Louis Timothee
Encyclopedia
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...
. He was the first American librarian
Librarian
A librarian is an information professional trained in library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials for those with information needs...
.
Early life
Timothee was born in Holland to French Huguenot parents. He learned the trade of printing as a young man growing up in Holland. Timothee learned numerous languages and was fluent in German, French, and English as well as his native tongue of Dutch. He had married a lady in Holland named Elizabeth. They emigrated to Philadelphia in September of 1731 with four children. The month after arriving Timothee advertised in the Pennsylvania Gazette his intention to open a "Publick French School; he will also, if required, teach the said language to any young gentlemen or ladies, at their Lodgings."Mid life
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
. Franklin had an opening for a journeyman in his Philadelphia shop in 1733. Timothee had linguistic abilities and was knowledgeable in the printing trade. Franklin decided to hire Timothee based on these talents since he needed a new printer partner right away. To avoid tipping off his competitors with whom Franklin exchanged other newspapers of Charles Towne printers, Franklin never announced Whitmarsh's death in the Pennsylvania Gazette, but just went ahead and hired Timothee as his replacement.
Franklin hired Timothee by November 1733 on almost the same terms that Whitmarsh had with him as a partner. Timothee probably was already working in Franklin's shop by February 1732. Since Timothee was fluent in German, soon after he was working at Franklin's shop in 1732 Timothee translated into English for publication a lengthy German letter. He had done such a good job at this Franklin shortly afterward assigned Timothee responsibility for a short-lived German-language newspaper.
In 1732 also Franklin arranged for Timothee to serve as a part-time librarian for the Library Company of Philadelphia
Library Company of Philadelphia
The Library Company of Philadelphia is a non-profit organization based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded by Benjamin Franklin as a library, the Library Company of Philadelphia has accumulated one of the most significant collections of historically valuable manuscripts and printed material in...
, one of Franklin's first philanthropic projects. Franklin started the library July 1, 1731. There was no librarian until November 14, 1732, when Timothee was hired as the first salaried librarian
Librarian
A librarian is an information professional trained in library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials for those with information needs...
in the American colonies. He was paid three pounds sterling every trimester
Academic term
An academic term is a division of an academic year, the time during which a school, college or university holds classes. These divisions may be called terms...
. He worked every Wednesday from two to three o'clock and every Saturday from ten to four.
Later life and death
Timothee had anglicized his name to Lewis Timothy in April of 1734. In Franklin's Philadelphia shop Timothee continued Whitmarsh's practice of reprinting essays encouraging people to be optimistic and virtuous. One day in 1739 Timothy informed his readers that his publication of a pamphlet was delayed "by reason of Sicknes, myself and Son having been visited with this Fever, that reigns at present, so that neither of us hath been capable for some time of working much at the Press." Timothee died two months after this announcement. He may have contracted the deadly yellow feverYellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
, but there are no records to show this for sure. In fact on January 4, 1739, the South-Carolina Gazette noted that the cause of his death was "an unhappy accident."
Timothy had anticipated the likelihood of his own demise because three previous South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
printers had died soon after arriving in the colony. He had put in a special clause inserted in the Franklin partnership contract that his eldest son Peter could succeed him if he prematurely died. Peter was just thirteen years old when Timothy died. He was then training as an apprentice with his father, however was too inexperienced yet to take over the business. Franklin agreed to take on Elizabeth Timothy, the wife of Timothy, as a partner until Peter was capable of running the shop. When Elizabeth became Franklin's printer partner she had six children. When Peter was twenty-one years old he took over the partnership his father had with Franklin and worked closely with Franklin for over the next thirty years.