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Table Notes
Abercrombie, Gardener (1781): The document specifies that "I have lately Corrected, improved and made several Additions to" the work and that Abercrombie will revise the proofs, for which "George Robinson hath lately agreed with me for the absolute purchase of my share and interest". The edition referred to is probably the 8th; the 7th was in 1776 and the 9th in 1782.
Abercrombie, Gardener (1782): A receipt "for making The Index . . . and for other particulars relative to the book and as a compensation for my loss of time occasiond by the delays of the Printers".
Andrews: A receipt "in full for the Copy wright of a work written by me and first published in the year 1770 [then] intitled Account of the Character and Manners of the French with occasional observations and now altogether improved and corrected and intitled Comparative View . . .".
Arnot: "Memorandum of an Agreement" for "the entire copyright", "the work to form a quarto volume of at least 400 pages of the same type and page as the Travels of Joseph Acerbi thro' Sweden and Norway [1802] to be put to the press on the first day of August 1803, and to be compleated and finished by the first day of December following . . . the day of publication not to be extended beyond the 15th day of the before mentioned December," and payment to be connected to the day of publication.
Beatson: An Indenture made "upon this express condition . . . that the numbers to be printed of the second or next Edition of the said Book (one having already been published) and every future Edition or Impression of the said Book or Compilation shall not exceed one thousand five hundred Copies" and the author shall receive £100 for the third [Longman, 1806] and subsequent editions, which he shall keep up-to-date and index; the author is to have twenty-two free copies of each edition. With the Indenture is a receipt dated 7 June 1787 for £250.
John Bell: A receipt "for the Copy Right of the additions, alterations & corrections of the new edition of Symons's Practical Gager, and for revising the same at press, and I hereby promise a further assignment if required . . .".
Belsham, Apostle Paul: Memorandum of Agreement for the whole copyright "for ever", accompanied by a receipt for £150.
Belsham, Memoirs: A printed form indicating that Messrs Robinson are "firmly bound" to William Belsham. There is also a note of 9 June 1795 from W. Belsham about the proposed republication of "memrs of Br—k" [Brunswick] (1796), "of wh. there are a consid.ble no. of Copies yet unsold", and also of a quarto edition of Memoirs of George III to which he would make additions. There is also a receipt of 11 Nov 1796 for £1,100 signed by William Belsham "for the purchase of ye Copy-right of the several works cited in the Bond as above". (There is also a MS "Bond", dated 14 Dec 1795 on the cover, with substantially the same information as in the printed form.)
Boote: Articles of an agreement (acknowledging receipt of £40) for printing 1,000 copies "and no more, for the first Edition". For future editions, Kearsly will pay 10s.6d. per sheet, plus £2.10.0 per sheet (as before) for "additions".
Bromley, Latter End: A memorandum of agreement that Robert Kearsly "bought from me 200 copies of my Book . . . but the Copy Right of the said Book still remains[?] in me", though Bromley is willing to sell it for £10.10.0. With the memorandum is a receipt of the same day for the £10.10.0.
Brooke: Memorandum, signed also by Henry's attorney Thomas D. Brooke, for 1,000 copies, three volumes, 12mo, to be sold at 9s. per set in boards, seven-eighths of the profits to be paid to Henry Brooke at the rate of £24 per hundred copies in sheets; the same arrangements wil apply for future impressions.
Brown: Memorandum of Agreement with Joseph Johnson of St Paul's Church Yard (signed also by Thomas Fulhame) that Dr Brown will translate into English his Elementa Medicina and "allow the said J. Johnson the liberty of printing for sale one thousand copies for the Sum of Fifty pounds which said J. Johnson engages to pay him upon the said translation being finished & put into his hands".
Carr: Receipt for £14.14.0 "which with Six Guineas recd before is in full for the Copy right of a Book wrote by me . . . for which I promise an Assignment on Demand".
Clarke: Receipt "in full for One Eighth part of the Copy right [of the present Edition of 2000 books (i.e., copies)] of a book published by me," plus £5.5.0 for an eighth share of each new edition of 2,000 copies, for which George Robinson is to pay an eighth of the costs.
Coote, Oxford Spelling Book: A receipt "in full for their Half Paper Print &c of the Oxford Spelling Book, one Half of the Copy Right". I have traced the work only in R. C. Alston, A Bibliography of the English Language from the Invention of Printing to the Year 1800 Volume Four: Spelling Books (1967), #717 and pl. LXXV.
Coote, Voltaire: "Messrs Robinson and Roberts bought of J. Coote seven Sixteenths of the above 12776 Volumes of Voltaire [deliver'd to Messrs Robinson and Roberts], together with seven Sixteenths of the Copy-Right of the said Work which amounts to £419. 4. 3
- Deduct for 100 deld short and
- 167 damaged—seven sixteenths 8.15.0
- _________
- £410. 9-3
Coote, Townshend: Receipt "for Paper and Copy Right of Towns[h]end's Cookery, viz. £36.8.0 for 52 R[oya]l Demy and £6.6.0 for the Copy right".
