 | BRITISH ISLANDS. The history of printing in America, with a biography of printers, and an account of newspapers ... |  |
BRITISH ISLANDS.
JAMAICA.
A printing press was established on this island about
1720; and within one or two years after a newspaper was
published at Kingston.
This paper was published at Kingston as early as August,
1722, and as late as 1755, on a sheet of demy, folio; but
the exact time at which the publication commenced or
closed, I cannot ascertain.
The Journal was published weekly, on Saturday. In
1756, it was printed on a sheet of medium, folio, by
Woolhead; and, in 1761, by Woolhead, Gad and Bennett,
"Printers to the Hon. Council in Harbour-Street."
This Gazette made its appearance as early as 1745. In
1760, it was printed weekly, on Saturday, on medium,
folio. John Walker, one of the proprietors, died in 1786.
C. S. Woodham had a printing house in Kingston in
1756, and published an Almanac and Register annually.
The Intelligencer was first "printed at St. Jago de la
Vega,"[1]
about 1756, and was published weekly on Saturday.
In 1768, Lawry and Sherlock were the printers of
it, the size medium, folio. "Price per annum Thirty Shillings,
currency, and Two Pistoles sent by post to any part
of the island."
Advertiser.
The Chronicle first issued from the press May 29, 1773;
and was published weekly, on Saturday, "at Montego-Bay,"
by Sherlock & Co. The size was medium, folio. In 1781,
and from that time to 1806, it was printed by James Fannin;
who died in England in 1808.
This paper first came before the public in 1778. It was
published by Douglas & Aikman until 1784, when it was
"Printed by Alexander Aikman, Printer to the King's
Most Excellent Majesty, at the King's Printing-office in
Harbour-Street, Kingston." The royal arms were in the
centre of the title, and it was very handsomely printed on
a medium sheet, quarto.
I have mentioned this paper although the publication
commenced after 1775, in order to mark the devotion of it
to royalty; the printer was no republican. In May, 1786,
he advertised in The Royal Gazette, The Royal Almanack,
The Royal Register, and The Royal Sheet Almanack; "all
in Kingston."
David Douglas, a Scotchman, was manager of the American
theatre before the revolution;[2]
and after the commencement
of hostilities, he came to Jamaica. He was a
scholar, and a man of talents and integrity. Here he was
patronized hy the governor, and appointed with Aikman
printer to the king, in Jamaica, a lucrative office; he was
also appointed master in chancery, and commissioned as a
magistrate. It has been said, that in a few years he acquired,
with reputation, by these offices, a fortune of twenty-five
thousand pounds sterling. He died in Spanishtown
in 1786.
Columbus was created duke of St. Jago, and marquis of the island of
Jamaica.—St. Mery's Hist. of St. Domingo.
The revolutionary war closed the theatres on this part of the continent.
The players were few in number, and formed only two companies
under the management of Douglas and Hallam. Douglas was for some
years the principal manager both on the continent and in the West Indies.
In 1758, he, with his company, called The American Company of Comedians,
performed for the first time at New York in a sail loft, on Cruger's
wharf, to an audience said to have been very brilliant. The theatres before
1775, were temporary wooden buildings, little better than barns. The
first play publicly performed in New England, was by Douglas and his
company at Providence, Rhode Island, in 1762.
BARBADOES.
Printing was introduced to this island as early as 1730,
and a newspaper was first published in 1731. There was
no other press in the Caribbee islands for several years
subsequent to that period.
David Harry. It is supposed that David Harry was the
first who opened a printing house on the island. He served
his apprenticeship, as we have elsewhere mentioned, with
Keimer at Philadelphia, and succeeded him in business;
but he left that city, and removed to Barbadoes with his press
and obtained his assistance in the printing house; so that,
as Dr. Franklin remarks, "the master became the journeyman
of his former apprentice."
