lee, Weyman. An essay to ascertain the value of leases and annuities for years and lives, and to estimate the chances of the duration of lives. Wherein are many observations on bills of mortality, on the State of the Coin, the Interest of Money, and the Price of Things, in different Ages: And Notice taken of several Writers on this Subject; and their Rules and Tables, particularly for the Valuation of Annuities for one or more Lives, are demonstrated to be erroneous. London: printed for S. Birt in Ave-Mary-Lane; D. Browne, at the Black Swan without Temple-Bar; and J. Shuckburgh, at the Sun near the Inner-Temple-Gate, Fleet-Street, M,DCC,XXXVII. [1737]. ESTC No. N1885. Grub Street ID 8280.
  • Heaven on earth; or, the beauty of holiness. In two books. Containing, I. The whole book of the Proverbs ... set to musick. II. The song of songs, ... Together, with various hymns, anthems, and canons : ... set down in score for voice or instrument. By William Tans'ur, ... London: printed by A. Pearson, for S. Birt. Also sold by the author, 1738. ESTC No. T116574. Grub Street ID 168237.
  • Attorney at Law. The law of arrests in both civil and criminal cases: shewing for what causes, by what authority, by whom, and how arrests are to be made; what Persons and Places are privileged, and who protected from Arrests; how to raise a Hue and Cry; the Consequences of Opposing, Resisting, Preventing, and Flying from Arrests; the Treatment under Arrest and in Gaol; the Fees on Arrests, Commitments, &c. the Nature of Bail, Escapes, Rescues, Breach of Prison, and of being legally discharged out of Prison, &c. Necessary for Sheriffs, Under-Sheriffs, Sheriffs Bailiffs, Coroners, Justices of Peace, Mayors and Bailiffs of Cities and Towns, Constables, &c. as well as Debtors, Creditors, Prisoners, and all private Persons. In two parts. By an attorney at law. [London]: In the Savoy: printed by Henry Lintot, (assignee of Edw. Sayer, Esq;) for S. Birt, in Ave-Mary-Lane, and W. Sandby, without Temple Bar, MDCCXLII. [1742]. ESTC No. N10253. Grub Street ID 256.
  • 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.
  • Martin, Benjamin. Institutions of language; containing, a physico-grammatical essay on the propriety and rationale of the English tongue. ... By B. Martin. London: printed for S. Birt; J. Hodges; J. Newberry; B. Collins, at Salisbury; J. Leake, and W. Frederick, at Bath; and R. Raikes, at Gloucester, 1748. ESTC No. N17258. Grub Street ID 6728.
  • Mudge, Zachariah. The nature and extent of Church-Authority. A sermon Preach'd at St. Andrew's in Plymouth, July 21, 1748. At the Primary Visitation of George Lord Bishop of Exeter, And Published at the Request of the Bishop and Clergy. By Zach. Mudge, Vicar of the said Church, and Prebendary of St. Peter's in Exeter. London: printed for Sam. Birt in Ave-Mary-Lane; and Edw. Score in Exeter; and sold by Eliz. Smithhurst and Sam. Rhodes in Plymouth, MDCCXLVIII. [1748]. ESTC No. T39667. Grub Street ID 268889.