Publications of Charles Corbett

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 for Charles Corbett

  • Prosodia chirurgica: or, a memoria technica, calculated for the use of old practitioners, as well as young students in surgery. Being a lexicon; wherein all the terms of art are accounted for, ... London: printed for Charles Corbett, and Richard Chandler, 1732. ESTC No. N12277. Grub Street ID 2285.
  • Tickell, Thomas. The horn-book, a poem. By Thomas Tickle, Esq;. [London]: Printed for Charles Corbet, [1739]. ESTC No. N1750. Grub Street ID 6969.
  • A general account and description of the island of Corsica: including a genuine relation of the late revolutions there, ... With authentic memoirs of Baron de Neuhoff, ... To which is prefix'd, a correct map of the whole island. London: printed for C. Corbett; and sold by J. Brindley; J. Robinson; and J. James, 1739. ESTC No. N30660. Grub Street ID 19586.
  • Hemp. A poem. Humbly inscribed to the Honourable Martin Bladen, esq; one of His Majesty's commissioners of the Board of Trade and Plantation. London: printed for C. Corbett, over-against St. Dunstan's Church, Fleetstreet; and sold by E. Nutt, at the Royal Exchange; J. Chrichley, at Charing-Cross; and by the Booksellers of London and Westminster, M.DCC.XXXIX. [1739]. ESTC No. N1122. Grub Street ID 1216.
  • Nixon, Robert. Nixon's Cheshire prophecy at large. Published from the Lady Cowper's correct copy, in the reign of Queen Anne. With historical and political remarks: and several instances wherein it is fulfilled. Also his life. By John Oldmixon Esq;. London: printed for E. Curll, in Rose-Street, Covent-Garden; and C. Corbett, against St. Dunstan's Church, in Fleet-Street, [1740]. ESTC No. N5416. Grub Street ID 37993.
  • The triumph of beauty: or, the prude metamorphos'd. London: printed for C. Corbett, Bookseller and Publisher, at Addison's Head, against St. Dunstan's Church, in Fleet-Street; and sold by the booksellers of London and Westminster, [1740]. ESTC No. N45725. Grub Street ID 30598.
  • Poetical meditations on the four last things. Viz. on death and judgment, heaven and hell. Composed for the edification, and future benefit of all Christian families. ... By William Tans'ur, ... London: printed for Charles Corbett; and sold by the author, 1740. ESTC No. T174629. Grub Street ID 211706.
  • The equity of Parnassus: a poem. London: printed for C. Corbett, Bookseller and Publisher, at Addison's Head, opposite St. Dunstan's Church, Fleet-Street: and sold by Mrs. Nut and Mrs. Cooke, at the Royal Exchange; Mrs. Dodd at Temple Bar; and at Mrs. Haywood's, in the great Piazza, Covent Garden, M,DCC,XLIV. [1744]. ESTC No. T108978. Grub Street ID 161805.
  • Musgrave, William. The atalantis reviv'd: being, a select collection of novels, of illustrious persons of both sexes. Taken from the best authors who have wrote on this subject. In Two Volumes. Containing, I. The Amours of Soliman and Tahtiga. II. The Queen and the Castilian. III. The King of Naples, and his Rival. IV. The Adventures of Amourdo and Florinda. V. The Duke of Mayne's Gallantries. VI. Margaret of Parma. Vii. The Cordeliers, or the Merry Escape. Viii. The jealous Husband out-witted. IX. The Dutchess, or the Constant Lovers. X. The Dutchess of Mazarine. XI Villamediana. Vol. I. By R. Thompson. London: printed for Charles Corbett, at Addison's Head against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleet-Street; and Tho. Harris at the Looking-Glass and Bible on London-Bridge, 1745. ESTC No. T75774. Grub Street ID 298398.
  • An address to that honest part of the nation call'd the lower sort of people; on the subject of popery and the Pretender. London: printed for Charles Corbett: and sold by R. Montague, at the book-warehouse in Wild-street, 1745. ESTC No. T164211. Grub Street ID 202474.
  • Froissart, Jean. A paralel of times and events: being, a narrative account of an introde [sic] made by the Scots into England, in the reign of King Richard the second; ... With an account of the great preparations at that time made by the French King, to invade England ... As the same is set forth, by Master John Froisart, in his history of those times; and also, by Master Richard Grafton, in his Chronicle. London: printed for C. Corbett: and sold by the booksellers of London and Westminster, 1746. ESTC No. T140528. Grub Street ID 188225.
  • Simms, Henry. The life of Henry Simms, alias young gentleman Harry. From his birth, to his death at Tyburn, on Wednesday June 17, 1747. ... All wrote by himself while under sentence of death in Newgate. London: printed for Tho. Parker, and C. Corbett; the only authorised printers of the dying-speeches, 1747. ESTC No. T96748. Grub Street ID 316194.
  • An answer to a late pamphlet, intituled, A letter to Dr. Smellie; shewing the impropriety of his new invented wooden forceps, &c. London: printed for C. Corbet, [1748?]. ESTC No. N16542. Grub Street ID 6135.
  • Hill, John. A letter to Mr. Woodward, on his Triumph over the Inspector. By Sampson Edwards, The Merry Cobler of the Hay-Market. London: printed for C. Corbett. in Fleet-Street, [1752?]. ESTC No. T38181. Grub Street ID 267674.
  • The Con-test. London [England]: printed for C[harles]. Corbett, opposite St. Dunstan's-Church, in Fleet-Street, [1756-1757]. ESTC No. P1785. Grub Street ID 55557.

Printed by and for, or by/for and sold by Charles Corbett

  • The sentiments of Archbishop Tillotson and Sharp on regeneration; and of Bishop Moor, Blackal, Bull, &c. on Justification by Faith only. Recommended to the Perusal of the more serious and considerate Followers of Mr. Whitefield. With a preface, wherein is represented the evil Tendency of his Principles and Conduct, both to Civil Society, and the Christian Religion. Very necessary for those who have not Time to read, or Ability to purchase, the Works of those eminently learned and pious Prelates. By a Friend to true Religion. London: printed and sold by C. Corbett, Bookseller and Publisher, at Addison's-Head, against St. Dunstan's Church, Fleet-Street, [1736?]. ESTC No. T61817. Grub Street ID 287430.
  • Boyd, Elizabeth. Altamira's ghost; or, justice triumphant. A New Ballad. Occasion'd by a certain nobleman's cruel Usage of his nephew. Done Extempore. By E. B. London: printed and sold by Charles Corbett, Publisher, at Addison's Head, opposite St. Dunstan's Church, Fleetstreet, [1744]. ESTC No. T61490. Grub Street ID 287182.
  • Canning, Elizabeth. A full and authentic account of the strange and mysterious affair between Mary Squires a gypsy, and Elizabeth Canning, Who swore that she was robbed, and afterwards confined by the Gypsy, till she was almost starved; for which the Gypsy was condemned to Death, but afterwards received his Majesty's Pardon. With all the particulars of the trial of Elizabeth Canning afterwards, upon an indictment for a false accusation, &c. of the gypsy; which began at the Old Bailey on Monday the 29th of April, 1754, and continued till Tuesday the seventh of May. London: printed and sold by C. Corbet, in Fleet-Street, and R. Goadby, in Sherborne, [1754]. ESTC No. T100974. Grub Street ID 154888.