Coote, Proctor: Receipt "in full for all my right, title, interest and property . . . together with the Plates, he [George Robinson] being to idemnify me from any Loss on account of the said Works". The second work is probably Alexander MacBean (d. 1784), A Dictionary of Ancient Geography (GR, 1773) [8vo, 7s.6d.], with a Preface by Samuel Johnson; I do not know Watson's connection with the work.
Coote, Bible: "To all the Numbers of Rider's Bible amounting to about } 180,000 as particularly specified on Pages 1 & 2 of a Book entitled Number } Accounts, also all the other Numbers used under the Name of Stretch Bible } 100 ” 0 ” 0 together with the Copper Plates and Copy right of the said Rider's and Stretch } Bible an Assignment of which I hereby promise to execute on demand" } with a receipt of 23 July 1767 for £1,000 from Mr Hamilton "by Notes of Hand". Perhaps the "Stretch Bible" is related to The Universal Bible . . . illustrated with Notes and Comments . . . by S. Nelson, 2nd Edition, Revised by the Rev. Absalom Hurley (S. Crowder & Son & J. Coote, 1761).
J. Coote, Sévigné, Letters: Receipt "in full for 320 Setts Sevigne's Letters and three fourths of the Copy Right."
Cullen: Letter to George Robinson: "I have received by the hands of your Brother £50 in part of the 150 guineas for which I engage to translate Clavigero's Storia Antiqua del Messico to be ready for Publication by Christmas next . . .". A receipt of 12 July 1786 for £57.10.0 "and a hundred pounds before . . . [is] in full of all demands for translating an Italian work as pr agreement".
Cunningham: Memorandum in which Cunningham agrees to revise, improve, and correct the sheets of a new edition, published in numbers of three sheets each, "in consideration which I do revoke & Annull my former agreement made with Mr John Coote", Cunningham retaining his "one Eight Share".
Curtis, 1786: Note of payment from Dr Withering by J. Goving[?] for colouring 50 Foxgloves, £1.5.0; "Writing Royal [paper?] for 50 Do.", 3s.; "Taking off 50 impressions of Do.", 1s.3d.; No. 53, 54, 55 of Flora Londonensis, 15s..
Curtis, 1788: Note of payment from Dr Withering for 36 Foxgloves, papers, &c., £1.1.9; No. 59 and 60 of Flora Londonensis, 10s.; on the same slip is a receipt of 25 Oct 1788 for "the Contents" signed "for Wm Curtis Lau Powell".
Dardies: Memorandum of Agreement with John Walker [(fl. 1776-1825)] (of [20] Paternoster Row [bookseller, brother-in-law of George Walker]) and Edward Jeffery [(fl. 1793-1804)] ([bookseller] of [11] Pall Mall) specifying that the collection shall include "twenty four Portraits drawn or to be drawn by Mr Gardener from the Original Pictures in the stile and manner of two Drawings produced of Lord Cobham and Sir William Wyndham"; the other 24 portraits are to be delivered within four months. At the bottom is a receipt of the same date for £300. Perhaps what was sold was not a book but the manuscripts of Pope's letters themselves.
De Lolme (1785): A separate receipt for £60 to J. Nichols 14 April 1785 for printing and paper for the book, and another is for 19s.4d. to Robert Sharp 26 January 1785 for boarding sixty copies. An undated statement concerns "500 Flagellants" and £35 cash to De Lolme.
Devaulx: A record that "Mr. Jacob Tonson oweth to Moses Devaulx . . . [54 Guilders] For ye correcting Creech's Horace in 12o. printed by Jan Beer[?], having read two Proofs of each Sheet, 13 Sheets at 2 Guild. per Sht. . . [and for] correcting Horace in Latin, printed with ye English in 12°. having read also two Proofs of each Sheet, transcribed ye arguments before ye Satyres & Epistles &c. 28 Sheets, at 1 Guild per Sheet . . . at Amsterdam".
Dickson, James: A receipt from Dr Witherspoon "by the Hands of Messrs Robinson"; perhaps it is for Jacobus Dickson (1738-1832), Fasciculus Plantarum Cryptogamicorum Britanniae (G. Nicol, 1785-1801).
Dickson, R. W. (1803): A receipt for "Transcribing Mr. Elkington's Draining 170 pages makes 21 sheets 2 pages[,] omitted the first 13 as useless", paid by Dr Dickson. I do not know why Dickson was transcribing the work. The 3rd Edition was published by Richard Phillips in 1808.
Dorrington: Receipt for £2.2.0 "which with three guineas before received is in full for Revising the Pocket conveyancer . . . for the use of Mr. Rayne". See also John Coote.
Du Bellamy: "Memm. I hereby decline holding any share or property demand or claim of any kind in the Chearfull Companion a Collection of Songs &c published by Mr Kearsly". There were other editions in 1775 and [?1780].
