Bennet Woodcroft Issues "Abridgments of Specifications Relating to Printing" up to 1857

In 1859 as Superintendent of Specifications, Bennet Woodcroft issued Patents for Invention. Abridgments of Specifications Relating to Printing, Including Therein the Production of Copies on All Kinds of Materials, (Exempting Felted and Textile Fabrics), by means of Types, Stereotype, Blocks, Plates, Stone, Dies, Stencil Plates, Paper Writings, Electro-Chemicals, and Light. A. D. 1617 to 1857. Besides summarizing the content of most British patents on these subjects, this work indexed the patents by year, and indicated where each had been printed. By this time, as part of Woodcroft's project to have all the British patents printed, all of the patents indexed in this volume had been printed, and were available for sale at the patent office, at prices noted in the volume. 

The 1859 volume of patent abridments was supplemented by Part 1a. A.D. 1858-1866.

This index was continued in 1880 with Abridgments of Specifications Relating to Letterpress and Similar Printing (Excluding Electrotelegraphic and Photographic Printing). Part II. --A.D. 1867-1876.

Reflecting the explosive growth of technologies, the further continuation was Patents for Inventions. Abridgments of Specifications. Class 100, Printing, Letter Press & Lithographic. This extended to 5 volumes:

Vol. 1. 1877- 1883 (London, 1893)
Vol. 2. 1889 -1892 (London, 1898).
Vol. 3. 1897-1900 (London, 1903).
Vol. 4. 1901-1904 (London, 1907).
Vol. 5. 1905-1908 (London, 1911).