Emendations and Additions to A Directory of Printing, Publishing, Bookselling & Allied Trades in Rhode Island to 1865

Maude and Glenn Brown's A Directory of Printing, Publishing, Bookselling & Allied Trades in Rhode Island to 1865 (abbreviated throughout the Atlas as NYPL) is the fundamental guide to the members of the antebellum Rhode Island book trade, and it was the base text for this project. For the period of the eighteenth century, a large portion of the evidence used by the Browns was found in newspapers, especially advertisements. In the course of researching locations for the Atlas, errors and ommissions are inevitably encountered, and as many as possible are listed here in an effort to update that valuable work.

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Additions

• Brown, John:
  Noted in Jane Fletcher Fiske's Gleanings from Newport Court Files. As stated in it's preface, NYPL does not include engravers.
• Claggett, (?):
  Noted in Douglas McMurtrie's "The Beginning of Printing in Rhode Island".
• Fleming, John:
  Listed in George Richardson's scrapbook, Occupations: Craftsmen in Newport, and Other Information about the Town's Inhabitants .
  
• Helme, James:
  Mentioned in the 1 May 1788 Newport Herald.
  
• Lipscombe, James:
  Noted in Jane Fletcher Fiske's Gleanings from Newport Court Files.
  
• Paine, Nathan:
  Mentioned in the 12 Oct 1782 Providence Gazette. Possibly not listed in NYPL because of uncertainty whether or not Glocester, RI is intended in the reference to "Gloucester". See the full entry for more details.
• Pembrook, Elkana:
  Noted in George Parker Winship's "Newport Newspapers in the Eighteenth Century".
  
• Thurston, Edward, Jr.:
  Mentioned in a 6 January 1772 Newport Mercury advertisement.
• Todd, Daniel:
  Noted in Jane Fletcher Fiske's Gleanings from Newport Court Files.
• Vernon, Samuel:
  As stated in it's preface, NYPL does not include engravers.
• Vernon, Samuel, Jr.:
  As stated in it's preface, NYPL does not include engravers.
• Wetherill, F.:
  Listed in Alden, although with a "Providence(?)" location.
  

 

Emendations

• Ballou, Joseph (p. 24):
  NYPL spells the last name "Ballow".
  
• Barber, Henry (p. 24):
  The dates offered in NYPL for the movement of Barber and the Newport Mercury between the middle and the foot of the parade do not correspond to the evidence in the paper's nameplate during the period.
• Bird, Nathaniel (p. 29):
  NYPL does not record the reference to Bird's location near Cowley's Wharf in a 29 February 1767 Newport Mercury advertisement.
• Brown, Rogers and Brown (p. 35):
  NYPL does not record the location north of Nicholas Brown's house and lists them as active only on 28 May 1785, when they active from July of 1784 to June of 1785.
  
• Fox, James (p. 67):
  NYPL gives the location as “Lane St., north side of the Parade to the Goal House"...” Lane St. doesn't pass to the north side of the Parade or anywhere near the jail. The 8 March 1773 Newport Mercury advertisement has instead “ the lane leading from the north side of the parade to the gaol-house," which would likely be Colonial Lane, called "Prison Lane" at the time.
• Francis, Manning (p. 67):
  NYPL spells the last name "Maning".
• Thomas Green (p. 74):
  NYPL describes Green's location as "the sign of the Buck" rather than the Roe-buck, as in the 7 August 1769 Newport Mercury advertisement cited. NYPL also doesn't mention that the new shop is a house "lately occupied by Mr. Frost".
• Green, James (p. 74):
  Green was at the location opposite John Angell until 1770. NYPL also lists two James Greens separately, although it seems likely that they were the same person (see notes to the first entry for James Green).
  
• Helme, James (p. 84):
  An advertisement in the 1 May 1788 Newport Herald mentions Helme at Little-Rest. NYPL lists him only at Tower Hill in 1793.
• Hill's Ready Money Variety Store (p. 85):
  NYPL does not record"... formerly occupied by Mr. James Green, next Door to Mr. Nathan Angell's ....".
• Jones and Allen (p. 92):
  NYPL does not record "... opposite Mr. Esek Eddy's and near the Long-Wharf".
• Man and Low (p. 104):
  Spelled "Mann and Low" in NYPL.
• Miller, John (p. 110):
  NYPL records only the 31 August 1762 reference to Miller's Long Wharf auction. Miller also auctioned books in 1772 at Ferry Wharf.
  
• Mumford, Paul (p. 114):
  NYPL describes Mumford's location as "at the sign of the Blue Bell in Thames St.", instead of "Blue-Ball" as in the Newport Mercury advertisements. NYPL also does not record "Thames Street, opposite Mr. Aaron Lopez's".
  
• Peckham and Gould (p. 124):
  NYPL does not record the names (Sarah Peckham and Alice Gould) and only lists the 13 May 1765 advertisement, although other advertisements indicate that they operated until at least June of 1767.
• Siddall, William (p. 153):
  NYPL records only the 24 August 1772 reference to Siddal, who operated at least from June of 1771 to August of 1772.
• Sisson, Gideon (p. 155):
  NYPL spells the last name "Sissons".
  
• Thurber, Edward (p. 166):
  NYPL lists the earliest date for Edward Thurber alone as 24 August 1771, but an advertisement for Edward Thurber in the 19 March 1768 Providence Gazette lists books and stationery among items for sale.
• Thurber, Edward, Jr. (p. 166):
  NYPL describes Edward Thurber's location as "Opp. Mr. Samuel Young's, at Thurber's paper mill". The United States Chronicle advertisements cited instead specify Edward Thurber's location opposite Samuel Young as separate from Thurber's paper mill.
• Truman and Co (p. 170):
  NYPL does not record the 1 June 1786 Providence Gazette advertisement.
• Updike, Daniel (p. 171):
  NYPL substitutes "Updike's, Newton Corner" for "Updike's Newton" (i.e. Wickford).
  
• Wheeler, Bennett (father and son)(p. 179):
  The NYPL reference to the son's move to a location "opposite the town pump in Broad St." should be applied rather to the father's general store.
• Wilson, Jonathan (NYPL, p. 185):
  NYPL describes Wilson's location as “Paper mill in this colony”. The newspaper advertisements in 1767-8 in fact describe it as “the paper mill in this colony”, referring therefore to the Providence mill in particular rather than any other potential site.