THE ENGLISH CATALOGUE OF BOOKS (INCLUDING THE ORIGINAL LONDON' CATALOGUE) GIVING IN ONE ALPHABET, UNDER AUTHOR, TITLE AND SUBJECT, BOOKS ISSUED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM 1801-1836 EDITED AND COMPILED BY ROBERT ALEXANDER PEDDIE Librarian of the Typographical Library, St. Bride Foundation. Author of "Conspectus AND QUINTIN WADDINGTON LONDON PUBLISHED FOR THE PUBLISHERS' CIRCULAR, LIMITED 19, ADAM STREET, ADELPHI, W.C. BY SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON & COMPANY, LIMITED 100, SOUTHWARK STREET, LONDON, ENG. 1914 [All Rights Reserved] The English Catalogue of Books, 1801-1836, is put forward as the completion of Sampson Low's great series, and has been compiled from similar sources and on similar lines. It does not pretend to be a bibliography of that most important period in English book production. The only difference made has been to use the style of the more recent volumes of the English Catalogue, and throw the author, title and subject entries into one alphabet. What is claimed for the Catalogue is that it is a record of the books which were "in the trade" during the period dealt with. The periodical trade catalogues which preceded The Publishers' Circular have been taken as the basis.* The entries obtained from these sources have been checked and added to from the various editions of The London Catalogue,† and the whole has been checked, as regards doubtful names and titles, with the General Catalogue of the British Museum. There have been many difficulties. One was due to a ludicrous example of zeal on the part of the Inland Revenue authorities, who objected to a periodical giving the name of the publisher to each book in the list, on the ground that it constituted an advertisement, and that therefore the advertisement tax should be paid on each book title! This objection luckily did not last long, but the search for the publishers' names caused considerable trouble, and was not always successful. Then, too, the "ghost books. We had great trouble before it was discovered that Mansell's History of Demerara, 8vo., 15s., Marsh, never existed, and that the entry related to Mansel (G. B.), Treatise on the Law and Practice of Demurrer, 8vo., 15s., S. and Benning; and there was a similar case where "Java," was substituted for "Fever." It is quite possible that entries such as these may have slipped through even now, because, although every effort has been made in the case of doubtful and "ghostly" titles, even the British Museum Catalogue will not clear up all queries, as unfortunately our period is perhaps the worst for that great collection. As to the publishers' names appended to the books, one point should be mentioned in explanation of possible difficulties. Where Bent's London Catalogue has been our only source of information as to the publisher, it may sometimes be that the name we give Monthly Epitome, 1801-1804, continued as The Literary Magazine, 1805-1806; Monthly Literary Advertiser, 1805-1828, continued as Bent's Monthly Literary Advertiser, 1829-1836 ; The Literary Gazette, 1817-1836. AP New or don Catalogue of Books, 1800-1807; London Catalogue of Books corrected to London Catalogue of Books to 1814; Modern London Catalogue, 1800-1818; , 1800-1822; 1800-1827; 1810-1831; 1814-1834; 1814-1839. is not that of the actual publisher, but that of his successor in the business e.g., "Faulder" is a common imprint for our first ten years. In 1811 we get Faulder & Rodwell," and in 1812 "J. Rodwell, successor to Mr. Faulder." Editions of The London Catalogue published later than 1812 will give "Rodwell" as the publisher of any book issued by this firm, which, of course, was correct enough as an indication to the bookseller of the day who only wanted to know where to get a copy of this or that book. But we, failing to find elsewhere the publisher of a book which appeared, say, in 1808, look it up in The London Catalogue, and put down what we find there, viz., " Rodwell," whereas there was really no such name among the publishers of 1808. We wish, in conclusion, to express our very sincere thanks to the officials of the Department of Printed Books of the British Museum, who have done everything possible to assist in the production of the work. Both the late Dr. G. K. Fortescue and the present Keeper, Mr. G. F. Barwick, gave special facilities, and our requests for enormous barrowloads of books have been met in a manner which apparently indicated that the obligation was on their side. To the staff in the Large Room we offer our thanks and apologies for the great trouble we have put them to for so many months. Our thanks are also due to many librarians and bibliographers who have helped with lists of local and special books. R. A. PEDDIE. QUINTIN WADDINGTON. |