E-texts relevant to the history of the book in the 1640s and 1650s

by mercuriuspoliticus

This is more for me as a reference than anything else; but in case anyone finds it useful, here is a compendium of free e-texts available online that are important for anyone researching the history of the book trade during the mid-seventeenth century.

In many cases the metadata on these texts is really not up to scratch: for example, the Internet Archive’s version of the Calendar of State Papers, Domestic for the 1640s are all labelled identically, with no indication of which years each volume covers. Very frustrating! So hopefully this post should be of use to others apart from me. If you have anything else to add to the list let me know.

Overview

• H.R. Plomer, A Short History Of English Printing 1476-1898 (1900).

Calendar of State Papers, Domestic

• 1639-1640.
• 1640.
• 1640-1641.
• 1641-1643.
• 1644.
• 1644-1645.
• 1645-1647.
• 1648-49.
• 1649-1650.
• 1650.
• 1651.
• 1651-1652.
• 1652-1653.
• 1653-1654.
• 1654.
• 1655.
• 1655-1656.
• 1656-1657.
• 1657-1658.
• 1658-1659.
• 1659-1660.

Parliamentary records

• Commons Journal.
• Lords Journal.

Stationers’ Register

• A transcript of the registers of the Company of Stationers of London, 1554-1640 A.D (1875-77).
• A transcript of the registers of the Worshipful Company of Stationers, from 1640-1708, A.D (1913) – volume 1.
• A transcript of the registers of the Worshipful Company of Stationers, from 1640-1708, A.D(1913) – volume 2.

Stationers

• H.R. Plomer, Abstracts from the Wills of English printers and stationers, from 1492 to 1630 (1903).
• H.R. Plomer, A Dictionary of the Booksellers and Printers who Were at Work in England, Scotland and Ireland, 1641-1667 (1907).

Readers

• David Pearson, English book owners in the seventeenth century (2007).

Censorship

• Randy Robertson, The British Index 1641-1700.

Thomason Tracts

• G.K. Fortescue, Catalogue of the pamphlets, books, newspapers, and manuscripts relating to the civil war, the commonwealth, and restoration (1908) – volume 1.
• G.K. Fortescue, Catalogue of the pamphlets, books, newspapers, and manuscripts relating to the civil war, the commonwealth, and restoration (1908) – volume 2.

Newsbooks

• J. B. Williams (pseudonym of J. G. Muddiman), A history of English journalism to the foundation of the Gazette (1908).

Printed images

• British Printed Images to 1700.
• F.G. Stephens and M.D. George, Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum: Division I. Political and personal satires (1870) – volume 1.

Other databases and catalogues

• British Book Trade Index.
• English Short Title Catalogue.