The Publishing of John Tillotson's Collected Works, 1695–1757

Abstract

Abstract This article investigates the publishing history of John Tillotson’s collected sermons in the early and mid-eighteenth century. Evidence from imprints and other printed and manuscript sources is used to establish how much the Tillotson copyright was worth, who owned it, and what kinds of editions of the sermons were produced. Publishing Tillotson’s works was a significant and profitable part of the business of many leading London booksellers. The publishing history of the sermons thus sheds light on important features of the trade in this period, such as the activities of wholesaling and copyright-owning congers, the booksellers’ sales of copyright, and the relationship between the London and Scottish trades. Detailed consideration of the editions produced by Brabazon Aylmer and Richard Chiswell also reveals the impact individual booksellers could have on the books they published.