Publications of James Hodges

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 James Hodges

  • Robin Hood and the jolly tinker. Shewing how they fiercely encounter'd; and after the victorious conquest, lovingly agreed. Tune of, In summer-time. London: printed by J. Hodges, at the Looking-Glas, [1730 - 1758]. ESTC No. N70894. Grub Street ID 51332.

Printed for James Hodges

  • The melody of the heart: or, the psalmist's pocket-companion. In two parts. ... The second edition, corrected by the author ... By William Tans'ur, ... London: printed by A. Pearson, for James Hodges. And also sold by the author, 1737. ESTC No. T154684. Grub Street ID 198737.
  • Ward, Edward. Nuptial dialogues and debates: or, an useful prospect of the felicities and discomforts of a marry'd life, Incident to all Degrees, from the Throne to the Cottage. Containing Many great Examples of Love, Piety, Prudence, Justice, and all the Excellent Vertues, that largely contribute to the true Happiness of Wedlock. Drawn from the Lives of our own Princes, Nobility, and other Quality, in Prosperity and Adversity. Also the fantastical Humours of all Fops, Coquets, Bullies, Jilts, fond Fools, and Wantons; old Fumblers, barren Ladies, Misers, parsimonious Wives, Ninnies, Sluts and Termagants; drunken Husbands, toping Gossips, schismatical Precisians, and devout Hypocrites of all Sorts. Digested into serious, merry, and satirical poems, wherein both Sexes, in all Stations, are reminded of their Duty, and taught how to be happy in a Matrimonial State. In two volumes. By Edward Ward, Author of the London Spy. London: printed for Mess. Bettesworth, and Hitch, Ware, and Osborn, in Pater-Noster-Row; Hodges, on London-Bridge; Baily, in Mitre-Court, Fleetstreet; and Cummins, at the Royal Exchange, 1737. ESTC No. T125015. Grub Street ID 175188.
  • Smith, Elisha. Forty two sermons on the most important concerns of a Christian life. By the late. Rev. Elisha Smith, M.A. Vicar of Tidd St. Giles in the Isle of Ely, and Castle-Rising in Norfolk; Author of The Cure of Deism. The First Volume. On Divers Interesting Subjects, Doctrinal and Practical. London: printed for J. Hodges, at the Looking-Glass on London-Bridge; and C. Corbett, at Addison's Head, over-against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleet-Street, MDCCXL. [1740]. ESTC No. N18509. Grub Street ID 7981.
  • The attorney and solicitor's companion: or, compleat affidavit-man. Containing the laws, statutes, rules and orders of our courts, relating to affidavits; ... To which are added, some curious depositions and interrogatories in the most extraordinary cases, ... [London]: In the Savoy printed by E. and R. Nutt, and R. Gosling, (assigns of Edw. Sayer, Esq;) for James Hodges and John; [sic] Hinton, 1741. ESTC No. N15971. Grub Street ID 5672.
  • Haywood, Eliza. The unfortunate princess: or the life and surprizing adventures of the princess of Ijaveo; interspers'd with several curious and entertaining novels. Amongst which are the following: The History of Ochshatou, Prime Minister of Hypotofa. The History of Yximilla. The History of Acamadoul, Maid of Honour to the Princess of Assadid. The History of Adelhu, Heir to the Crown of Hypotofa. By Mrs. Eliza Haywood. London: printed for James Hodges, at the Looking-Glass, overagainst St. Magnus Church, London-Bridge, MDCCXLI. [1741]. ESTC No. T76091. Grub Street ID 298580.
  • A compleat melody: or, the harmony of Sion. In three books. ... By William Tans'ur, ... London: printed by Robert Brown, for James Hodges: and also sold by the author, 1743 [1744]. ESTC No. T160898. Grub Street ID 200167.
  • Whiteside, John. Britain's late deliverance consider'd as a reason for public gratitude. In a sermon preach'd to a congregation of Protestant dissenters at Great Yarmouth, October 9, 1746. ... By John Whiteside. ... London: printed for J. Hodges. and W. Eaton, at Yarmouth, [1746]. ESTC No. N33340. Grub Street ID 21826.