Elliot: An agreement between Cornelius Elliot, Clerk to the Signet, Captain Robert Sands, and Alexander Allen, merchant of Edinburgh, being "a Quorum of the trustees & Executors appointed by the deceased Chas Elliot Bookseller in Edinburgh . . . [who] conveyed to us his whole Copy rights, property & right of publishing Books Do hereby Sell Assign & make over To & in favour of George Robinson & Compy and Thomas Ray Booksellers in London and Bell & Bradfute Booksellers in Edinburgh in the proportions following viz. To the said George Robinson & Compy Three Eights parts To the said Thomas Ray, three Eight parts and to the sd. Bell & Bradfute the remaining two Eight parts . . . The property or Copy right of the work within mentioned composed by the within designed [sic] Dr William Cullen. . .". No sum is given. The document is written on the outside of the agreement of 6 Jan 1790 that Charles Elliot (Edinburgh bookseller) and Colin Macfarquhar (Edinburgh printer) shall pay Cullen £1,500 and two copies for his Materia Medica.
Ellis: Receipt for £2.2.0 "which, with Fifty two pounds ten shillings received at different times before, is in full of all demands for the copy right of my Voyage with twelve Plates, and ten others [sic]".
Enfield, Preacher's Directory: A receipt "in full for the copyright of a work compiled & published by me under the title of The Preacher's Directory, an assignment whereof I do hereby promise to execute upon demand, on condition of receiving the further sum of Fifteen pounds in case of the said work being ever reprinted thereafter. . .".
Enfield, Sermons &c: A receipt "which with fifty printed copies of the first volume & three hundred printed copies of the second volume I do hereby acknowledge to be in full for the copy right of a work composed & published by me under the title of Sermons for the use of Families, in two volumes And also of another work published by me under the title of Prayers for the use of Families (of which I do hereby acknowledge to have received three hundred copies . . ." for which he promises to make an assignment on demand. A second edition of Prayers for the Use of Families was published by JJ in 1777.
Faulder: A printed form of agreement that the Robinsons purchased from Faulder 700 copies (£1,050 paid this day), "the Copy right of which work belongs to Arthur Murphy Esquire. . . . And Whereas at the time of entering into the contract for such purchase It was agreed that the said . . .[Robinsons should be bound] in the penalty above expressed [£2,000] by way of Security against the Printing and Publishing of any new Edition of the said Work within the term of five years to be computed from the day of the date of the above written obligation . . .".
Fenn 6 Feb 1787: This receipt is accompanied by a note for £100 at two months date "on account". Sir John Fenn edited Original Letters [The Paston Letters], 5 vols. (GGJJR, 1787-1823) [4to, £1.16.0]. In a collection of Robinson's correspondence with Fenn, 1787-89, about Original Letters Vol. III—IV (British Library Add. MSS 27,454) are discussions of the terms of publication, indicating that Vol. I-II, at least, were printed in 500 copies on a profit sharing basis (f. 14).
Fenn, Original Letters: A receipt for £100, plus a note at three months for £100, plus another at six months "in full for the second edition [?volume] of Original Letters consisting of 500 Copies". The next edition of The Paston Letters seems to have been in 1840-41.
Fenning: It is annotated "6.6.0 Copy [&] 23.8.9 Paper &c [-] N.B. same time recd Twenty three Pds- Eight Shillings & 19d- For Papers Print, &c-£29.14.9".
Forbes: "Mr Francis Forbes in Warwick Street near Golden Square has this day sold George Robinson . . . a Book . . . on the following terms Vizd the said Geo Robinson to pay Mr Forbes Thirty Guineas for printing one Thousand Copies & when he prints a Second Edition Twenty Guineas more . . .". A separate receipt of the same day is for £15.15.0 "in part of the within mentd agreement". N.B. The National Union Catalogue, CLXXVII (1971), calls Forbes only the "supposed author".
Frederick: "Frederick . . . proposes to Geo Robinson to print the same, for their joint benefit in the following Manner. . . . GR is [to] advance Frederick Twenty five pounds, & when the sale of said Work has reimbursed GR the expenses of Paper, printg & advertising & the 25£ so advanced, & also a profit of 25£ to the said GR then all profits from the first or any future Editions to be divided equally share & share alike . . .".
Gifford: On the same leaf is another note by Gifford of 23 Aug 1790 for the other £21. As it is among the letter S, perhaps the author's name began with S.
Glover: An agreement that Glover is to furnish "sufficient copy for eight or nine Sheets of a pamphlet containing an account of Denmark" at £2.2.0 per sheet "And if the said Kearsly sells fifteen hundred Copies of the above work Glover is to receive a Douceur of Ten Guineas more . . . the copy right being afterwards Kearsly's property".
Godwin, Crimea: "being the remainder of the sum due to Mrs. Godwin for a translation . . .". The work had been published in German (1801) and French (1802).
Godwin, History: It was published 1 Sept 1787, and about Spring 1788 Godwin wrote to Robinson: because of "the ill success of that volume . . . I am willing to relinquish him any part or the whole if you please of the sum which I received of you on that account" (J.W. Marken, "William Godwin's History of the United Provinces", Philological Quarterly, 45 [1966], 381).
