Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-05-23
AN kpsroME.
Virginia Newspapers and Postage
Ie07.Isss.
BowrRs. va. May I, 1885.

REQUEST.
Bowers. va. May !, 1885.
To ne Editor Of the Dfspdfch
There were two newspapers published II
Virginia at the beginpinx OF the Rssoiu
ticD. VIII you please answer through IN
Dispdfch what were the ns mes OF thsse tw1
pepels, where pnblished. the editors
names and the price 81 the papers? An.
in connection with our answer pesse give
the plumber to-day OfaH kinds-newspn
peis. magazines. and periodicals OF ever
detcription-in the Commonwealth or Viz
giDia, and, II not Too yexatious 70 you. u
price OF postage In 1916 and the vsriou
changes In postage since, showing the rise
MxsALcus LAsKToRp.
II Mr.. Brock. or anybody else, will
take the trouble to answer Mr.. Lang
ford's interrogatories, we will publish
the information for the public benefit
Dispatch.
To the Editor Of the Dispatch:
In due explanation of this effort, it
is just that the above, its cause, should
accompany it. The trits truism that
at is easy TO ask questions " is made
so absolute that it is patent that. in ad-
dition to the just preeminence which is
accorded the Dispatch in journalism in
Virginia, it may now be advanced
to the precedence above all journals in
all lands in having presented a query
in epitome the most concisely compre-
bensive, perhaps, of all time. | may
only endeavor partial response. The
first number Of the Tirginia Gazette
1.-THE first newspaper published in Vir-
ginia), issued weekly by William Parks,
proprietor, Williamsburg, appeared
July /, 1886, price 15s. per annum.
Parks died in 1850, and the paper was
discontinued some months after his
death. IT was renewed by William
Hunter in 1851, No. appearing in
February. Hunter is said to have died
in l76l, but the paper was enlarged to
DENY size and published at Us. Cd. by
Joseph Boyle. after whose death it was
carried on successfully by John Dixon
and William Hunter, Alexander Purdie
and Company and Purdie & Dixon, who
conducted it until the commencement
of the Revolutionary war and Purdie
alone published it several years during
the contest.
Another Virginia Gazette" Pub
lished by Authority, Open to All Par
ties, but Influenced by None was
first published by William Rind at Will
liapsburg in May, l76G. and continued
weekly, on Thursday, at II shillings
and pence a year. Rind died August
10, 1873. His widow, Clementina Rind,
continued the publication for q time.
She was succeeded by John Pinckney,
who soon died, and the paper was dis
continued before the Revolution.
There was still another Virginia Ga
zete, first published at Williamsburg
in April, l775, on Saturday, by John
Clarkson and Augustine Davis, and
continued weekly for several years.
This and the paper first cited were the
two papers published in Williamsburg
at the beginning Of and during the Reyo-
luton.
Another paper, unnamed, is men
toned by Thomas, (HistOry Of
Printing, I'd edition. III. 1861,
in a note as having been printed in Nor
folk in l775, by John Hunter Holt,
whose press was carried off by British
force landed from the war-ships in the
haihor September Goth.
(See, also. Forces Archices I'LL,
s47, 923. l03l).
Augustine Davis, as above, during or
soon after the Revolution removed to
Richmond, and for many years was a
printer ana journalist here. His estab-
lishment was at the southeast corner OF
Main and Eleventh streets, and in the
same building, owned by him, land
which was occupied by the Enquirer
before our late war of lS6l-5)-on an
old imported hand.press upon which the
Virginia Gazette had been printed-the
first number OF the Constitutional
Whig, (now the Richmond Whig), John
Hampden Peasants editor and pro-
prietor, was printed, and appeared,
January 81, 1924.
AS to the present journalistic publ
cations in Virginia, your correspondent
may avail himself Of reference at your
own counter to RoweIrs Directory of
Newspapers in The United States, an
accessible authority, OF which, how
ever, | do not possess a copy.
| pass to the mot too vexatious "
postage question.
So early as 1881 Thomas Randolph
was appointed chief postmaster of Eng
land, but his functions seem to have
pertained more to the establishment and
inspection Of post-horses and the regu-
lation of fees for posting than to the
transfer of letters. The complete or
ganization Of a system did not take
place till the reign of James l., who,
soon after his accession, constituted the
Office Of postmaster Of England for
foreign parts, and appointed Matthew
lie Quester the first postmaster. In
1914 Edmund Priedaux, master Of the
post. instituted weekly post. In 1856
an act was passed to settle the post of
England, Scotland, and Ireland, and
prices for post horses. For single
piece Of paper, the rate, under 80 miles
was two pence; between 80 and lao,
four pence; above 40, six pence; on
the borders Of the Kingdom and in
Scotland, eight pence.
In 1856 the rate for single letters
above 800 miles was raised to fourteen
pence. This decreased to two pence
for miles and under. Thence onward
until the rates were not materially
charged.
By letters patent from William and
Mary, bearing date February II, 1902,
Thomas Neale was empowered to es-
tablish a post in the American colo
MES, and to enjoy the same for twenty
ore years. Under this privilege the
Virginia Assembly in March, 1903,
fixed the rate Of postage at three pence
for every letter of a single sheet for
eighty miles, and four and half pence
for greater distances in the colony.
Packets Of writs, deeds, &C., were to
be rated at eighteen pence for every
ounce in weight. tHenaing's Statutes,
III. ll2.ll3, cited in SpOtsUOod Letters,