Business, it seems, did not suit Harry better in Barbadoes
than in Philadelphia; on the contrary, he became
more dissipated, and his profits from printing were not
equal to his expenditures. In a few months he sold his
printing materials, and returned to Philadelphia.
[See vol. I, pp. 240–41.]
Samuel Keimer, to whom Benjamin Franklin was several
years a journeyman in Philadelphia, removed from that
city to this island. He sold his press and types to Harry
before he left Philadelphia. Harry then sold them to
Keimer, as has been stated, who resumed business, and
published a newspaper at Bridgetown in 1731, entitled,
This was the first newspaper published in the Caribbee
islands, and the first known to have been published twice
a week, for any considerable time, in any part of America.
This, however, finally became a weekly journal. It was
continued by Keimer until the end of 1738; and he soon
after died. The Gazette was published many years after
his death by those who succeeded to his business.
In 1733 Keimer was presented by the grand jury of the
island for publishing, in the Barbadoes Gazette, a defamatory
libel on Mr. Adams, one of the king's council. The
attorney general, on that occasion, declared that there was
not anything in the publication complained of, which could
justify a prosecution under the criminal law, yet Keimer
was bound to keep the peace during six months.[3]
A work was published in London in 1741, in two volumes
quarto, chiefly selected from this Gazette, entitled,
Caribbeana; a Collection of Essays, &c., "from a paper
carried on several years at Barbadoes."
Franklin has informed us that Keimer was a poet. I
have met with one of his poetical essays in the Barbadoes
Mercury, and insert it as a specimen of his poetical talents,
and for the information it contains respecting the encouragement
given in his time to the typographic art by the colonial
government on this continent. It is as follows:
From the Barbados Gazette of May 4, 1734.
"To those wou'd-be thought gentlemen, who have long
taken this paper, and never paid for it, and seem never
to design to pay for it.
"The Sorrowful Lamentation of Samuel Keimer, Printer of the
Barbados Gazette.
Who dub themselves Gentlemen here in Barbadoes,
Should, Time after Time, run in Debt to their Printer,
And care not to pay him in Summer or Winter!
A Saint by the Hairs of his Beard, had he got 'em,
Might be tempted to swear [instead of P—x rot 'em.]
He ne'er found before such a Parcel of Wretches,
With their Flams, and such Shuffles, Put-offs and odd Fetches.
If This is their Honesty, That be their Honour,
Amendment seize One; for the Last,—Fie upon her.
In Penn's[4] Wooden Country, Type feels no disaster,
Their Printer is rich, and is made their post-master;[5]
His Father,[6] a Printer, is paid for his Work,
And wallows in Plenty, just now at New-York,
Tho' quite past his Labour, and old as my Grannum,
The Government pays him Pounds Sixty per Annum.
In Maryland's Province, as well as Virginia
To Justice and Honour, I am, Sirs to win ye,
Each Province allows two Hundred a Year,
By Laws they have made for Typograph's Use,
He's paid 50 Thousand Weight Country Produce.
And if you inquire but at South Carolina,[8]
[O! Methinks in that Name, there is something-Divine-Ah!]
Like Patriots they've done what to Honor redounds,
They gave him (their Currency) 50 Score Pounds.
E'en Type at Jamaica, our Island's reproach,
Is able to ride in her Chariot or Coach;[9]
But alas your poor Type prints no Figure;—like Nullo,
Curs'd, cheated, abus'd by each pitiful Fellow.
Tho' working like Slave, with Zeal and true Courage,
He can scarce get as yet ev'n Salt to his Porridge.
The Reason is plain; Those act by just Rules—
But here knaves have bit him, all MAC-abite Fools.
George Esmand & Company. This firm in 1762 opened
a second Printing house at Bridgetown, and began the publication
of
It was published weekly, on Saturday; printed with
long primer types, on a crown sheet, folio. Imprint,
"Bridge-Town, Printed by George Esmand and Comp. at
the new Printing-Office, in Back-Church-Street. Price
one Pistole per Annum."
