James Franklin (printer)
Encyclopedia
James Franklin was an American colonial author, printer
, newspaper
publisher, and almanac
publisher. James published the New England Courant
, one of the oldest and the first truly independent American newspaper.
, a chandler from Ecton, Northamptonshire, England, and Abiah Folger Franklin, who came from a family of Nantucket Puritan
s. In addition to James, their children included: John (1690–1756), Peter (1692–1766), Mary (1694–ca. 1730), Sarah (1699–1731), Ebenezer (1701–1702), Thomas (1703–1706), Benjamin
(1706–1790), Lydia (1708–1758), and Jane (1712–1795). James had seven other siblings from his father's earlier marriage. In 1717, James, returned to Boston from England with a press and a small quantity of type letters to start in the printing trade, and younger brother, Benjamin, became indentured to him. James married Ann Smith
, who came from a Puritan
family, in 1723, on his 26th birthday. The ceremony, in Boston, was performed by the Rev. John Webb of the New North Church.
" to Boston. The Courant was considered controversial, and James was imprisoned for four weeks in 1722 for writing "scandalous libel". The paper was suppressed in 1727 and they left Boston in the same year.
At the invitation of James' brother, John, a tallow
chandler, James and Ann moved to Newport. Here, they had five children, including Mary, Elizabeth, and James Jr. Here, too, James and Ann established the colony's first printing press.
Starting in 1727, James printed and published eight editons of the Rhode-Island Almanack, sometimes under the pseudonym
"Poor Robin
". They were printed in James' shop near the town schoolhouse, or at his printing-house on Tillinghast's Wharf, near the Union-Flag Tavern. With the assistance of Thomas Fleet, the almanacs were sold as far away as Pudding-Lane in Boston.
On September 27, 1732, James published the first issue of the Rhode Island Gazette, 12 inches (30.5 cm) by 8.5 inches (21.6 cm) in size. Its run lasted only until May 24, 1733, and its issues were irregular.
thereafter. After a long illness, James died in Newport in 1735, on his 38th birthday and 12th wedding anniversary. He was survived by Ann, leaving her with four young children to support alone one child having preceded James in death.
Almanacs
Printed by James Franklin in Newport, for the colony of Rhode Island, and sold at his shop near the town schoolhouse:
Other works
Printer (publisher)
In publishing, printers are both companies providing printing services and individuals who directly operate printing presses. With the invention of the moveable type printing press by Johannes Gutenberg around 1450, printing—and printers—proliferated throughout Europe.Today, printers are found...
, newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
publisher, and almanac
Almanac
An almanac is an annual publication that includes information such as weather forecasts, farmers' planting dates, and tide tables, containing tabular information in a particular field or fields often arranged according to the calendar etc...
publisher. James published the New England Courant
The New-England Courant
The New-England Courant is one of the oldest and the first truly independent American newspapers. It was founded in Boston on August 7, 1721 by James Franklin, Benjamin Franklin's older brother. The newspaper participated in several controversies and was suppressed in 1727...
, one of the oldest and the first truly independent American newspaper.
Early years
James was the son of Josiah FranklinJosiah Franklin
Josiah Franklin was an English-born businessman best known as the father of Benjamin Franklin.Josiah was born in the tiny town of Ecton, Northamptonshire, England on December 23, 1657. Josiah was the ninth and the last child of his parents, Thomas Franklin, blacksmith and farmer, and his wife Jane...
, a chandler from Ecton, Northamptonshire, England, and Abiah Folger Franklin, who came from a family of Nantucket Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
s. In addition to James, their children included: John (1690–1756), Peter (1692–1766), Mary (1694–ca. 1730), Sarah (1699–1731), Ebenezer (1701–1702), Thomas (1703–1706), Benjamin
Benjamin Franklin
Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
(1706–1790), Lydia (1708–1758), and Jane (1712–1795). James had seven other siblings from his father's earlier marriage. In 1717, James, returned to Boston from England with a press and a small quantity of type letters to start in the printing trade, and younger brother, Benjamin, became indentured to him. James married Ann Smith
Ann Smith Franklin
Ann Smith Franklin was an American colonial newspaper printer and publisher. She inherited the business from her husband, James Franklin, brother of Benjamin Franklin. She published the Newport, Rhode Island Mercury, printed an almanac series, and printed Rhode Island paper currency...
, who came from a Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
family, in 1723, on his 26th birthday. The ceremony, in Boston, was performed by the Rev. John Webb of the New North Church.
Career
James began publishing the Courant in Boston in 1721 with wife, Ann, and brother, Benjamin, working alongside him. While at the Courant, James gathered a group, referred to by some as "The Hell-Fire Club", for assistance, and introduced "yellow journalismYellow journalism
Yellow journalism or the yellow press is a type of journalism that presents little or no legitimate well-researched news and instead uses eye-catching headlines to sell more newspapers. Techniques may include exaggerations of news events, scandal-mongering, or sensationalism...
" to Boston. The Courant was considered controversial, and James was imprisoned for four weeks in 1722 for writing "scandalous libel". The paper was suppressed in 1727 and they left Boston in the same year.
At the invitation of James' brother, John, a tallow
Tallow
Tallow is a rendered form of beef or mutton fat, processed from suet. It is solid at room temperature. Unlike suet, tallow can be stored for extended periods without the need for refrigeration to prevent decomposition, provided it is kept in an airtight container to prevent oxidation.In industry,...
chandler, James and Ann moved to Newport. Here, they had five children, including Mary, Elizabeth, and James Jr. Here, too, James and Ann established the colony's first printing press.
