The Stephen Daye Press
An Antiquarian Machine Once in Hanover Is Celebrated as America's Oldest Printing Press
INASMUCH as the United States Postoffice Department has seen fit to recognize, by issuing a special stamp, the three hundredth anniversary of the introduction of printing in this country, a few words regarding the first United States printing press—the Stephen Daye Press, once located in Hanover—may not be amiss.
Seeking possibly for religious freedom, with an opportunity to express his ideas in print, Rev. Jose Glover, a non-Conformist minister, set sail from England some time in the summer of 1638 in the John of London. With Glover were his wife and three members of the Daye family, Stephen and his two sons Matthew and Stephen Jr. Glover unfortunately died at sea but his widow set up the press in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Later she married Henry Dunster, the first President of Harvard, and the press was removed to his house. Although there is no definite knowledge that Stephen Daye had been engaged in printing in England—he was a "locksmith" by profession—he is regarded by most authorities as the first American printer, and it is eminently fitting that his name should come down to us and be associated with the StephenDaye Press of Brattleboro, Vermont, a press controlled by the Vermont PrintingCompany, founded by E. H. Crane 'g8. One authority on printing, however, believes that Matthew, rather than his father, was really the first American printer. It is known that he was apprenticed as a printer in England. At any rate there is definite proof that after a short time the full management of the press came into Mjatthew's hands.
The press was probably set up in the fall of 1638. It has been stated by some that the first items came from the press that year, but there is no direct evidence of this. In fact there is little available information relating to the first year or two of the press. No copies are known of the first two items printed, the Freeman'sOath, a broadside, and Pierce's Almanac for 1639. The third, and one of the most important imprints of the Daye Press, is the extremely rare volume commonly known as the Bay Psalm Book-the WholeBooke of Psalmes Faithfully Translatedinto English Metre. Of an edition of 1700 printed in 1640 only eleven copies are known.
Samuel Green in 1648 succeeded Matthew Daye as printer. One of his famous imprints is John Cotton's Spiritual Milkfor Boston Babes in Either England,Drawn Out of the Breasts of Both Testaments for their Soul's Nourishment, ButMay be of Like Use to any Children. Only one copy is known. On the first press and another secured in 1659 were printed the famous translations into the Indian language by John Eliot. Baker Library is fortunate in owning two copies, nearly perfect, of the second edition of the entire Indian Bible, the Old Testament of which was printed in 1685, and the New in 1680.
It is supposed that the first Timothy Green, a descendant of Samuel, took the press in 1714 to New London, Connecticut where it remained until 1775. The two Spooner brothers, Judah Padock and Alden, were associated with the Green family as printers in Connecticut, and Alden probably bought the press in 1772 and set it up in Norwich, Connecticut.
PRESS COMES TO HANOVER
In 1778 Alden Spooner brought the press to Hanover at the request of President Wheelock. At this time the college section of Hanover was known as Dresden and so incorporated. Moreover at this time Dresden and fifteen other towns East of the Connecticut River were a part of Vermont, having been admitted to that state by an act of the Vermont Legislature June 11, 1778. President Wheelock was a Justice of Peace for Vermont, and the Vermont legislature on June 15, 1778 had "voted to take the incorporated university known by the name of Dartmouth College under the protection and patronage of this state until the rising of the Assembly on October next." On the Stephen Daye Press while located at Dresden in a College building were printed at least thirty-five items. (For a more detailed account of the Stephen Daye Press in Hanover see article The Dresden Press, in the Dartmouth Alumni Magazine for May 1920.) Several of these are known by title only. Fortunately there is preserved at Montpelier, Vermont a bill made out to the Spooners for some of these examples of printing. Judah Padock Spooner was probably a partner of Alden's. Although his name appears on some of the imprints we have no definite knowledge that he ever came to Hanover. A lot of land, however, one-half acre in size, was granted to Alden Spooner, who according to his own statement remained in Hanover until 1783. Apparently he was not engaged in printing in Hanover after 1779. Two documents located in the office of the Secretary of State of Vermont at Montpelier throw some light on Alden Spooner's activities.
"That in August, 1778, your Petitioner, [Alden Spooner] by an invitation from a number of gentlemen of Hanover, and the adjacent towns, then incorporated with the State of Vermont, removed his printing Apparatus from the town of Norwich, State of Connecticut, into the said town of Hanover, with an expectation of becoming Printer to the General Assembly of said State; which expectation was fully confirmed by a Legislative act passed the October following, appointing your Petitioner Printer of the Laws, Journals', Sec. so long as your petitioner should do the business in a regular manner and on such terms as were compatible with the interest of the State, and the principles of the Business; the advantages of which your petitioner enjoyed until the sixteen towns on the East side of Connecticut River were detached from the State of Vermont. From that period to the year 1783, your petitioner continued in Hanover aforesaid, unemployed in the Printing Business; when in Feb. of the same year, a Committee was appointed by the Legislature of Vermont with instructions to procure some suitable person, who should move into the State to do the Printing for the Legislature—Said Committee called on your petitioner, with propositions of the same nature which had heretofore been adopted—Your petitioner accepted of their propositions, and in June following established a Printing-office in the town of Windsor, in Cos. with Mr. George Hough."
