116

BOOK PRINTERS IN BALTIMORE

Samuel and John Adams, Baltimore Branch of the Wil.
mington. Firm. - Samuel and John Adams, sons of James
Adams, who had established a pioneer press in Wilming-
ton about 1761,¹ opened a branch office in Baltimore
during the fall of 1789.²

The Baltimore firm published almanacs and a number
of books, of which the majority were religious. In
1792 there appeared a succession of books on Sweden-
Lorgian doctrine, douttless ordered printed by the
zealous Reverend James Jones Wilmer, later to become
William Pechin's associate in newspaper printing.

Wilmer had returned from one of his trips to England,

3
a convert to Emanuel Swedenborrg's faith, in 1791;

and the number of books which were issued during the
following year give an indication as to how enthusi-
astically Wilmer, the first American Swedenborgian,
was propagating the creed. In addition to the Liturgy
of the New [Jerusalem] Church,⁴ the Adams firm pub-
lished the Familiar Letters of Reverend Ralph Mather,

a minister of the New Jerusalem Church,⁵ Queries Con-

1 Scharf, J.T, History cf Delaware, 1609-1888.
vl, p. 451.

2 Wheeler, J.T. The Maryland press, 1777-1790.
p. 72.

3 Wilmer, J.J. Memoirs of the Rev. James Jones
Wilmer, p. 237.

4 Appendix A. Imprint bibliography, item 84.

5 Appendix A. Imprint bibliography, item 79.