Starting in 1727, James printed and published eight editons of the Rhode-Island Almanack, sometimes under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
"Poor Robin
Poor Robin
Poor Robin was an English 17th and 18th-century satirical almanac series, appearing as Poor Robin's Almanack from 1663. Other similar writings by the pseudonymous Poor Robin were published later, in American and into the 19th century.-Origins:...
". They were printed in James' shop near the town schoolhouse, or at his printing-house on Tillinghast's Wharf, near the Union-Flag Tavern. With the assistance of Thomas Fleet, the almanacs were sold as far away as Pudding-Lane in Boston.
On September 27, 1732, James published the first issue of the Rhode Island Gazette, 12 inches (30.5 cm) by 8.5 inches (21.6 cm) in size. Its run lasted only until May 24, 1733, and its issues were irregular.
Later years
James was ill while living in Newport, but before his death, Benjamin came for a visit. When Benjamin left for Philadelphia, he had with him his nephew, James Jr., and provided him with a printing apprenticeshipApprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...
thereafter. After a long illness, James died in Newport in 1735, on his 38th birthday and 12th wedding anniversary. He was survived by Ann, leaving her with four young children to support alone one child having preceded James in death.
Partial bibliography
Newspapers- —, & Franklin, B. (1721). The New-England courant. Boston [Mass.]: J. Franklin. OCLC 2264838
- (1732). The Rhode-Island gazette. Newport, R.I.: James Franklin. OCLC 2267192
Almanacs
- (1727). The Rhode-Island almanack. For the year, 1728. Being bissextile, or leap-year. Carefully fitted, and exact- [sic] calculated to the meridian of Newport on Rhode-Island; whose latitude north is 41 gr. 30 m. longitude from London 72 grs. But may without sensible error, serve all parts of New-England. Being the first ever published for that meridian. OCLC 70091122
- —, & Fleet, T. (1728). The Rhode-Island almanack, for the year, 1729.: ... Carefully fitted, and exactly calculated to the meridian of Newport on Rhode Island; whose latitude north is 41 gr. 30 m. longitude from London, 72 grs. But may without sensible error serve all parts of New-England.
- (1729). The Rhode-Island almanack, for the year, 1730. Being the second year after leap year. Carefully fitted, and exactly calculated to the meridian of Newport on Rhode-Island, whose latitude north is 41 gr. 30 m. longitude from London, 72 grs. But may without sensible error serve all parts of New-England. OCLC 62819621
- (1730). A Perpetual almanack: Shewing, the prime, epact, cycle of the sun, dominical letter, moon's age, high water, day of the month, day of the week, what days of the month all the Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, &c. in any month of any year, fall on, leap year, moon's southing, sun rise, sun set, length of day, length of night, moveable and fixed feasts of the Church of England, and remarkable days for ever, &c. OCLC 62872886
- (1731). The Rhode-Island almanack, for the year, 1732.: ... Fitted to the meridian of Newport, on Rhode-Island, whose latitude north is 41 gr. 30 m. longitude from London, 72 grs. OCLC 207876015
- –, & Fleet, T. (1732). The Rhode-Island almanack for the year, 1733.: ... Fitted to the meridian of Newport, on Rhode-Island, whose latitude north is 41 gr. 30 m. longitude from London, 72 grs. OCLC 207876063
- —, & Fleet, T. (1733). The Rhode-Island almanack for the year, 1734.: ... Fitted to the meridian of Newport, on Rhode-Island, whose latitude north is 41 gr. 30 m. longitude from London, 72 grs. Newport [R.I.]: OCLC 207876120
- (1734). The Rhode Island almanack for the year, 1735. ... Fitted to the meridian of Newport, on Rhode-Island, whose latitude north is 41 gr. 30 m. longitude from London, 72 grs. Newport [R.I.]: Printed and sold by J. Franklin, at his printing-house under the town school-house. Sold also by T. Fleet, at the Heart and Crown in Cornhill, Boston. OCLC 62819625
Printed by James Franklin in Newport, for the colony of Rhode Island, and sold at his shop near the town schoolhouse:
- (1730). Acts and laws, of His Majesty's Colony of Rhode-Island, and Providence-Plantations, in America. OCLC 5808746
- (1730). The charter granted by His Majesty King Charles the Second, to the Colony of Rhode Island, and Providence-Plantations, in America. OCLC 191270379
- (1731). Laws, made and pass'd by the General Assembly of His Majesty's colony of Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations, in New-England,: Held at Newport, on the first Wednesday of May, 1730. OCLC 191270407
Other works
- (1718). Divine examples of God's severe judgments upon Sabbath breakers, in their unlawful sports, Collected out of several divine subjects, viz. Mr. H.B. Mr. Beard, and the Practice of Piety: a fit monument for our present times, etc. Boston in New-England: Re-printed and sold in Newbury-Street [by Bartholomew Green?]. OCLC 4795117
- (1722). Hoop-petticoats arraigned and condemned by the light of nature, and law of God. Boston: Printed and sold by James Franklin, in Queen-streetCourt Street (Boston, Massachusetts)Court Street is located in the Financial District of Boston, Massachusetts. Prior to 1788, it was called Prison Lane and then Queen Street . In the 19th century it extended beyond its current length, to Bowdoin Square. In the 1960s most of Court Street was demolished to make way for the...
. OCLC 7198819 - (1726). The life and death of Old Father Janus, the vile author of the late wicked Courant A satyr. Boston: Printed and sold by J. Franklin in Union-StreetUnion Street (Boston, Massachusetts)Union Street is a street in Boston, Massachusetts, near Faneuil Hall and the North End. Prior to 1828, it was also called Green Dragon Lane.-See also:* First Baptist Church * James Franklin * Green Dragon Tavern...
. OCLC 55831518