199

interior parts of each county - and hundreds
who could not choose to take more expensive
and distant prints, might profit by the commu-
nications. To the lower and more inland coun-
ties, a press at Easton would be, a source from
which political intelligence might diffuse it-
self, of the highest consequence... ²

Samuel Alexander Harrison, ^r!Talbot^!s local annal-
ist,"³ states that, judging by the similarity of
James Cowan's name to names in Pennsylvania, Easton's
first printer was possibly a Pennsylvanian and ac-
quired his trade under the Pradfords of Philadelphia.
Whether this is true or not, it is certain that he
had close connections with Frederick and Samuel Green
of Annapolis. The prospectus, quoted above, was
issued from Annapolis, and was probably printed at
the Green press. On May 28, 1789, Cowan married
Jane McHurd in Anne Arundel County*⁶ On March 31,
1790, Frederick and "Samuel Green advertised that "a
lad of good character and capacity" was "wanted im-
mediately, as an apprentice to the printing business,
on the Eastern Shore."⁷ This advertisement undoubted-
ly originated with Cowan. It may bo significant that

2 Wheeler, J.T. The Maryland press, p. 72.

(Letter from J.T. Wheeler 5/15/42 corrects date
of prospectus.}

3 Tilghman, Oswald. History of Talbot county.

P. [i]

4 Easton star. June 23, 1874.

5 Wheeler,J.T. op. cit. Bibliography, item 496.

6 Anne Arundel county. Marriage records.

7 Maryland gazette (Annapolis) April 1, 1790.