Godwin, Italian Letters: A receipt "for a MS. intitled Italian Letters". The recently-discovered, apparently unique surviving copy was edited by B. R. Pollin (1965).
Godwin, The New English Peerage, for which Godwin was paid (?in advance) in 1786, is probably the same as "the Peerage" which Godwin said in his MS Journal he finished on 28 June [1789] (Marken [1953]), and the latter is almost certainly The English Peerage; or, A View of the Ancient and Present State of the English Nobility . . ., 3 vols. (GGJJR, 1790). (Vol. III consists of engraved coats of arms drawn by Charles Catton [1728-98], under whose name The National Union Catalogue lists the work.)
Godwin, Revolution in France: The receipt is merely "on account of a work on the French Revolution", but an undated note by Godwin directs payment of £20 "to my order on account of a book to be written on the Revolution in France".
Godwin, Political Justice: The second receipt specifies that together the two payments are "in full for the alterations [called corrections in the earlier receipt] & additions in the second edition of Political Justice".
Gregory, New annual Register (1796): A note says the £70 "settles our Acct."; at the bottom is a scrawled note: "NB— one hundred & twenty Guineas due to Dr. G— for 1794 GR".
Gregory, New Annual Register (1802): A demand note for Zach Walker Esq.; a note from G. Gregory of 8 Jan [1802] says he has drawn on his correspondent "on account of the N.A." "in favour of our French correspondent".
Greivey: A receipt "in part of two hundred Guineas the sum agreed upon for which I am to compleate a Translation . . .".
Hamilton: An agreement among Arch Hamilton, Geo Kearsly, and Geo Robinson "that they shall all be equally concerned in new Edition of Cooke upon Littleton, to be revised by and under the inspection of Francis Hargrave", each to have one third of the expense, profit, or loss.
Harding: A note from Edmond Malone asking George Robinson to pay Sylvester Harding, "which place to account of that work" (Yale).
Hargrave (1797): A receipt for £60, plus his acceptance for £70 more, which with £30 and £50 at different times paid make £210 "being the full consideration agreed to be paid to me by him for the copy right of a quarto volume now printing at his expence & intended to be published with the title . . .".
Harris: A receipt "being in full of several publications". With it is an account: Follies of a Day
| Printing—7 Sheets and 1/4 by Cox including 1..12..6 Authors alterations | 18..11..6 |
| Paper ----- 43 Rms & ½ &c.mmat; 17s / [illeg] ----- | 36..19..6 |
| Advertising ----- | 10..12..6 |
| 25 Copies to the Theatre [;] 20 to Holcroft[;] 9 to Stats. Hall & entry | 2..14..6 |
| Stitching 2500—&c.mmat; 1s/3d & 100 [i.e., 1s.3d. per hundred] | 1..11..3 |
| Publishing 4 per Cent on the amount sold | 5..-..0 |
| ---------- | |
| [should be £76.9.3] | 75..9.. 3 |
| [Profit:] | 49..10..9 |
| ---------- | |
| 2500 Sold at 1s amount to | £125..0.. 0 |
| ----------- |
Hellins, Agnesi (1805): Received cash and books, "being half the profits of the sale . . . to the end of the year 1804".
Hill (1758): Receipt for his Treatise with its copper plates "for ever". This may be related to [John Gibson], The Fruit Gardener; Containing the Method of Raising Stocks, for Multiplying Fruit Trees (J. Nourse, 1768).
Hooper, Bielfeld (1769): Memorandum of Agreement: Hooper is now translating the remaining part of Baron Bielfeld's Letters not yet printed. Robinson & Roberts are to share the profits, costs, or loss, to spend £8 on advertising, and the work is to be published in October.
Hooper, Rational Recreations: A receipt for £25 from Geo Robinson "being his one fourth share of One hundred pounds which he, together with Messrs Lockyer Davis [(1718-91), bookseller], Baden Law [?Bedwall Law (fl. 1745-98), bookseller] & James Robson have agreed to pay me, in consideration of my permitting them to print One thousand copies". A memorandum of 12 Oct 1773 specifies that the work is in 4 vols., 8vo, 60 plates, that no more than 1,000 copies are to be printed, and thereafter "when the said booksellers refuse to sell the said W. Hooper twelve of the said copies in one parcel, at the customary price", the copyright shall revert to Hooper.
Hooper, Mercier: "one thousand copies of the said translation shall be printed at ye joint expense and risk of the said G. Robinson and W. Hooper"; a receipt of 5 June 1772 for £28.17.6 is "according to the above agreement".
