University of Virginia Library

Cambridge.

The printing apparatus, as has been related, was, in the
year 1638,[5] brought to Cambridge, then as much settled as
Boston, both places being founded in a situation which
eight years before this event, was, in scriptural language, a
howling wilderness. At Cambridge the building of an
academy was begun; and, it was at that place the rulers
both of church and state then held their assemblies. These
circumstances, probably, induced those who had the
management of public affairs to fix the press there;
and there it remained for sixty years, altogether under
their control, as were other presses afterwards established
in the colony; but for upwards of thirty years, printing
was exclusively carried on in that town.

Stephen Daye was the first who printed in this part of
America. He was the person whom Mr. Glover engaged
to come to New England, and conduct the press. He was
supposed to be a descendant of John Daye, a very eminent
printer, in London, from 1560 till 1583, but this cannot be
accurately ascertained. He was, however, born in London,
and there served his apprenticeship to a printer.

Daye having, by the direction of the magistrates and
elders, previously erected the press and prepared the other
parts of the apparatus, began business in the first month of
1639.[6]

The first work which issued from the press was the Freeman's
Oath—to which succeeded, an almanack.

However eminent Daye's predecessors, as printers, might
have been, it does not appear that he was well skilled in
the art. It is probable he was bred to the press; his work
discovers but little of that knowledge which is requisite for
a compositor. In the ancient manuscript records of the
colony, are several particulars respecting Daye; the first
is as follows:

"Att a General Court held at Boston, on the eighth
day of the eighth moneth [October] 1641. Steeven Daye
being the first that sett vpon printing, is graunted three
hundred acres of land, where it may be convenient
without prejudice to any town."

In 1642, he owned several lots of land "in the bounds
of Cambridge." He mortgaged one of those lots as security
for the payment of a cow, calf, and a heifer; whence, we
may conclude, he was not in very affluent circumstances.[7]

In 1643, Daye, for some offence, was by order of the
general court taken into custody; his crime does not appear
on record; the court "ordered, that Steeven Day shall be

released, giving 1001. Bond for appearance when called
for."

Daye continued to print till about the close of the year
1648, or the beginning of 1649; at which time the printing
house was put under the management of Samuel Green.
Whether the resignation of the office of manager of the
printing house was or was not voluntary in Daye, cannot
be ascertained. Neither the press nor the types belonged
to him; he had been employed only as the master workman;
his wages were undoubtedly low; and it evidently
appears he was embarrassed with debts. His industry and
economy might not be suited to the state of his finances.
Circumstances like these might cause Mr. Dunster, who it
seems then conducted the printing business, to be dissatisfied,
and induce him to place the printing house in other
hands; or, it was possible that Daye, finding himself and
the press under a control he was unwilling to be subjected
to, resigned his station.[8]

Daye remained in Cambridge; and, some years after he
had ceased to be master workman in the printing house,
brought an action against President Dunster, to recover
one hundred pounds for former services. The record of
the decision of the County court in that case, is as follows:
"Att a County Court held at Cambridge, April, 1656,
Steeven Day, Plant. against Mr. Henry Dunster, Defft.
in an action of the case for Labour and Expenses about
the Printing Presse and the utensils and appurtenances
thereof and the manageing the said worke to the vallue
of one hundred pounds. The jury finds for the Defft.
costs of court."

In 1655, he had not obtained the land granted to him
in 1641. This appears by the following extracts from the
public records, viz:

"At a General Court of Elections holden at Boston 29th
of May 1655, In answer to the Peticōn of Steeven Day of
Cambridge craving that the Graunt within the year 1641
of this Court of three hundred Acres of Land to him for
Recompence of his Care and Charg in furthering the
worke of Printing, might be recorded, the Record whereof
appears not,[9] the Court Graunt his Request and doeth
hereby confirme the former graunt thereof to him."

"At a General Court of Elections holden at Boston, 6th
of May 1657, Steeven Day of Cambridg having often
complayned that he hath suffered much dammage by
Erecting the Printing Presse at Cambridg, at the Request
of the Magistrates and Elders, for which he never had yett
any Considerable Sattisfaction. This Court doe Graunt
him three hundred Acres of Land in any place not formerly
Graunted by this Court."

In the records of 1667, is the following order of the
General Court relative to another petition from Daye, viz:
"In answer to the Peticōn of Steeven Daye, It is ordered
that the Peticōner hath liberty to procure of the Sagamore
of Nashoway [now Lancaster] by sale, or otherwise, to
the quantity of one hundred and fifty acres of Vpland, and
this Court doeth also graunt the Peticōner twenty Acres
of meadow where he can find it free of former Graunts."

Daye died in Cambridge, December 22, 1668, aged
about 58 years. Rebecca Daye, probably his wife, died,
October 17, of the same year.

I have found but few books printed by Daye. I have
never seen his name in an imprint, and, I believe, it never
appeared in one. Several books printed at Cambridge,
by his successor, are without the name of the printer;
and some of them do not give even the year in which
they were printed; but I have identified the following