The other reads in part: "The Memorial and Petition of Alden Spooner, of Windsor in said State, [Vermont]. "Humbly sheweth,
"That your Petitioner, in the early Age of this State, at the earnest Solicitation of the Trustees of Dartmouth College, in Dresden, then in Union with the State of Vermont, established the first Printing Press in the State, in the Year 1778.
"That at the next Session of the Legislature, the Hon. House passed a Resolution appointing your Petitioner Printer to the State —which Resolve may be seen on the Journals of the House.
"That by the Dissolution of the Union of the Newhampshire Grants Eastward of Connecticut River with the State of Vermont, your Petitioner was thrown out of the State, and consequently deprived, (on account of local Engagements, and his then foreign Situation) of the Privilege arising from the aforesaid Resolution, until the Year 1783; when, on Application, he again resumed the Business, and established his Press within the Limits of the State."
The deed is preserved in the Grafton County Records whereby John Young secured Alden Spooner's one-half acre lot.
"The lot hereafter described which was engaged by the reverend Doctr. Wheelock, founder and late President of said College, to be conveyed gratis to said Alden Spooner as an encouragement for his setling in the vicinity of said College in the character and capacity of a printer, which the said Spooner hath fulfiled on his part "
COLLECTORS' ITEMS or TODAY
In these documents it will be observed no reference is made to Judah Spooner.
On this famous press while in Hanover there were printed various official Vermont items—broadside proclamations by Gov. Chittenden, controversial pamphlets by Ethan and Ira Allen, and the first Public Acts and Laws of Vermont, as well as official college publications. Among these is the first known college catalogue, a general catalogue listing the graduates of the college from 1771-1779, issued as a broadside, the first printed charter, and Samuel Wood's Commencement address delivered August 25, 1779, as well as "The Compend of English Grammar" by Abel Curtis of the class of 1776, supposedly the first purely American grammar. At the present time 110 copy of this interesting pamphlet of forty-eight pages is known. Copies of later editions are in the Columbia University Library. Rev. Henry Hazen '54 owned a copy of this grammar which was sold at auction at Libbie's in 1905. A description of this copy may be found in the issue of The Dartmouth for November 1, 1877. A few years ago an effort was made, but without success, to trace this copy. Certainly it is not in any of the well known libraries. Some alumnus can render a great service to the Dartmouth Library by locating this or another copy. Even a photostat would be a most desirable acquisition. A newspaper too was printed here— The Dresden Mercury-of which only five copies are known.
There is no evidence that the press was in operation in 1780 but late in that year it may have been moved to Westminster, Vermont. At least it is believed that some of the type was taken there that year. In June, 1783 it was moved to Windsor, Vermont, where it became the property of Alden Spooner and George Hough. In 1814 it was sold to Isaac Eddy of Weathersfield. Later this press was located in Woodstock, Vermont and finally, after being uncared for for many years in a barn, it was presented to the Vermont Historical Society at Montpelier, Vermont, where it is carefully preserved in a glass case. From September 25 to October 7 of this year it was exhibited in the Grand Csntral Palace of New York City at the Graphic Arts Exposition, an exposition devoted to the three hundredth anniversary of printing in America.
While it is impossible to trace every step in the journeyings of the Stephen Daye Press, the evidence is fairly plausible that the press in Montpelier is the original Stephen Daye Press. Of course, due to the ravages of time, many parts have had to be replaced. The traditional evidence about this press may be considered the most authoritative. As far back as 1826 in the issue of the Vermont Journal for May 22 in response to an inquiry about the old press, Wyman Spooner, a nephew of Alden, makes this statement:
"The press here mentioned by the Gazette[Salem Gazette\ as being the first set up in New England .... has been variously metamorphosed in the repairs it has necessarily undergone, though we believe the principal original pieces still remain. The cheeks or posts are of the white oak of Old England, and received a polish a little inferior to mahogany. As an interesting piece of antiquity ought it not to become the property of some typographical society in New England, and be preserved as a relic of ancient days, consecrated by the sweat of a Franklin and perpetuating in it associations the names and memory of those fathers of our art who through its instrumentality 'gave light to the world.' "
Because of the present interest in this historical old press it is hoped that further researches may be made concerning the history of the press, and that more accurate information may be discovered regarding it and the many imprints that came from it.
"Stephen Daye Press," Courtesy National Life Insurance Co.