  • An excellent ballad of George Barnwel, an apprentice in the City of London, who was undone by a strumpet, who caused him thrice to rob his master, and to murther his uncle in Ludlow. [London]: Printed for J Hodges, on London-Bridge, [1750?]. ESTC No. T196374. Grub Street ID 229764.
  • The lady's companion. Containing upwards of three thousand different receipts in every kind of cookery: And Those the best and most fashionable; Being Four Times the Quantity of any Book of this Sort. I. Making near two Hundred different Sorts of Soops, Pottages, Broths, Sauces, Cullises, &c. after the French, Italian, Dutch, and English Way; also making Cake Soop for the Pocket. II. Dressing Flesh, Fish, and Fowl; this last illustrated with Cuts, shewing how every Fowl is to be truss'd. III. Directions for making Ragoos and Fricaseys. IV. Directions for Dressing all Manner of Kitchen Garden Stuff, &c. V. Making two Hundred different Sorts of Puddings, Florendines, Tanzeys, &c. which are four Times the Number to be met with in any other Book of this Kind. VI. The whole Art of Pastry, in making upwards of two Hundred Pies, (with the Shapes of them engraven on Copper-Plates) Tarts, Pasties, Custards, Cheese-Cakes, Yorkshire Muffins, &c. Vii. Receipts for all Manner of Pick ing, Potting, . London: printed for J. Hodges; and R. Baldwin, at the Rose, in Pater-Noster Row, 1753. ESTC No. N19122. Grub Street ID 8549.
  • Shebbeare, John. The marriage act. A novel. In which the ruin of female honour, the contempt of the clergy, the destruction of private and public liberty, with other fatal consequences, are considered; in a series of interesting adventures. Vol. I. London: printed for J. Hodges, at the Looking-Glass, facing St. Magnus-Church London-Bridge; and B. Collins at Salisbury, MDCCLIV. [1754]. ESTC No. N10688. Grub Street ID 692.
  • Richardson, Samuel. Pamela; or, virtue rewarded. In a series of familiar letters from a beautiful young damsel, to her parents. ... In four volumes. London: printed for James Hodges; and J. and J. Rivington, 1754. ESTC No. N37980. Grub Street ID 25842.
  • Shaw, Joseph. The practical justice of peace, and parish and ward-officer: or, a treatise shewing the present power and authority of these officers, .... By Joseph Shaw, ... The sixth edition, corrected and very much enlarged ... In two volumes. ... [London]: In the Savoy: printed by Henry Lintot; for James Hodges, and Edward Wicksteed, 1756. ESTC No. N12114. Grub Street ID 2129.

Printed by and for, or by/for and sold by James Hodges

  • Hell's everlasting flames avoided: Heaven's eternal felicities enjoyed. Containing the Penitent Sinner's sad Lamentation for the Deplorableness of his Impious Life. With a short View of the Terrors of the Damned in Hell; and his holy Resolutions to a thorough Reformation: With some Considerations upon the Glory of the Saints in Heaven. Also Holy Preparations to a worthy Receiving of the Lords 'supper: With devout Prayers, Praises and Thanksgivings, upon several Occasions; with Graces before and after Meat. The five and thirtieth edition. By John Hayward, D.D. London: printed and sold by Mess: Bettesworth, Hitch and Osborn, in Paternoster-Row, and J. Hodges, on London Bridge, 1733. ESTC No. T36084. Grub Street ID 266057.

Author

  • Hodges, James. Just published, neatly printed in octavo, the 3d edition corrected by the author, according to his original manuscript, price bound 3s. A compleat melody: or, The harmony of Sion. In three books. Containing I. A new and compleat introduction to the grounds of musick: ... II. The Psalms of David new tun'd: ... III. A new and select number of divine hymns, ... By William Tansur, ... [London]: Printed for James Hodges, [1736]. ESTC No. N47926. Grub Street ID 32552.