Publications of Charles Harper

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 Harper

  • Keble, Joseph. An assistance to justices of the peace, for the easier performance of their duty. By Jos. Keble, of Grays Inn, Esq;. London: printed by W. Rawlins, S. Roycroft, and H. Sawbridge assigns of Richard and Edward Atkins Esq; for Ch. Harper at the Flower de Luce over against St. Dunstans Church in Fleet-street, MDCLXXXIII. [1683]. ESTC No. R32999. Grub Street ID 115652.
  • Wesley, Samuel. The life of our blessed Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ. An heroic poem: dedicated to Her most sacred Majesty. In ten books. Attempted by Samuel Wesley, rector of South-Ormsby in the county of Lincoln. Each book illustrated by necessary notes, explaining all the more difficult matters in the whole history: also a prefatory discourse concerning heroic poetry. With sixty copper-plates. London: printed for Charles Harper, at the Flower-de-Luce, over against S. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet, and Benj. Motte in Aldersgatestreet, 1693. ESTC No. R38249. Grub Street ID 120372.
  • Wesley, Samuel. The life of our blessed Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ. An heroic poem: dedicated to Her most sacred Majesty. In ten books. Attempted by Samuel Wesley, rector of South-Ormsby in the county of Lincoln. Each book illustrated by necessary notes, explaining all the more difficult matters in the whole history: also a prefatory discourse concerning heroic poetry. With sixty copper-plates. London: printed for C. Harper and B. Motte; to be sold by Roger Clavel, at the Peacock over against S. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet, 1694. ESTC No. R226444. Grub Street ID 99465.
  • Pomey, François. The Pantheon, representing the fabulous histories of the heathen gods, in a short, plain and familiar method by way of dialogue. For the use of schools. / Written by Francis Pomey ... translated by J.A.B. M.A. London: printed by Benj. Motte for Robert Clavel, and Charles Harper; at the Peacock in St. Paul’s Church-Yard, and the Flower-de luce, in Fleet-street, M DC XC IV. [1694]. ESTC No. R6832. Grub Street ID 127134.
  • Wesley, Samuel. The history of the New Testament, representing the actions and miracles of our blessed Saviour and his apostles, attempted in verse: and adorn'd with CLII. sculptures. Written by Samuel Wesley, ... The cuts done by J. Sturt. London: printed for Cha. Harper, 1701. ESTC No. N725. Grub Street ID 52182.
  • Fleetwood, William. A sermon preached before the Queen, at Windsor, June 17th, 1705. By W. Fleetwood, ... London: printed for Ch. Harper, 1705. ESTC No. T47799. Grub Street ID 275767.
  • Nelson, William. The office and authority of a justice of peace: collected out of all the books, whether of common or statute-law, hitherto written on that subject. Shewing also the Duty of Constables, Commissioners of Sewers, Coroners, Overseers of the Poor, Surveyors of the High-Ways, Churchwardens, and other Parish-Officers: Digested under alphabetical titles. To which are added precedents of indictments and warrants: Never before Printed. Very useful for Justices of the Peace, Coroners, Sheriffs, Clerks of the Assises, and of the Peace, and all others concern'd in such Matters. The second edition, corrected and continued to the end of the last session of Parliament, 1706: And Enlarged with many Hundred Cases of Judgments and Resolutions in the Courts at Westminster, added to each Title to which they relate, and which are to be found in no other Book Printed on this Subject. By W. N. of the Middle Temple, barrister. London: printed by the assigns of Rich. and Edward Atkins, Esqrs. for Charles Harper at the Flower-de-Luce over against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleet street, 1707. ESTC No. N10555. Grub Street ID 567.
  • Heylyn, Peter. A help to English history, containing a succession of all the Kings of England, the English, Saxons, and the Britains; the Kings and Princes of Wales, the Kings and Lords of Man, and the Isle of Wight: as also Of all the Dukes, Marquesses, Earls and Bishops thereof; with The Descriptions of the places from whence they had their Titles; Together with the Names, and Ranks of the Viscounts, Barons and Baronets of England. By P. Heylyn, D.D. And since his death, continu'd to this present year, 1709. with the Coats of Arms of the Nobility, Blazon'd. London: printed by B. Motte, for C. Harper, at the Flower-de-Luce, over-against S. Dunstan's-Church, in Fleet-Street, 1709. ESTC No. N3601. Grub Street ID 24013.
  • Nelson, William. The office and authority of a justice of peace: collected out of all the books, whether of common or statute-law, hitherto written on that subject. Shewing also the Duty of Constables, Commissioners of Sewers, Coroners' Overseers of the Poor, Surveyors of the Highways' Church-Wardens, and other Parish-Officers: Digested under alphabetical titles. To which are added, precedents of indictments and warrants: Never before Printed. Very useful for Justices of the Peace, Coroners, Sheriffs, Clerks of the Assises, and of the Peace, and all others concern'd in such Matters. The fourth edition, corrected, amended, and continued. By W. Nelson, of the Middle-Temple, Esq;. London: printed for Charles Harper, and sold by John Hooke, at the Flower-de-Luce, over against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet, 1714. ESTC No. N10554. Grub Street ID 566.