Hutton (1775): A debtor-creditor account in which neither debtor nor creditor is identified. Presumably this is an extract from Robinson's books for profit-sharing purposes.
| 1775 | Debtor | 1775 | Creditor | ||
| May 20 | Copy Right of Books | £100 | May 20 | By note due 1 month | £40 |
| June | 720 Copies Arith[metic] at 1s | £ 36 | |||
| Aug | 128 Sets of Diary | July 20 | Bill to Cap Smith | £50 | |
| Maths Diary Poetry & Math Miscel delivered by Gray the Binder in 6 vols. at 2/6 per vol. | Dec 11 | Note to Saint [the printer] | £50 | ||
| £ 96 | |||||
| Aug 15 | 270 sets Diary Math | "By Deduction | |||
| in 3 vols. at 2/6 | £101.5.0 | pr agreement" | £105 | ||
| Aug 23 | 240 Diary Poetry in | 1776 | |||
| 2 vols [at 2/6] | £ 60 | Feb | Bill to Saint | £50 | |
| Aug 30 | 240 Math Miscel [at 2/6] | £ 30 | Feb 9 | "Notes at different Dates" | £273.5 |
| ------ |
| Oct 25 | 115 Diary Maths in 3 vols. [at 2/6] | £ 43.2.6 | ||||
| 140 Diary Poetry in 2 vols. [at 2/6] | £ 35 | |||||
| 151 Math Miscel [at 2/6] | £ 18.17.6 | |||||
| 120 Mensurns. at 8s. | £ 48 | |||||
| [Total debit: | £568.5.0] | Total credit:] | £568.5 |
Hutton, Logarithms: Professor Hutton is "to write for and deliver to the said G. Robinson a Book on Logarithms of about 25 or 30 Sheets of Paper, to be completed about Midsummer 1777" for £105 (including correcting the proof sheets). A receipt of 28 Jan 1785 for £26.5.0 "together with 75 guineas received before is in full for a book of Logarithms as pr Agreement". A similar separate document for £105 headed "A Project for a New Book of Logarithms" is docketted "Signed June 5. 1776. & fulfilled Jany. 28, 1785".
Hutton, Mensuration (1788): One third was paid by Robinson, one third by Raldwin, and one third by Wilkie. A separate obscure account of Feb 1788 with it indicates that it consisted of 45 sheets and includes deleted sums for Hutton's [Ladies'] Diary Supplement, for his [Principles of] Bridges [(1772 ff.)], and [Elements of] Conic Sections [(1787)].
Hutton, Course: The receipt is "for the expence of printing the first Edit [£341.11.9] . . . including the half share of Copy right" (£123.7.6) [plus interest]; the bracketted figures are supplied in the docket.
| A separate account indicates the indebtedness of The Estate of the late Sir Charles Nourse to Doctor Chas Hutton | |
| 1788 March — For Revising the 3d. Edit. of [William] Emerson's [Elements of] Trigonometry [3rd Edition (C. Nourse, 1788)] | £ 5.5.0 |
| Septr. | |
| Revising the 5th Ed. [Colin] Maclaurin's | |
| [Treatise of] Algebra [(1788)] | £ 5.5.0 |
| ------- | |
| £10.0.0 |
Jones, Letter: Receipt of William Stevens "for the Rev. Mr Jones" "for the Right of Printing one Edition" of each work. The Confessional was by Francis Blackburne.
Jones, Lectures: Receipt of William Stevens "for the first Edition", paid in £26.10.0 cash and 30 copies (value £5).
Kippis: The account includes "Interest upon a Note for 20£ due Nov. 25, 1791" (£11), a total of £79. 5.0. It is annotated:
- R's bill for books 79: 5: -
- 8:15:-
- ------
- 70:10:-
Law: Receipt "for the Copies & Plates (if to be found) of Jacob Behmens Works, now in their possession". William Law (1686-1761), theologian, was a disciple of Jacob Boehme, and, after Law's death, his disciples published The Works of Jacob Behmen With Figures [by D. A. Freher] illustrating his Principles, Left by the Reverend Law, M.A., 4 vols. (1764-81); Vol. III-IV (1772, 1781) were published by GR. Perhaps the William Law of this 1802 document is a descendant of the theologian's brother George, whose share in Boehme's works the Robinsons were buying.
Liddell: A receipt for "my Share of the profits". The 1st edition was in 1787, the 5th in 1794.
Malone: Memorandum of Agreement that "Edmond Malone shall revise, correct and superintend the printing of A new edition of Shakspeare" and Robinson shall pay £200 "to such person or persons [as] the said Edmond Malone shall in writing appoint, for his or their aid and care in assisting him to revise the sheets of the said work as they pass through the press"; the only payment mentioned for Malone himself is thirty sets plus plates "if any plates shall be engraved for the said work", Malone being left free to publish editions of Shakespeare in any format except quarto (Yale).
J. Marshall, Soulavie: The receipt is docketted Miss Picard (q.v.) 18 sheets at 18s. per sheet (£16.4.0), Mr [Alexander] Walker (q.v.) (£5.5.0), Dr [?Alexander] Thomson (£160), "this receipt" (£89.1.0), "Deduct for Bonaparte as by receipt" (£50): "6 vols of Soulavie at 35 gs" (£220.10.0).
