University of Virginia Library

VIRGINIA.

This colony was the first British settlement in America;
but it is not the oldest in printing. Printing was not
courted, and it would seem not desired, till many years
after the establishment of the province.

Sir William Berkeley, who was governor of the colony
thirty-eight years, in his twenty-third answer to the inquiries
of the lords of the committee for the colonies in
1671, sixty-four years after the settlement of Virginia,
says, "I thank God we have not free schools nor printing;
and I hope we shall not have these hundred years. For
learning has brought disobedience and heresy, and sects
into the world; and printing has divulged them and libels
against the government. God keep us from both."[1]

I had heard many years since, that printing, at an early
period after the settlement of the colony, had been prohibited.
I made many inquiries respecting this fact, which
led to a strict search among the ancient records of the
colony, by several of the first law characters, but no trace
of any act of government for that purpose was discovered.
For this reason some of the most intelligent Virginians
were led into the opinion that no such despotic regulation
had been made. But the fact is now ascertained. The
discovery was made by William W. Hening, a very respectable
lawyer of Richmond, who, on the 21st of July,
1810, favored me with a letter on the subject, of which
the following is an extract.

"I am now, and have been for some time past, engaged
in publishing the statutes at large of Virginia, from the
first session of the legislature, under the colonial government,

in the year 1619; and I have in my possession not
only all the manuscripts of Mr. Jefferson, late president of
the United States, but several of my own collection, which
contain the laws, and other public documents relating to
Virginia, till the period when the art of printing was generally
diffused among us.

"These manuscripts are so void of method, that I am
compelled to read them page by page, in order to select
matter proper for my publication. In perusing one of
them yesterday, which contains minutes of the proceedings
of the governor and council, in their executive character, I
found the following entry, which is here transcribed verbatim,
from the manuscript.

" 'Feb. 21st, 1682. John Buckner called before the
Ld. Culpeper and his council for printing the laws of
1680, without his excellency's license, and he and the
printer ordered to enter into bond in 100£. not to print
any thing hereafter, until his majesty's pleasure shall be
known.'

"I am induced to give you this information the earlier,
because, although it had been handed down by tradition,
that the use of the press had, at some period of our colonial
subjugation, been prohibited in Virginia, the evidence
of the fact had eluded all my researches till this time."[2]

This information makes it sufficiently evident, that there
was a press in Virginia as early as 1681; but the name of
the printer does not appear; and the record shows, that
the press was speedily prohibited. Lord Culpeper was
appointed governor of Virginia in November, 1682;[3] the
old style was then used, which placed February at the end
of the year. In 1683, Lord Effingham received a commission

as governor of the colony[4] and he was ordered expressly,
"to allow no person to use a printing press on
any occasion whatsoever."[5] And it does not appear that
any printing was performed in Virginia from the year 1682
till about the year 1729. Until 1766, there was but one
printing house in the colony, and this was thought to be
too much under the control of the governor.

Williamsburg.

By the foregoing it is evident there was a printing press
in Virginia, in or near Williamsburg, as early as 1681, and
that it was discontinued in 1682. The printer's name is
not known, or if known, I have not been able to ascertain
it. The first permanent printing establishment in the
colony was made in Williamsburg by William Parks,
who at that time, had a press at Annapolis, as already
mentioned. He was, by the appointment of each government,
printer to both colonies, and received 200l. currency,
per annum, from Virginia, and the same sum from Maryland.
Accommodations of this sort were not unusual in
provinces south of Connecticut, during the infancy of
printing.

Parks, it has been said, was born and bred to printing
in England. About the year 1733, he left Annapolis and
made Williamsburg the place of his permanent abode.
His appointment as printer to the government was continued,
and his salary enlarged. Soon after he became a
resident of that city he published a newspaper;[6] and, for
many years, his press was the only one in Virginia.

Parks was prosecuted by a member of the house of burgesses,
for publishing a libel, as appears by the following
anecdote, extracted from the newspapers printed more than
forty years ago. This was inserted in the journals of that
time, as a striking instance of the influence and effect which
the press has on public men and officers of government.

"Some few years ago, a man was convicted of stealing
sheep, at Williamsburg, in Virginia, for which crime he
was prosecuted; and, on answering the demands of public
justice, retired into what was called the back woods of that
dominion, in order to avoid the reproaches of his neighbors.
Several years passed away; during which time he acquired
considerable property, and that part of the country where
he took up his residence being made a new county he was
by his neighbors chosen to represent them in the house of
burgesses, which then met at Williamsburg. A mischievous
libeller, who remembered the crime formerly committed
by the burgess, published an account of it in the Gazette,
and although he did not mention the name, he clearly
pointed out the transgressor, who, it seems, had defended
some measures in the government that were considered as
arbitrary, and who was highly offended with the freedom
of the printer. The house was also displeased that one of
their honorable body should be accused in a public paper
of being guilty of such a base transaction.

