BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTES

    NEW-ENGLAND CHRONICLE

    On 5 July, 1768, Samuel Hall of Salem issued a broadside containing “Proposals For Printing A weekly Public Paper, To be entitled, The Essex Gazette,”378 and on Tuesday, 2 August, the first issue of The Essex Gazette was published “a few Doors above the Town-House” at Salem. In January, 1772, Samuel Hall took into partnership his younger brother Ebenezer Hall, and they published the paper at Salem from 7 January, 1772, to 4 May, 1775, the last numbered 353. The paper was then removed to Cambridge, when its title was changed to The New-England Chronicle: or, The Essex Gazette.379

    The issue of 12 May, 1775, numbered 354, contained this notice (p. 3/3):

    Printing-Office, Cambridge, May 12, 1775.

    AT the Desire of many respectable Gentlemen, Members of the Honourable Provincial Congress, and others, we have removed our Printing-Office from Salem to this Place; where we shall exert our best Endeavours in continuing to conduct the Business in general, and this Paper in particular, in such a Manner as will best promote the public Good, especially at this important Crisis - - - when the Property, the Lives, and (what is infinitely more valuable) the LIBERTY, of the good People of this Country, are in danger of being torn from them by the cruel Hands of arbitrary Power. . . .

    S. & E. Hall.

    No issue of the paper was published on 15 February, 1776. The reason for this omission was thus stated in the issue of 22 February (p. 2/1):

    CAMBRIDGE, February 22.

    On Wednesday evening, last week, departed this life, after a short illness, Mr. Ebenezer Hall, in the 27th year of his age, for many years one of the Printers of this Paper, . . .

    Samuel Hall, original and surviving Publisher of this Paper, intends continuing the Publication of it as usual. His being seized with a violent sickness just after his brother’s illness commenced, will it is hoped induce his kind customers to excuse the disappointment of a paper last week, and the printing but half a sheet this.

    The paper was published at Cambridge from 12 May, 1775, to 4 April, 1776. In the issue of 4 April was printed this notice (p. 3/3):

    . . . The Printer hereof also informs his Customers and others, that next Tuesday or Wednesday, he shall remove his Office into a building in School-street, next below Mr. Bracket’s Tavern, in Boston; where he proposes to continue the publication of his paper, and to serves his customers in that, and other branches of Printing, as well as he is able.

    The Printer.

    N.B. The publication will be omitted next week, on account of removing the Office.

    As a matter of fact, two issues — those of 11 and 18 April — were omitted.

    In the issue of 6 June, 1776, appeared the following notices (p. 3/2):

    THE Subscriber most gratefully returns his Thanks to all who have favoured him with their custom, and thereby enabled him to continue the Publication of his Paper till this time. They are now informed, that, after this week, the New-England Chronicle will be published by Messrs. Edward Eveleth Powars and Nathaniel Willis, to whom it is resigned by the Subscriber. . . .

    S. HALL.

    MR. Hall having resigned the Publication of the New-England Chronicle to the Subscribers, we now inform the Public in general, and the Customers for said Paper in particular, that we shall continue the same at the Printing Office lately occupied by Messieurs Green and Russell, in Queen Street; . . .

    EDWARD E. POWARS,

    NATHANIEL WILLIS.

    The Essex Institute and the Massachusetts Historical Society have bound in their files of the New-England Chronicle, between the issues of 9 and 16 January, 1777, a document dated 12 January, 1777, which by some has apparently been regarded as a supplement. It is not, however, a supplement, but merely a broadside printed by the publishers of the New-England Chronicle.380

    The bibliographical details relating to the New-England Chronicle are arranged under the following four heads:

    • I. Titles.
    • II. Days of Publication.
    • III. Publishers, Printers, and Places of Publication.
    • IV. Devices.

    I TITLES

    1775, May 12: The New-England Chronicle: or, the Essex Gazette.

    1776, April 25: The New-England Chronicle.

    1776, September 19: The Independent Chronicle.

    1776, November 7: The Independent Chronicle. And the Universal Advertiser.

    II DAYS OF PUBLICATION

    Friday: 1775, May 12.

    Thursday: 1775, May 18.

    III PUBLISHERS, PRINTERS, AND PLACES OF PUBLICATION

    1775, May 12 – 1776, February 8: Published and printed by Samuel Hall and Ebenezer Hall in Stoughton Hall, Harvard College, Cambridge.

    1776, February 22 – April 4: Published and printed by Samuel Hall in Stoughton Hall, Harvard College, Cambridge.381

    1776, April 25 – June 6: Published and printed by Samuel Hall382 next to the Oliver Cromwell Tavern in School Street, Boston.

    1776, June 13: Published and printed by Edward Eveleth Powars and Nathaniel Willis opposite the New Court House in Queen Street.

    1779, February 25: Last issue published and printed by Edward Eveleth Powars and Nathaniel Willis.

    1779, March 4 – 1780, December 28: Published and printed by Nathaniel Willis opposite the Court House.383

    IV DEVICES

    1775, May 12–1776, April 4: A Bird, above the bird a Fish, the whole supported by two Indians, each holding a tomahawk or battle-axe.384

    1776, April 25–1776, October 31: No device.

    1776, November 7–1780, December 28: Man holding in his right hand an uplifted sword, and in his left hand a scroll bearing the word “independence.” Above the man is a scroll with the words “appeal to heaven.”385 The whole is enclosed within an ornamental border.