A History of the Maryland Press, 1777-1790

This is now known to be incorrect and much as we would like to think of
this elderly lady presiding over the Baltimore post office again, we must
recognize the facts as they are and be content with seeing her spend
her declining years in her little store.

MARY KATHARINE GODDARD'S LATER CAREER IN BALTIMORE

In addition to her work as printer and postmistress, she ran a dry
goods and stationary business from the early years of the Revolution
until about 1807. While she was printer of the paper, she frequently
published lists of merchandise for sale.

"Felt Hats, for Men and Boys, very good and cheap; Barcelona, India and fine French Cotton
Handkerchiefs; Holland Shirts; fine Cotton Cards; Leiper's excellent Snuff; Paper by the large or
small Quantity; Account Books, and other Stationary; choice Lampblack, and Linseed Oil, and a
Variety of other Articles, to be sold by M. K. Goddard, at the Post-Office, Market Street, Balti-
more."17

Later she started a bookstore which was located at 80 Baltimore street,
according to the Baltimore Directory for 1796. In 1803, she was listed
in the Directory as a store keeper at Chatham street. Shortly after, she
probably gave up the business and in 1810 her name was printed in the
Directory, "Mary C. Goddard, gentlewoman." The entry in the Direc-
tory for 1816 is the last, for on August 12, in her eightieth year, she died,
leaving her remaining property to her colored servant, who had attended
her through her later years.

It is a necessary, although a painful task, to add a concluding word
on the relations between William and Mary Katherine Goddard. Her
devotion to him is shown in her willing acceptance of the difficult situ-
ations created by him and left to her to make the best of. He started a
printing office in Providence, and then, discovering that it was
threatened with financial difficulties, he left it to his mother and sister
and set out for a more profitable field. No sooner was the Providence
business disposed of than he brought his sister to Philadelphia where he
was in the midst of a bitter quarrel with his partners. Again he left her
behind to continue the Pennsylvania Chronicle while he went to Balti-
more. Before the Baltimore business was firmly established he called
his sister there and turned over to her the Maryland Journal while he
travelled through the colonies founding the Constitutional Post Office.
After peace was made with England and prosperity seemed to be in the

17 Maryland Journal, January 1, 1782.

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