"Parks was prosecuted for printing and publishing a
libel against Mr. ****, an honorable and worthy burgess;
and many members of the honorable house would no doubt
have been highly gratified, if, on that occasion, they could
have introduced the Star chamber doctrine of libels, and
punished Parks for daring to publish an article which, as
they observed, scandalized the government by reflecting
on those who are intrusted with the administration of public
affairs. But Parks begged that the records of the court
might be produced, which would prove the truth of the

libel. This was allowed, and the records were examined,
though contrary to the doctrine of some men, who would
impose on the community as law, that a libel is not less a
libel for being true, and that its being true is an aggravation
of the offence; and, such men observe, no one must
speak ill of rulers, or those who are intrusted with power
or authority, be they ever so base and oppressive, and daily
abuse that power. Now, mark the sequel: the prosecutor
stood recorded for sheep stealing; a circumstance which
he supposed time had fully obliterated, both from the records
of the court, and from the minds of the people; and
he withdrew, overwhelmed with disgrace, from public
life, and never more ventured to obtrude himself into a
conspicuous situation, or to trouble printers with prosecutions
for libels. Thus, it is obvious that a free press is,
of all things, the best check and restraint on wicked men
and arbitrary magistrates."[7]

Parks was well acquainted with the art of printing, and
his work was both neat and correct. He acquired a handsome
property, was a respectable member of the community,
extensively known in Virginia and Maryland, and
much esteemed by his acquaintances in both provinces.

On the 23d of March, 1750, he embarked in one of the
trading ships for England. Soon after the vessel sailed,
he was seized with pleurisy, which terminated his life on
the first of April of that year. His remains were carried
to England, and interred at Gosport.

William Hunter was born in Virginia, and probably
served his apprenticeship with Parks, whom he succeeded
in 1751. He printed for the house of burgesses, and published
a newspaper. He had a relation who was paymaster
to the king's troops in America, by whose influence he

was appointed deputy postmaster general, with Franklin,
for the colonies; which office he held during life. He
died in August, 1761.

Joseph Royle succeeded Hunter in 1761. He was bred
to printing in England, and had for several years been a
foreman in Hunter's printing house. He printed for the
government, and continued the Gazette.

Hunter at his death left an infant son, and he bequeathed
Royle 1000l. currency, on condition that he would continue
the business for the joint interest of himself and this son,
whose name was William. Royle, who married a sister of
Hunter, died before his nephew became of age.

Young Hunter attained to his majority about the time
the revolutionary struggle commenced. He began business,
but being a royalist, he soon joined the British standard,
and eventually left the country.

Alexander Purdie was born in Scotland, and there
brought up to printing. He continued the business at
Williamsburg after the death of Royle, for the benefit of
the widow of Royle, young Hunter and himself. Purdie
died in 1779, of the dropsy. He possessed talents and integrity.

John Dixon, who married the widow of Royle, was not
a printer. After his marriage a partnership was formed
between him and Purdie. The firm was Purdie & Dixon.
They remained together until the commencement of the
war. Purdie was appointed postmaster, and continued to
print at Williamsburg until he died. Dixon removed to
Richmond, and died there in May, 1791. He was greatly
esteemed.

William Rind opened a second printing house in Williamsburg

in 1766. He served his apprenticeship with
Jonas Green of Annapolis, and it appears was a short time
his partner.

As there was but one newspaper published in Virginia
in 1765; and but one press in the province, which was
judged to have an undue bias from the officers of government,
a number of gentlemen who were desirous of having
a free and uninfluenced Gazette, gave an invitation to
Rind to settle in Williamsburg, with a promise of support;
he accordingly opened a printing house in that city, and
received satisfactory encouragement.[8] Rind published a
newspaper, and was, soon after his establishment, appointed
by the legislature printer to the government. This office
was at that time lucrative.

October 16, 1766, Rind, and Purdie & Dixon, the printers
of the two Virginia Gazettes, were presented for publishing
libels, at the instance of John Wayles, and the Hon.
William Bird, respecting the bailment of Col. Chiswell;
but the grand jury found no bills. Chiswell was supposed
to have been under such anxiety of mind, on this account,
as occasioned his death.[9]

Rind died August 19, 1773.

Clemintina Rind was born in Maryland. She was the
widow of William Rind, and succeeded to his business in
1773, and printed the Gazette, etc. She died within two
years after the death of her husband.

John Pinkney was the successor of Clementina Rind;
and, probably, was previously her partner. He continued
the Gazette in 1775, and did other printing after the war
began, but died at Williamsburg, soon after that event.

John Clarkson & Augustine Davis were printers and
copartners, in Williamsburg, in 1778. They commenced
the publication of a newspaper in April of that year. They
were printers to the state in 1779, and, probably, before
that time.

Clarkson was nephew to Alexander Purdie. Davis was
born in Yorktown, and was taught printing by Purdie.
He published a newspaper several years in Williamsburg;
then removed to Richmond; and was a respectable printer
in that place.