Marshall, Norfolk: A Memorandum of Agreement between William Marshall (of Pickering, Yorkshire) and Messrs. George, & John Robinson, George Nicol [(1741-1829), bookseller], John Debrett [(fl. 1781-1822), bookseller] to print and publish 1,000 copies "page for page with the present or first Edition of the said work, (the Copy right of which is the sole Property of the said William Marshall) . . . William Marshall still retaining the Copy right of the said work . . .". After deducting the costs, including £20 for advertising, half the profits will go to Marshall. It is also agreed that "Mr George Robinson senr: is to have the Management, and that Thomas Wright [(fl. 1758-97)] . . . shall be the Printer of the Edition".
W. Marshall, Ornament: A memorandum of Agreement between William Marshall and John & George Robinson, George Nicol, William Nicol, Thomas Cadell, & William Davies about publishing a new edition in not more than 1,500 copies, Marshall to retain the copyright. Marshall will be paid with six copies and with £15 for every shilling of sellingprice. Marshall's Planting and Rural Ornament, 2nd Edition (G. Nicol, GGJR, and J. Debrett, 1796) [8vo, 16s] was a new version of Planting and Ornamental Gardening (1785). A separate receipt of 8 Aug 1803 is for £4.5.0 paid to Edward S. Foss (the witness of the 1 April 1803 document), evidently for drawing up the Memorandum of Agreement, &c., and a separate account justifies Foss's bill.
George Moore: A Memorandum of Agreement: There are to be not more than 1,000 copies (of which Moore is to be given twelve); the Robinsons shall give Moore notice of their intention to publish a second edition, and on its publication they shall pay £52.10.0 more "which shall complete the purchase of the work".
Murray, History: A Memorandum of Agreement, which continues:
Murray, Melmoth: A receipt "in full for one half of the Literary property or Copy right of a work now printing . . . the whole property of which the said author has assigned over to me".
Nicholson, Journal (1798): Receipt "for the Copy of the first volume . . . published on our joint Account". A separate demand-note of Nicholson on Messrs Robinson for £10.10.0 dated 12 March 1799 is "for Engravings for the Philos Journal".
Nicholson, Journal (1799): Memorandum that Nicholson and George Robinson "have this day examined and approved and settled all the Accounts claims and demands whatsoever which either of them respectively have with or upon the other as follows namely First the said William Nicholson hath sold & delivered all the printed Copies of the Journal of Natural Philosophy unto the said George Robinson as far as the thirty third Number inclusive except fifty complete Setts which the said George Robinson engages to deliver to the said William Nicholson or order on demand[.] Secondly the said George Robinson is allowed to reprint one thousand Copies of the Numbers of the said Journal from the eighth to the thirteenth number inclusive to complete the first Volume without making any allowance out of such reprinted Copies or otherwise respecting the same on account of the half share which the said William Nicholson possesses and is intitled to in the Copy right and engraved plates of the said first Volume. Thirdly the said William Nicholson is released and discharged from all Claims and Demands whatsoever on the part of the said George Robinson and his partners in trade for or by reason of any charges paid or owing by him on them for paper printing engraving and so forth for the said Journal or for any Books or other goods sold and delivered unto the said William Nicholson or for any other cause matter or thing whatsoever[.] Fourthly . . . [GR will pay Nicholson] a certain note of hand of the said William Nicholson for two hundred pounds and to return the said Note when discharged unto the said William Nicholson without requiring any payment of the Contents thereof[.] Fifthly . . . [Nicholson acknowledges that GR hath this day paid him £150] in part of payment for the printed Copies aforementioned And sixthly that he hath accepted one Bill of Exchange drawn by the said William Nicholson and payable twelve months after this date for the Sum of One hundred & twenty pounds eighteen shillings which last mentioned Sum together with the other Claims and Sums hereinbefore agreed to be released & paid or mentioned to have been paid in and are accepted by the said William Nicholson as a full and perfect compensation for all the Copies hereinmentioned to have been sold by him unto the said George Robinson and also in discharge of all and every Sum or Sums of Money which may be due & owing from the said George Robinson unto the said William Nicholson for sales of the first thirty three Numbers of the said Journal or any other Account whatsoever And lastly it is agreed that the said George Robinson shall charge no Commission for selling any of the subsequent Numbers of the said Journal for the said William Nicholson but shall account & pay for the same at the usual Rate of nine pounds twelve shillings for every hundred numbers . . .".
Nicholson, Journal (1801): An agreement appointing GJR "sole publishers of my Journal . . . with the Allowance of a Commission of five per Cent on the Sales", the accounts to be settled every six months, Robinsons to supply the paper and pay "the small Expences of stitching &c . . . but I will myself pay for printing and Engraving without their being at all responsible"; the Robinsons have accepted Nicholson's bills for £100, £200, and £200 (payable at various dates), and Nicholson will not draw any profits until these sums and others for bills by Nicholson shall have been paid. A covering letter specified what paper Bewly & Gardiner should send.
Nicholson, Dictionary (1790): A receipt for £90 which, with £330 previously received, "is in full for the Copy right".
