Book publishers in Upper Canada

After the American Revolutionary War, U.S. printers were freed of British copyright restrictions and freely reprinted British works. Upper Canadian printers remained bound by British copyright. American presses quickly took the lead in producing cheap editions and eventually the printing of original work.

Publishing in Upper Canada was thus largely limited to local newspapers. The official Kings Printer published a large number of government documents, including the journal of the provincial Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council. During the 1830s, a series of directories and gazetteers were independently published. The only substantial original works published were by David Willson, the religious leader of the Children of Peace, a utopian Quaker group who built the Sharon Temple.

The following list is partial, and omits government publications.

Dundas

George Heyworth Hackstaff

NewspaperDatesPolitical Orientation
Canada (later London) Inquirer1839—Reform

Kingston

James MacFarlane

NewspaperDatesPolitical Orientation
Kingston ChronicleJuly 7, 1826 - June 23, 1832Reform
Kingston Chronicle & Gazette, and weekly commercial advertiser29 June 1833 – 31 December 1845Reform

Stephen Miles

NewspaperDatesPolitical Orientation
Kingston GazetteNOV. 27, 1810 - DEC. 29, 1820Reform

Hugh Christopher Thomson (1791-1834)

NewspaperDatesPolitical Orientation
Upper Canada Herald1819—1833+Independent

+ The Herald continued to be published by Thomson's wife Elizabeth until 1838, making her the first female newspaper publisher in the province.[1]

Edward John Barker

NewspaperDatesPolitical Orientation
The British WhigFeb. 11, 1834 - January 26, 1836Reform/Conservative

Sandwich (Windsor)

James Cowan

NewspaperDatesPolitical Orientation
Canadian Emigrant and Western District AdvertiserDec. 1831 to Sept. 1836Reform/Conservative

Henry C. Grant

NewspaperDatesPolitical Orientation
Western Herald and Farmers' MagazineJan. 1838 to Oct. 1842Reform/Conservative

Toronto

William Joseph Coates (1805–1879)

David Willson

Coates was the first printer of the Methodist newspaper "The Christian Guardian" edited by Rev. Egerton Ryerson from 1829–33, after which he opened his own shop.[3]

W.J. Coates & Thomas Dalton (1782-1840)

  • George Walton "The City of Toronto and the home district commercial directory and register with almanack and calendar for 1837 : being first after leap-year, and the eighth year of the reign of his majesty King William the Fourth" (Toronto: T. Dalton & W.J. Coates, 1837).

Thomas Dalton (1782-1840)

NewspaperDatesPolitical Orientation
Patriot & Farmers Monitor (Kingston)Nov. 12 1829 —Dec. 7, 1832Moderate Reform
Patriot & Farmers Monitor (Toronto)Dec. 1832— 1840+Conservative

+ The Herald continued to be published by Dalton's wife Sarah until 1848, making her the second female newspaper publisher in the province.[4]

Charles Fothergill (1782–1840)

Joseph H. Lawrence

William Lyon Mackenzie (1795–1861)

William Lyon Mackenzie
NewspaperDatesPolitical Orientation
Colonial AdvocateMay 18, 1824 – 1833Reform
Advocate1833-Oct. 30, 1834Radical Reform
ConstitutionJuly 4, 1836-Dec. 6, 1837Radical Reform

Robert Stanton (1794-1866)

References

  1. "Dictionary of Canadian Biography".
  2. Gundy, H. Pearson in Tulchinsky, Gerald (1976). To Preserve and Protect. Montreal-Kington: McGill-Queens University Press. pp. 203–22.
  3. Elder, Carol (1986). "W.J. Coates: an early 19th century Toronto printer". The York Pioneer. 81: 44–49.
  4. "Dictionary of Canadian Biography".
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.