James Abree
Encyclopedia
James Abree was an 18th-century Canterbury
printer, publisher and bookseller.
Abree was the son of William Abree of Winchester
.
He was apprenticed to the London printer Ichabod Dawkes from 1705 to 1712.
Abree moved to Canterbury in 1717, possibly at the invitation of the city authorities. He seems to have been the printer of Canterbury's first newspaper, the Kentish Post
, founded in 1717.
In 1722 he became a freeman of Canterbury and in the same year married Mary, the daughter of Samuel and Frances Simmons of Deal
, (died 1748).
They had one child, a daughter also named Mary, who married Lieutenant Thomas Woolley Pickering R.N. in 1745.
Besides his newspaper, Abree also printed books and ephemera such as bellman's verses and ballads; he also acted as an agent for the Sun Fire Office and no doubt sold stationery through his bookshop.
At the end of his career, Abree took on an assistant, George Kirkby, son of a Canterbury vicar, who had been apprenticed to the London printer James Bettenham.
In 1768, the Kentish Post announced that Abree was planning to retire in favour of his assistant Kirkby.
A rival paper was started by James Simmons and after a short circulation war, the two newspapers merged as the Kentish Gazette
which is still published weekly in Canterbury (2011). The firm of Simmons and Kirkby continued in existence for a further 23 years.
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
printer, publisher and bookseller.
Abree was the son of William Abree of Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
.
He was apprenticed to the London printer Ichabod Dawkes from 1705 to 1712.
Abree moved to Canterbury in 1717, possibly at the invitation of the city authorities. He seems to have been the printer of Canterbury's first newspaper, the Kentish Post
Kentish Post
The Kentish Post: or the Canterbury News-Letter, Canterbury's first newspaper, published between 1717 and 1768, is the predecessor of the present-day Kentish Gazette....
, founded in 1717.
In 1722 he became a freeman of Canterbury and in the same year married Mary, the daughter of Samuel and Frances Simmons of Deal
Deal, Kent
Deal is a town in Kent England. It lies on the English Channel eight miles north-east of Dover and eight miles south of Ramsgate. It is a former fishing, mining and garrison town...
, (died 1748).
They had one child, a daughter also named Mary, who married Lieutenant Thomas Woolley Pickering R.N. in 1745.
Besides his newspaper, Abree also printed books and ephemera such as bellman's verses and ballads; he also acted as an agent for the Sun Fire Office and no doubt sold stationery through his bookshop.
At the end of his career, Abree took on an assistant, George Kirkby, son of a Canterbury vicar, who had been apprenticed to the London printer James Bettenham.
In 1768, the Kentish Post announced that Abree was planning to retire in favour of his assistant Kirkby.
A rival paper was started by James Simmons and after a short circulation war, the two newspapers merged as the Kentish Gazette
Kentish Gazette
The Kentish Gazette is a weekly newspaper serving the city of Canterbury, Kent. It is owned by the KM Group and is published on Thursdays.-History:The newspaper claims to be the second oldest surviving newspaper in the United Kingdom....
which is still published weekly in Canterbury (2011). The firm of Simmons and Kirkby continued in existence for a further 23 years.