Alice Reilly (1701/1702 – 19 April 1778) was an Irish printer and publisher.
Biography
Alice Reilly was born Alice Abbot in 1701 or 1702. She married the printer and publisher Richard Reilly on 10 October 1733, and after his death in July 1741, took over his business. She paid quarterage fees to the printers guild, the Guild of St Luke the Evangelist, but could not be a full member as she was a woman. From 1741 to 1762 she was a tenant at the Guild in Stationers Hall,
Skinner Row
Christchurch Place is a street in central Dublin, Ireland, formerly known as Skinners Row or Skinner's Row, it formed one of the main thoroughfares in medieval Dublin.
History
The street runs along the southern edge of Christ Church Cathedra ...
, a building that was demolished as part of the
Wide Streets Commission in June 1762. She then operated from Temple Bar from 1763 to 1767. Having created a large successful business, it was housed on guild premises and she took on apprentices recognised by the guild including her nephew John Abbott Husband. In 1776 she is listed as having six apprentices and seven journeymen.
She published the ''
Dublin News-Letter'', which had been renamed ''The Oracle'' under her husband. She co-published this with
Edward Exshaw from 1741 to 1744. With Exshaw, Reilly was appointed by the
Dublin Society
The Royal Dublin Society (RDS) ( ga, Cumann Ríoga Bhaile Átha Cliath) is an Irish philanthropic organisation and members club which was founded as the 'Dublin Society' on 25 June 1731 with the aim to see Ireland thrive culturally and economi ...
as their official printers on 24 March 1743, on terms that Reilly's husband had agreed. The ''Dublin News-Letter'' was effectively the Society's publication, and contained their notices and transactions, which guaranteed Reilly a regular income, with 500 issues printed twice weekly. She also published a range of books, produced for Exshaw and others, as well as book catalogues in 1775 and 1760. Reilly started publishing ''The Dublin Courant'' in April 1744, selling it to Oliver Nelson in September 1745. Reilly was one of many Dublin printers and stationers who wrote in protest against unlicensed individuals participating in their trade in 1766, but this did not remedy the situation. Reilly died in Dublin on 19 April 1778, having retired around 1767.
See also
*
List of women printers and publishers before 1800
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reilly, Alice
1700s births
1778 deaths
18th-century publishers (people)
Irish publishers (people)
18th-century Irish businesswomen
Date of birth unknown
Place of birth unknown