Publications of Rychard Totell

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 Rychard Totell

  • A profitable booke of Master Iohn Perkins felow of the Inner Temple treating of the lawes of England. Apud Richardum Tottell. Cum priuilegio. [Imprinted at London: in Fleetestrete, within Temple barre at the signe of the hande and starre, by Richarde Tottel, the 14. daye of December. 1576]. ESTC No. S113657. Grub Street ID 133384.
  • De termino sancti Michaelis anno regni regis Henrici sexti post conq[uestu]m vicesimo septimo. [Imprinted at London: In Fletestrete at the signe of the hand, and starre by Richard Tottel, dwelling within Temple barre], [1553?]. ESTC No. S110558. Grub Street ID 130579.
  • Curtius Rufus, Quintus. The historie of Quintus Curcius, contayning the actes of the greate Alexander translatyd out of Laten into Englishe by Iohn Brende. Imprinted at London: by me Rycharde Tottell dwelling within Te[m]ple Bar at the sygne of the hand and Ster, anno domini. 1.5.5.3. the .xi. day of maye [1553]. ESTC No. S124164. Grub Street ID 143561.
  • Fitzherbert, John. The booke of husbandrye verye profytable and necessarye for al maner of persons newlye corrected and amendeded [sic] by the auctor Fitzherbard, wyth dyuers additions put thervnto. [Imprinted at London: in fletestrete betwine the two temples by Richarde Tottell, [1555?]]. ESTC No. S92553. Grub Street ID 151278.
  • A frutefull pleasaunt, [and] wittie worke, of the beste state of a publique weale, and of the newe yle, called Vtopia: written in Latine, by the right worthie and famous Syr Thomas More knyght, and translated into Englishe by Raphe Robynson, sometime fellowe of Corpus Christi College in Oxford, and nowe by him at this seconde edition newlie perused and corrected, and also with diuers notes in the margent augmented. Imprinted at London: By [Richard Tottel for] Abraham Vele, dwellinge in Pauls churchyarde, at the signe of the Lambe, [1556]. ESTC No. S112887. Grub Street ID 132631.
  • Perkins, John. A profitable booke of Maister John Perkins felowe of the inner temple treating the lawes of Englande. [London] : Apud Richardum Totell, [1559?]. ESTC No. S100332. Grub Street ID 359243.
  • Phayer, Thomas. A boke of presidentes exactlye written in maner of a register, newelye corrected, wyth addicions of dyuers necessary presidents mete for al suche, as desire to learne the fourme and maner howe to make all maner of euidences [and] instruments as in the table of this booke more plainlye appeareth. [Imprinted at London: In Fletestrete within temple barre, at the signe of the hande and starre, by Richard Tottyll], Anno do. 1559 [1561]. ESTC No. S110548. Grub Street ID 130573.
  • Phayer, Thomas. A boke of presidentes exactelye written in maner of a register, newelye imprinted augmented and corrected with addicions of diuerse necessary and sundry presidentes meete for al suche persons to knowe, as desire to learne the fourme and maner how to make all maner of euidences and instruments. The particulers wherof shal appere more playnly in the table of this present booke. [Imprinted at London: In Fletestrete within temple barre, at the signe of the hande and starre, by Richard Tottyll, Anno 1562]. ESTC No. S110555. Grub Street ID 130577.
  • De termino Michaelis Anno duodecimo Henrici sexti. [Imprinted at London: in fletestrete, within Temple barre at the signe of the hande and starre by Richard Tottell the. viii. day of Apryll in the yere of our Lord, 1562]. ESTC No. S125368. Grub Street ID 144611.
  • De termino trinitatis anno I. regni regis Edwardi quinti. [Imprinted at London: In Fletestrete within Temple barre at the signe of the hande and starre, by Richard Tottell, the .xii. daye of September in the yere of our Lord 1559 [i.e.1564?]]. ESTC No. S110916. Grub Street ID 130870.
