Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1867-11-29
! =. ABBEVILLE S. C., FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 49, 1867.
EARLY PRINTING. IN AMERICA.


Everything pertaining to the art of
printing-that art which aids all art
aud ,science--is of interest. Concorn.
ing its introduction into this country,
VIC find the following in tho Proof
Sheet, written by s. J.. Hamilton, oi
philadelphia:
.'IL is u. fact worthy of notice, and
Of which Philadelphiuns may well be
proud, that while. nincteon years
Iapscd from the time Of tho -landing
IT the Pilgrims ut Plymouth Rock,
,vfore tho art Of printing was intro
duc,d into the Now England Colo
MES, and while nearly q century and
u quarter passed from the settlement
~ jamestown before single sheet
was printed within the limits Of Vir-
ginia, tho Press WAS introduced into
our city, aud IN almanac calculated
ard piinted, but three years after its
settlement; and that " iliiam Penn
was accompanied by printer on his
first voyage. ....
"W,l,iuin Bradford, TO whom be-
longs the honor Of having first intro,
duced printing Into the Middle States,
was born in Leicestershiro, England,
May 10th. '. Ills parents were
William ~ Bradford, Of HON
but little ID Ii q. Al AN carly age
he was app, ent.ced TO Andrew Sowle,
u wol!-known London printer and
publisher Of that day. Sowle appears
to have been An enthusiastic admircr
Of the doctrines of the Society OF
Friends, or Quakers, and an accoun,
Of his life, held forth as that of tru.
Christian tor tho cdiEcation of sue
cecding generations, may bo found in
the second volume of Tomkin's Piety
Promoted. 1t is as the master Of Brad
ford, however, that ho possesses the
2, oa,cst interest to US, und it is worry
probable that through his Influence
Bradford was persuaded to accompa
ny Penn in his voyage to the Nc"
World-a bold undertaking for lac
of nineteen.
alt appears that this first voyage
was merely one Of Inspection, as hi
left for England II short time after
ward, from whence he returned, il
1855, Bringing with him not only III
Press, but a wife-the daughter of Mr.
Sowle, his former master. A curious
document is still preserved in tho col
lection Of gentleman of our city, be
irg q circular lettvr Of introductio,
from George Fox, tho founder of tn
Society Of Friends, introducing 10 hi
American brethren ga sober youni
man, whose name is William BrUd
ford" and. who comes to Pennsylva-
MIA to set up the trade Of ,prin,ini
Friends Books and requesting tha
the Pennsylvania Friends 'Iet tn
!, Friends know it IN Virginia, Carolina
L ,ng Island, Plymouth Patent, an
Boston, New-Amsterdam, or Ne,
York, is not mentioned. Frien
George probably considered that I'll
,stolid Dutch Of that city had no nee
for Frlonds' books, aud little drcame
that this sober young man woul
show himself. u black. sheep, u d, i
'.less than teu years, be appointe
government printer to that common
wealth. :; -
"Unfortunate'y,- it = is unknow
/: where tho first chapel was erecte
Que tradition points to Kensingto
! and locates tho press neor'' the o
I Treaty Tree, while the inhabitants
Burlington, n. j., backed by many
the oldest printers declares that
was, ,loeated.in that city. Whorev
I The. Press may have bern first es,al
lished, howe ever, it is certain that {
n the. first month, 1888, it WAS in II
$. city Of PhiladoIphia.
= s'The fret work known to have.i
sued from Bradford's press was i
:. almanac of twenty pages, for the ye
1856, .cprhtod II. 1850 calculated
: tho msriiinn of Pennsylvanin by Q
:, samnslsA kyns, bearing q somewh
bombastic title.
!. sEvsp In This, his first publicati'
1SrodG0sd .fon6d y L;maelf IA co,,f3