A History of Printing in Colonial Maryland

troversy which well-nigh had shattered the foundation of the Pennsylvania
hierarchy. Since that time he had kept the various colonial presses hot with
the issue of his pamphlets. Because of his advocacy of Keith, William Brad-
ford, the first Philadelphia printer, had been compelled to remove his press
to New York, where he had continued occasionally to issue pamphlets by
or in support of his former friend. In controverting Keith's attacks on the
Puritans, Cotton Mather and others had made free use of the presses of the
New England colonies. The Maryland press alone had not been called upon
either by Keith or by his enemies, but at this time, having secured ordina-
tion in England and returned hitherwith John Talbot as the representative
of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, it befell
that he became a patron of the only press in the colonies hitherto not req-
uisitioned in the service of his controversial zeal.

THOMAS READING BECOMES PUBLIC PRINTER AND TAKES A WIFE

In the year 1704 we come again into touch with Thomas Reading in the
pages of the Provincial records. In the September session of that year, it
was moved in the Lower House that Reading print the Governor's speech,
delivered at the opening of the session, and in response, it was

"..... resolved he be lycensd so to doe likewise proposd that he may be constituted pub-
liq printer to print all laws and other publiq matters Which being debated this house Re-
solves he be constituted printer first Giving bond with Securety to behave himselfe in that
Office."¹

The next recorded action by Reading is his marriage on December 11,
1705, to the "Widdow Gittins."² Evidently the journeyman printer whom
Bladen had brought to the Province was sufficiently well satisfied with his
prospects there to wish to settle himself comfortably in its capital.

THE BODY OF LAWS OF ANNAPOLIS, 1707

In April of the year 1706, there was read in the Lower House "The humble
Petition of Thomas Reading constituted Printer of the Province of Mary-
land," in which that personage prayed that their Honors would

"..... order the Laws of this Province to be printed and this House would give him
Encouragement for the speedy finishing the same; and That your Honours would please to
settle some Annual Salary for his Support and Encouragement for which he will be obliged

¹L. H. J., September 12, 1704, Archives of Maryland, 26:129. In this same session (cf. U. H. J., September 25
and October 2, 1704) the sermons preached at the opening of the new St. Anne's church, in the morning and after-
noon respectively, by the Rev. Messrs. Wooten and Cockshute, were ordered printed, both Houses concurring.
No copies of these sermons have been recorded. See bibliographical appendix.

² "Births, Marriages and Deaths" in "Parish Register," St. Anne's Parish, Anne Arundel County. Copy in the
Maryland Historical Society.

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