  • A profitable booke of Maister Iohn Perkins felowe of the inner Temple treating of the lawes of Englande. Apud Richardum Tottell. Cum priuilegio. [Imprinted at London: in Fletestrete within Temple barre, at the signe of the hande and starre, by Richarde Tottle, [1565?]]. ESTC No. S4042. Grub Street ID 148149.
  • De termino Michaelis anno .XIII regni Regis Edwardi quarti. [Imprinted at London: In fletestrete within Temple Barre at the signe of the hand [and] starre, by Richard Tottil, ye xvi day of August in the yeare of our lorde AD. 1566]. ESTC No. S117168. Grub Street ID 136841.
  • Staunford, William. An exposition of the Kinges prerogatiue collected out of the great Abridgement of Iustice Fitzherbert, and other olde writers of the lawes of England, by the right worshipful sir William Stannforde Knighte, lately one of the iustices of the Queenes Maiesties courte of common pleas. Whereunto is annexed the proces to the same prerogatiue appertaynynge. 1573. Imprinted at London: In Fleete-streate within Temple barre at the signe of the Hande and Starre, by Richarde Tottle. Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum, [1573]. ESTC No. S117815. Grub Street ID 137482.
  • Tusser, Thomas. Fiue hundreth points of good husbandry vnited to as many of good huswiferie, first deuised, [and] nowe lately augmented with diuerse approued lessons concerning hopps [and] gardening, and other needeful matters together, with an abstract before euery moneth, conteining the whole effect of the sayd moneth with a table [and] a preface in the beginning both necessary to be reade, for the better vnderstanding of the booke. Set forth by Thomas Tusser gentleman, seruant to the honorable Lord Paget of Beudesert. Imprinted at London: In Flete strete within Temple barre, at the signe of the Hand [and] starre by Rychard Totell, anno. 1573. ESTC No. S113940. Grub Street ID 133665.
  • A very proper treatise, wherein is briefly sett forthe the arte of limming, which teacheth the order in drawing [and] tracing of letters, vinets, flowers, armes and imagery, [and] the maner how to make sundry sises or grounds to laye siluer or golde vppon, and how siluer or golde shalbe layed or limmed vppon the sise, [and] the waye to temper golde [and] siluer and other mettales and diuerse kyndes of colours to write or to limme withall vppon velym, parchement or paper, [and] howe to lay them vpon the worke which thou entendest to make, [and] howe to vernish yt when thou hast done, with diuerse other thinges very mete [and] necessary to be knowne to all such gentlemenne, and other persones as doe delite in limming, painting or in tricking of armes in their right colors, [and] therfor a worke very mete to be adioined to the bookes of armes, neuer put in printe before this time. Imprinted at London: In Flete strete within temple Barre at the signe of the Hande [and] starre by Richard Tottill, An. 1573. ESTC No. S111439. Grub Street ID 131288.
  • Stow, John. A summarie of the chronicles of England, from the first comming of Brute into this land, vnto this present yeare of Christ 1575. Diligently collected, corrected and enlarged, by Iohn Stowe citizen of London. Imprinted at London: by Richard Tottle and Henry Binneman, [1575]. ESTC No. S1140. Grub Street ID 133725.
  • Staunford, William. An exposition of the Kinges prerogatiue, collected out of the great Abridgement of Iustice Fitzherbert, and other olde writers of the lawes of England, by the right worshipfull Sir William Staunford Knight, lately one of the iustices of the Queenes Maiesties Court of common pleas Where vnto is annexed the proces to the same prærogatiue appertayning. 1577. Imprinted at London: in Fleete-streate within Temple barre at the signe of the Hand and Starre, by Richard Tottel. Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum, [1577]. ESTC No. S117814. Grub Street ID 137481.
  • Stow, John. The summarie of the chronicles of England. Diligently collected, abridged & continued vnto this present yeare of Christ. 1579. by Iohn Stowe, citizen of London. Imprinted at London: By Richard Tottle, and Henry Binneman. Cum priuilegio, [1579]. ESTC No. S111288. Grub Street ID 131165.