Nicholson, First Principles (1801): Nicholson promises "that the Printer shall be enabled by a proper Supply of Copy for the chemical Dictionary to proceed at the rate of three Sheets per week . . . and also that the first Principles of Chemistry shall be ready for press by the 10th. of January next, under the penalty of two Guineas for every sheet of the Dictionary delayed, and fifty pounds in case the First Principles should not be ready as before mentioned".
Nicholson, First Principles (1792): A receipt "for superintending & improving the New Edition", viz., for "revising and examining the work throughout and superintending the Printing" (£12.12.0), for "New Index & Contents" (£3.13.6), and "New Discoveries &c. added" (£4.14.6).
Oppenheim: A marginal note indicates when and what sums were paid, including "Corrections" (£2.10.6). A previous receipt for £10.10.0 of 28 April 1798 "for a translation" is presumably for the same work.
Palairet: This is a curious document recording that Mr Palairet was to be paid £105 "for his trouble of the new Atlas" and £31.10.0 "for Translation & Corrections", "half to be paid when half the work is done and the rest of the Sum when finished"; there is no indication of with whom Mr Palairet was agreeing. On the verso is an account for "Engraving 23 plates for Maps at 4 Guineas" (£96.12.0), "23 Copper Plates at 12s each" (£13.16.0), "33 Reams of Paper at 15s" (£24.15.0), "Printing of 33 Reams at 3/6 per hund[red]" (£28.9.0), plus "Drawings if any to be made to be paid for Separate" (£6.8.0), a total of £170. It may be related to his Atlas Mèthodique (London: Nourse & Vaillant, 1775), A Concise Description of the English and French Possessions in North America, for the Better Explaining of the Map Published with that Title (London: Nourse, &c., 1755), or A Map of North America (1765).
Payne: A Memorandum specifying that the book is to consist of thirty sheets "by estimation as agreeable to the Sheet exhibited as a specimen"; Robinsons are to have the whole rights to 1,500 copies, for which £31.10.0 and 100 copies are to be given to Payne; one half the copyright is to belong to the Robinsons "through all future editions which shall be printed upon a further payment being made for the same at the rate of two Guineas for every printed Sheet of which the sd book shall consist". A receipt of 21 Aug 1795 for £31.10.0 is in accordance with this memorandum, and another receipt of 7 Feb 1796 for £5.5.0 is "on Acct of Geo1. Extracts", and another of 26 Feb 1796 for £15.15.0 is for the same purpose.
Pearson: The receipt is annotated: "NB I am to give Miss Pearson Twenty five Guineas more when I have cleared fifty Guineas by the Work / GR". The total was evidently quickly reached, for another receipt from GGJR of 6 May 1794 is for a total of £52.10.0.
Pilon, Soldier: A receipt "in full for the Copy right . . . . But in Case of the Sale exceeding three thousand Copies twenty Guineas more are to be paid to me". Apparently the sale did exceed 3,000 copies with a 3rd Edition (1787), for a £21 demand-note of Fred. Pilon (1750-88) from Boulogne of 12 Jan 1787 is for "Value received" from GR, and another receipt of 19 Jan 1787 is also for £21.
Poulin: A receipt "in part payment for an English Translation . . . which I have agreed to sell them for thirty six Guineas and in case of their printing a Second Edition they are to pay me Twenty Guineas more". A separate receipt of 11 June 1789 for £18.18.0 makes the sum for the translation "in full".
Pyle: A receipt for £12.12.0 from GR & R. Beatriffe, which, with £21 received before, makes £32.12.0 paid "in full of Demands and Requests".
Radcliffe: The MS, to be published within three months, is said to be "written by the said William Radcliffe and Ann his wife", though the titlepage, the National Union Catalog, and The Dictionary of National Biography credit only Ann. The document is docketted irrelevantly "Mysteries of Udolpho assignment from Ann Radcliff delivered to me May 29, 1821 from Longman Hurst & Co". Robinson had paid £525 for the work, a previously unprecedented sum for a novel, according to [William West], Aldine Magazine, I (1839), 133.
Rayner, History: Articles of Agreement: The Robinsons will bear the costs, provide Rayner with "Books and paper", and advance him £21 now (below is a receipt therefore of the same day) which Rayner will repay if the publication is delayed longer than twelve months; half the profits are to go to Rayner. The first biography of the 1st Earl of Mansfield was apparently John Halliday's Life of William, Late Earl of Mansfield (1799).
Raynes: Memorandum of Agreement "for and on behalf of the several Proprietors of The Pocket Convenancer"; Raynes is to revise it, "particularly by inserting the Duchess of Ma[r]lbro's Will" and to have "a Present of two Setts". Below the date is a receipt for £5.5.0.
