Ann Timothy (ca. 1727–September 11, 1792) was a newspaper publisher from South Carolina. She worked alongside her husband until his death in 1782, and after she had published by herself for years, she became the official printer for the state of South Carolina.

Personal life

Ann Donovan was born circa 1727. She married

Peter Timothy Peter Timothy (1724 – 1782), originally named Peter Timothee, was an 18th-century Dutch-American printer and politician. He immigrated to the American colonies with his parents, French Huguenots, Lewis and Elizabeth Timothy. Lewis worked for Be ...

on December 8, 1745 in

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of South Carolina's coastline on Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atla ...

. Peter was the son of

Elizabeth Timothy Elizabeth Timothy (''née'' Villin born 30 June 1702 – died 2 April 1757) was the first female newspaper publisher in America. Early life Born as Elizabeth Villin on 30 June 1702, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, she married Lewis Timothy, a H ...

who operated the first permanent newspaper in South Carolina. Ann and Peter were believed to have had fifteen children, but seven of whom died as infants. Their children include Elizabeth–Ann and Frances–Claudia, who were on their own or married by 1780. The remaining children at that time were Anne, Sarah, Robert, Sarah, and Benjamin Franklin.

Career

Girls inspecting eighteenth century press

Timothy and her husband took over publishing the ''

South Carolina Gazette The ''South Carolina Gazette'' (1732–1775) was South Carolina's first successful newspaper. The paper began in 1732 under Thomas Whitmarsh in Charlestown (now Charleston), but within two years Whitmarsh died of yellow fever. In 1734 ano ...

'' from Peter's mother, Elizabeth Timothy. Peter wrote to

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin (April 17, 1790) was an American polymath: a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher and Political philosophy, political philosopher.#britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the m ...

in 1772 that he was unable to continue publishing due to poor eyesight. He announced that he had pursued other lines of business, and also suggested that he would welcome "any Employment in His Majesty’s Service, that will not degrade me, which any Friend may think me fit for or can procure by his Interest." After a break from March 1772 to November 1773, Peter resumed running the printing business. There were intermittent periods where the newspaper was not printed, such as the destruction of the printing press due to fire. After the

Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another state or failed state, or are breaka ...

was signed in 1776, Peter printed broadside copies of the Declaration which were then hung in public places. To show his support, but also to identify himself as a revolutionary, Peter took the singular step by printers across the country to add “CHARLES-TOWN, Printed by PETER TIMOTHY” at the bottom of the document. In February 1780, the newspaper was suspended as the British approached the city for what became the

Siege of Charleston The siege of Charleston was a major engagement and major British victory in the American Revolutionary War, fought in the environs of Charles Town (today Charleston), the capital of South Carolina, between March 29 and May 12, 1780. The British ...

from March 29, 1780 to May 12, 1780. Peter was subsequently captured and exiled to a prison in

St. Augustine, Florida St. Augustine ( ; ) is a city in and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Located 40 miles (64 km) south of downtown Jacksonville, the city is on the Atlantic coast of northeastern Florida. Founded in 1565 by Spani ...

for ten months for failing to take the loyalty oath. He was unable to return to Charleston. Peter set sail for

Santo Domingo Santo Domingo, formerly known as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city of the Dominican Republic and the List of metropolitan areas in the Caribbean, largest metropolitan area in the Caribbean by population. the Distrito Na ...

within the

West Indies The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...

in 1782, Two of his daughters and a grandchild met up with Peter in Philadelphia, intending to travel to

Antigua Antigua ( ; ), also known as Waladli or Wadadli by the local population, is an island in the Lesser Antilles. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region and the most populous island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua ...

to visit one of his daughters. They perished during a storm off of the Delaware coast. Peter and Ann's surviving children at that point were Sarah, Robert (disabled), and Benjamin Franklin Timothy. Timothy resumed operating the newspaper on July 16, 1783, after the death of Peter, upon the removal of the British from the city, and after peace was restored. The newspaper operated out of the John Lining House at 106 Broad Street from 1783 to 1793. From 1785 to 1792, she was the official "Printer to the State. She worked until her death in 1792. Timothy was said in death notices to be very worthy and valuable. Her son, Benjamin Franklin Timothy, continued the family printing business with the September 20, 1792 edition.

Legacy

She was one of a few women publishers before and shortly after the

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

. Since printing was often a multi-generational family business, there were some printing families with two or more generations of women printers, which was the case with Timothy and her mother-in-law,

. It was often a financial necessity for widowed women in the printing profession to carry on the business. There were at least six women who were the official printers for various colonial governments, as Timothy did for the state of South Carolina. According to a syndicated article, "Helped the Colonial Cause": "In nearly every case they advocated the colonial cause, and their editorials did much to arouse the spirit of patriotism in the men."

References

Notes Citations Further reading * * — Cash payments for publishing laws. * — Coordination with a number of printers * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Timothy, Ann Donovan 1720s births 1792 deaths Journalists from South Carolina 18th-century American newspaper publishers (people) American printers Businesspeople from Charleston, South Carolina People from colonial South Carolina 18th-century American businesswomen 18th-century American businesspeople 18th-century American journalists History of women in the United States Women printers 18th-century American women journalists

Personal life

Career

Legacy

See also

References