  • A very proper treatise, wherein is briefely sett forth the arte of limming, which teacheth the order in drawing [and] tracing of letters, vinets, flowers, armes and imagery, [and] the maner howe to make sundry sises or groundes to lay siluer or golde vppon, and howe siluer or golde shalbe layed or limmed vppon the sise, and the way to temper golde and siluer and other mettales and diuerse kyndes of coloures to writte or to limme wythall vppon velym, parchement, or paper, and howe to lay them vpon the worke which thou entendest to make, [and] howe to vernish y when thou hast done, with diuerse other thinges very mete and necessary to be knowne to all such gentlemenne, and other persones as do delite in limming, painting, or in tricking of armes in their right coulors, [and] therfore a worke very mete to be adioined to the bookes of armes. Imprinted at London: In Fletestrete within temple Barre at the signe of the Hande [and] starre by Richarde Tottill, An. 1581. ESTC No. S118658. Grub Street ID 138311.
  • Gregory, Arthur. De legibus Angliæ municipalibus liber, ordine locorum communium dispositus. [Imprinted at London: within Temple Barre, at the signe of the Hande and Starre, by Richarde Tottil, the ix. day of October, anno. 1583]. ESTC No. S3963. Grub Street ID 148085.
  • De termino Michaelis anno regni regis Henrici octaui XVIII. [Imprinted at London: In Fleetstrete, within Temple Barre at the signe of the hand and starre, by Rycharde Totel, 1556 [i.e. 1583?]]. ESTC No. S121418. Grub Street ID 141006.
  • De termino trinitatis anno primo regni regis Edwardi quinti. [Imprinted at London: In Fleetestrete within Temple Barre at the signe of the hande and starre, by Richard Tottyl, Anno dom[ini] 1585]. ESTC No. S110922. Grub Street ID 130875.
  • De termino Michaelis anno decimo Henrici sexti. [Imprinted at London: In Fleetestrete within Temple Barre, at the signe of the Hand and Starre by Richarde Tottyll, 1587]. ESTC No. S114997. Grub Street ID 134697.
  • Staunford, William. An exposition of the Kinges prærogatiue collected out of the great Abridgement of Iustice Fitzherbert, and other old writers of the lawes of Englad [sic], by the right worshipfull Sir William Staunford Knight, lately one of the iustices of the Queenes Maiesties court of common pleas. Whereunto is annexed the proces to the same prærogatiue appertayning. Cum priuilegio. Imprinted at London: In Fleet-streat within Temple Barre at the signe of the hand & Starre by Richard Totthil, 1590. ESTC No. S117820. Grub Street ID 137486.

Printed for Rychard Totell

  • Painter, William. The palace of pleasure beautified, adorned and well furnished, with pleasaunt histories and excellent nouelles, selected out of diuers good and commendable authors. By William Painter clarke of the ordinaunce and armarie. [London]: 1566. Imprinted at London, by [John Kingston and] Henry Denham, for Richard Tottell and William Iones[. These bookes are to be solde at the long shoppe at the weast ende of Paules], [1566 (26 Jan.)]. ESTC No. S110279. Grub Street ID 130360.
  • Grafton, Richard. A chronicle at large and meere history of the affayres of Englande and kinges of the same, deduced from the Creation of the vvorlde, vnto the first habitation of thys islande: and so by contynuance vnto the first yere of the reigne of our most deere and souereigne Lady Queene Elizabeth: collected out of sundry aucthors, whose names are expressed in the next page of this leafe. Anno Domini. 1569. Cum priuilegio. [Imprinted at London: by Henry Denham, dwelling in Paternoster Rowe, for Richarde Tottle and Humffrey Toye, Anno. 1569. the last of March]. ESTC No. S121210. Grub Street ID 140805.
  • Littleton, Thomas. Littletons tenures in English / Cum priuilegio. Imprinted at London in Fleetstreete within Temple Barre: by the assignes for Richard Tottle at the hande and the Starre, 1586. ESTC No. S5317. Grub Street ID 149109.