Robson: A receipt "for half a thirtieth Share which I bought at the Queens Arms in St. Pauls Church Yard on the 18th. of August last at the Sale of the late Jacob Tonson Esqr. [d. 1736]— Allso three pounds Six shillings & eight pence, being one Sixtieth of two hundred pounds advanced to Mr. [Edward] Capel[l (1713-81)] for a New Edition [1768] and for which I promise to give an Assignment on demand . . .". Beneath the signature is: "Shakespeare's Works by Rowe, Pope, Theobald, Johnson &c with the proportionable right of printing [any del] many of his Plays separately vide appendix to the Catalogue No. 4.—Mess.rs Tonsons Shares produces [sic]— In 2500 of the 9 Vols 18o. 1646 Setts & by the preface & life 31 Setts— In 1500 Theobal[d']s 8 Vols 12o. 980 4/6, and by the preface & life 29— In 750 Johnsons 8 Vols 8vo.-490 2/6, and by the life 14 & 1/9; but subject to deliver to the Proprietors Heppenstalls share thirty Books free of paper & print in every Edition that shall be printed of Shakespear, be the impression large or small."
Rogers: Receipt from "John Innys Esqr. by the Hands of Jo: Richardson . . . being for an impression of Dr. Rogers 12 Sermons printed by my late Brother Mr Wm Innys to whom I am Executor".
Russell, Ancient Europe: A receipt "as part payment of Copy=money". A separate Memorandum of 24 Jan 1787 says that Russell "proposes to write a book entitled a Concise View of the History of Ancient Europe, with an Account of the principal Revolutions in Asia and Africa, from the Foundation of the Grecian States to the Subversion of the Roman Empire, to be comprehended in one hundred and ten sheets octavo the same size as the last Edition of his History of Modern Europe, which he offers to sell . . . at the rate of four Guineas a sheet, which offer the said G.R. accepts of—And they mutually agree to enter into a legal writing to the same effect, if either of the parties should think it necessary." Letters from Russell to Robinson of 21 April, 25 Nov 1788, 4 May, 5 Dec 1789, 20 Sept 1790, 2 Jan 1793 (Yale) are about the terms for publication of the Ancient and the Modern History.
Russell, Modern Europe (1784): A receipt which, with £168 before received, "is in full of the copy=money".
Schoen: The British Library catalogue, The National Union Catalog, and The London Stage, Part 5 (1968), 1268 say that John Scawen is the "supposed author" of New Spain.
Joseph Smith: A receipt "in full for the fourth part Share of Youth's Faithful monitor . . . assign'd me by Mr Serjeant". A separate receipt is for £5.5.0 paid by Joseph Smith 24 Aug 1768 to Henry Serjeant for a quarter share of The Youth's Faithful Monitor or The Young Man's Best Companion. The entry for Steel (q.v.) suggests the work is by Woolyer.
Thomson, Physicians Vade-Mecum: A receipt "in full for the Copy & Copy-Right of a Book . . . which he is at Liberty to publish with what Additions, and under what Name he things proper". GR published The Physicians Vade Mecum in 1791 under the name of Joseph Townsend (1739-1816).
Thomson, Suetonius: The 18 Dec 1795 receipt says Thomson is "expecting that Mr Robinson will pay me five Guineas more in Two months after the work is published provided the Sale is good".
Thomson, Philip III (1783): A receipt for £10 which, with £60 received before, is "in full for all Demands I have on him [not identified] on account of the Share I have in the Composition & Correction". The 3rd Edition (GGJJR, 1793) in 2 vols. specifies that "The first four books [are] by R. Watson. . . . The two last by W. Thomson".
Thomson, Scandinavia: A receipt "in part payment of Two hundred & ten pounds agreed on as Copy money for Letters from Scandinavia . . . or a MSS. to the purport of that Title".
Thomson, Dr William (1794): A receipt by David Walker from Mr Robinson "on account of Dr. William Thomson".
Urtick: A receipt, annotated: "N B I am to have five guineas more when the profits from the sale of the above amount to that sum".
Vyse (1802): A receipt "in full of all demands up to the above date". "In the sale of Mr. Robinson's stock, the copyright alone of Vyse's Spelling, price one shilling, sold for 2,500l., besides an annuity of fifty guineas per annum, to poor old Vyse" ([William West], Aldine Magazine, 1 [1839], 134).
Wallis: A receipt for £21, "which with sixty received before is in full for the New Edition of Sydenham's Works prepared for the press by me".
Walsh: The British Library catalogue and the National Union Catalog list only one edition (GGJR, 1800).
Williams: A receipt for £5, "which with One Hundred Pounds paid before, is in full for the Copy right of my Daughters two volumes of Letters". A cheque in the modern printed form is with it from Helen Maria Williams in Paris 14 Oct 1802 for £100 paid by GJR.
Williamson: A memorandum for "Four full and equal twenty-fourth parts and shares . . . numbered 9, 10, 11 and 12 respectively". At the bottom is a receipt the same day for £400. An agreement of 2 Jan 1793 commits GR to buy these shares "when the average weekly profit shall amount to ten pounds a week for three months", Robinson being "exempted from all responsibility . . . for payment of the Stamp Duties—on failure of which this agreement may, if he requires it, be considered as void". Jas Parry was witness.
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