EARLY PRINTING IN HALIFAX.
In 1751 printing was first introduced into Nova Scotia. The first press was established at Halifax, and there was not a second in the province until 1766. Bartholomew Green, Jr., was the grandson of Samuel Green, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was of the firm of Green, Bushell & Allen, of Boston. He removed to Halifax with a press and type in August, 1751. He died about six weeks after his arrival, 52 years of age.
John Bushell, who had been the partner of Green in Boston, immediately succeeded him in Halifax. He printed for the government, and in March, 1752,[97] published the first newspaper printed in Nova Scotia. The work for government was inconsiderable, but was the chief support of Bushell. He was a good workman but had not the art of acquiring property, nor did he make the most economical use of the little which fell into his hands. Bushell died in February, 1761. The proclamation published by Governor Lawrence in 1758 for the settlement of the French lands on the Basin of Minas was printed by John Bushell. Anthony Henry succeeded Bushell as a printer at Halifax. He was a German, and had lived some time with a printer, but had left his master and became a fifer in one of the provincial regiments. With this regiment he came to Nova Scotia, but some time after obtained his discharge. There was then no printer in the province, and his pretensions to skill in this art greatly facilitated his release from the army. There appears, however, to have been a printing office at Halifax in March, 1756, conducted by one Isaac Ourry. Henry began business with the press and type which had been used by Bushell. He published the Gazette. The government, through necessity, gave him some work which was badly executed. This paper was edited for some time by the Hon. Richard Bulkeley, Secretary of the Province.
In 1766 a printer with a new and good apparatus came from London and opened another printing house. He published a newspaper and was employed by government. Henry, who had been inattentive to his affairs, did not despond at the prospects of a rival, but, much to his credit, exerted himself and did better than before. After a few years' trial, his rival, not finding the business so profitable, nor place agreeable, sold out his paper, and Henry was again the only printer in the province. He procured new type and a workman better skilled than himself. His printing from this time was executed in a more workmanlike manner. He remained without another rival until the British army evacuated Boston, in March, 1776, when the printers in that town who adhered to the Royal cause were obliged to leave that place, and they, with other refugees, came to Halifax. Henry continued printing until his death. He possessed a fund of good nature, and was of a very cheerful disposition. He died December, 1800, aged 66 years.
Robert Fletcher arrived at Halifax from London in 1760, with new printing materials and a valuable collection of books and stationery. He opened a book store and printing house near the parade, published a newspaper and printed for the government. Until this time there had been no book store in the province. Fletcher executed his printing with neatness, and raised the reputation of the art in Nova Scotia. He remained in Halifax until 1770, then sent his printing materials to Boston for sale and went into other business.
Alexander and James Robertson, who had been printers in New York, Norwich and Albany, went to Shelburne, in Nova Scotia, in 1783, where they printed a newspaper. John Howe began printing in Halifax in 1776, and was publisher of the Gazette in 1801. Howe commenced the Halifax Journal in 1780. In 1790 his office was at the corner of Sackville and Barrington Streets. This paper was afterwards purchased and carried on by John Munro; his office was where Mr. Kenny's new stone building now is, at the corner of George and Granville Streets. The weekly Chronicle was set on foot by William Minns, a Loyalist settler, in 1786, and was continued until 1828. Mr. Minns kept a stationer's shop in Barrington Street, below the parade. This paper had the Star and Garter at its heading.
Henry's printing office was in Grafton Street, in rear of the residence of the late Attorney General Richard John Uniacke, where his descendants resided for many years. There was another printing office in the same street, further north, which is represented in the engraving of the town in 1776 with a steeple surmounted by a hand holding a pen.
After the peace of 1784, printing found its way into the Province of New Brunswick.