The memorable stamp act took effect in this island in
1765, and the Mercury was printed on stamped paper.
In 1771, the firm was Esmand & Walker.
George Esmand died in November, 1771, and William
Walker in February, 1773.
The Mercury was continued after the year, 1794.
ST. CHRISTOPHER.
Printing was brought to this island as early as 1746, and
may have been introduced two or three years sooner.
There were two printing houses established before 1775.
Thomas Howe. He probably was the first printer, and
settled at Basseterre. Howe printed the laws, and did other
work for government; and, in 1747, published
This paper was continued until after the year 1775.
Howe was a native of Ireland, and lived to old age.
Samuel Jones was a printer and postmaster at Basseterre
before 1757, and published a newspaper. He died
in London in 1762, after an illness of eight days, of inflammation
of the lungs.
Edward Dubson, printed after Jones, and was in business
after 1767, at Basseterre.
Daniel Thibou, had a printing house on this island in
1769, and in that year printed the acts of assembly, from
1711 to 1769. He printed several other works.
A second newspaper bearing this title was published at
Basseterre. The Gazette printed November 19, 1785, is
numbered 693, vol. VII. It then had this imprint, "Basseterre,
Saint Christopher, Printed by Edward L. Low in
Cayon-Street, No. 84."
ANTIGUA.
I cannot determine the year when printing was introduced
to Antigua, but believe it was about 1748.
I have not discovered that any press was erected on this
island prior to the time when Benjamin Mecom opened a
printing house, about 1748. He has been taken notice of
in the course of this work, as a printer in Boston, New
Haven and Philadelphia. It was at St. John that he first
began business, and published a newspaper, entitled
Mecom continued this publication six or seven years,
and then removed to Boston, Massachusetts, his native
place.
Alexander Shipton, published the Gazette, before and
after 1767, which was by him printed weekly, on Wednesday,
on a crown sheet, folio, chiefly with small pica types;
and had, in the title, a small cut of a basket of flowers.
A newspaper with this title was published in 1769; but
how long it was printed before or after that time, I am not
able to say.[10]
John Mears printed a well conducted newspaper in St. Johns in 1779,
and I am inclined to believe it was the Mercury.
DOMINICA.
Was first published in 1765, at Roseau, by William Smith.
It had the king's arms in the title; and was printed weekly,
on Saturday, on a fools-cap sheet, and with new long primer
and small pica types.
In 1767, Smith printed The Shipwreck, "a poem in three
parts: By a Sailor, addressed to his Royal Highness the
Duke of York. Price Two Dollars."
In 1775, a newspaper was published in English and
French, by Jones.
GRANADA.
This paper first appeared at Georgetown in January,
1765, on a crown sheet, folio, printed with new small pica
and long primer types, by William Weyland, "at the New
Printing-Office." It was published on Saturday and had
a cut of the king's arms in the title.
There were two printing houses on this island, and one
of them was established some years before Weyland's.
ST. CROIX.
Was issued from the press at Christiansted before 1770.
Printing was not introduced into this island long before the
publication of the paper.
BERMUDA.
Was not published until July 1784; but a printing house
had a short time before been established at St. George, by
J. Stockdale.
BAHAMA ISLANDS.
I have introduced this paper, although it was not established
till after peace took place on the American continent,
in 1783, in order to conclude the account of John
Wells, the editor of it, who has been mentioned as a printer
in South Carolina, who fled from Charleston when the
British army evacuated that city.
This paper was printed at Nassau, New Providence.
Wells was not contented to remain on the island; but
had a strong desire to return to the continent, and had
attempted several schemes to effect that purpose which
proved unsuccessful. He was still endeavoring to arrange
his business in such a manner as to permit him to revisit
his native country, which he had left with great reluctance,
when he was summoned to the world of spirits.
He married at Nassau, and was highly esteemed for his
many amiable qualities.
[See South Carolina.]
| BRITISH ISLANDS. The history of printing in America, with a biography of printers, and an account of newspapers ... | |