Shepard Kollock, Jr. (September 1750 – July 28, 1839) was an editor and printer, who was active in colonial
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
during the period of the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
. He also held various government positions in the newly founded state of New Jersey during the early 1800s.
The ''
New Jersey Journal
The ''New Jersey Journal'' is the name of a newspaper established by Shepard Kollock in Chatham, New Jersey in 1779 while it was a village in the state of New Jersey, which had declared its independence in 1776 from the British colony named, the P ...
'', which became the third newspaper published in New Jersey, was established by Kollock at his press during 1779 in the colonial village of Chatham, New Jersey, which had been settled in 1710 within the British
Province of New Jersey
The Province of New Jersey was one of the Middle Colonies of Colonial America and became the U.S. state of New Jersey in 1783. The province had originally been settled by Europeans as part of New Netherland but came under English rule after the ...
. The newspaper, which later was renamed the ''Elizabeth Daily Journal'', was a driving force in galvanizing support and disseminating information about the Revolutionary War efforts.
His newspaper continued to be published for 212 years following its original publication, until January 3, 1992.
History
Personal
Shepard Kollock Jr., who was the son of Mary Goddard and Shepard Kollock, was born September 1750 in Lewes, Sussex County, Delaware, and died July 28, 1839 in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, Pennsylvania. He married Susan Arnett on June 5, 1777, daughter of Hannah White and Isaac Arnett. Shepard and Susan had twelve children. He is buried in the
First Presbyterian Church of Elizabeth
Siloam Hope First Presbyterian Church of Elizabeth (Old First of Elizabeth and formerly known as the First Presbyterian Church of Elizabeth) is a historic church at 14–44 Broad Street in Elizabeth, Union County, New Jersey, United States.
I ...
.
Professional
He went to Philadelphia to learn the printing trade from William Goddard, editor of the
Pennsylvania Chronicle
The ''Pennsylvania Chronicle and Universal Advertiser'' was an American colonial newspaper founded in 1767 that was published in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, prior to the American Revolution and was founded by William Goddard (publisher), William ...
. He remained in Philadelphia until he was twenty. Because of failing health, he then went to
Saint Christopher
Saint Christopher ( el, Ἅγιος Χριστόφορος, ''Ágios Christóphoros'') is veneration, venerated by several Christianity, Christian denominations as a martyr killed in the reign of the 3rd-century Roman Empire, Roman emperor Deciu ...
in the
West Indies
The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...
, where he carried on the business of printing.
When he heard of the revolutionary
Battle of Lexington
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. The battles were fought on April 19, 1775, in Middlesex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay, within the towns of Lexington, Concord ...
, he returned to the colony of New Jersey. He received a commission as Second Lieutenant in the
Flying Camp
A Flying Camp was a military formation employed by the Continental Army in the second half of 1776, during the American Revolutionary War.
History
After the British evacuation of Boston in March 1776, General George Washington met with members o ...
in New Jersey, and in January 1777, was made First Lieutenant in the company of Colonel Niell of the
Continental Artillery Regiment
The Continental Artillery Regiment, also known as Gridley's Continental Artillery Regiment or Knox's Continental Artillery Regiment, was the only large American unit of artillery in the early part of the American Revolutionary War. It was authoriz ...
. He was at the battles of Trenton, Fort Lee, Short Hills, and other engagements.
He resigned his commission in 1779 and, at the insistence of the
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...
, established the ''
New Jersey Journal
The ''New Jersey Journal'' is the name of a newspaper established by Shepard Kollock in Chatham, New Jersey in 1779 while it was a village in the state of New Jersey, which had declared its independence in 1776 from the British colony named, the P ...
'', in the village of Chatham. The ''New Jersey Journal'' became the third newspaper that started publication in New Jersey.
His ''New Jersey Journal'' became a catalyst in the revolution. News of events came directly to the editor from the headquarters of
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
in nearby Morristown. His publication boosted the morale of the troops and their families. He also conducted lively debates about the efforts for independence with both those who opposed and those who supported the cause he championed.
During the evacuation of
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
in 1783, he moved his press to that city and established the ''New York Gazetteer'', published first weekly and then three times a week. He also founded a paper in
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city (New Jersey), city in and the county seat, seat of government of Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Elizabethtown and adopted the name of the new location into his original newspaper title. He remained its owner and editor until 1818, when he sold his printing establishment. The ''
Elizabeth Daily Journal
Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to:
People
* Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name)
* Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist
Ships
* HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships
* ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...
'', which had advocated for presidents
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...
,
James Madison
James Madison Jr. (March 16, 1751June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father. He served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for hi ...
, and
James Monroe
James Monroe ( ; April 28, 1758July 4, 1831) was an American statesman, lawyer, diplomat, and Founding Father who served as the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, Monroe was ...
while Kollock was its owner and editor, ceased publication on Friday, January 3, 1992. This was 212 years after its original start. At that time it was the fourth oldest newspaper published continuously in what now is the United States and the oldest newspaper published in New Jersey.
By 1808, he was publishing the ''Journal of the Proceedings'' and ''Minutes of Joint Meetings'' of the
New Jersey Legislative Council
The New Jersey Legislative Council was the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature under the New Jersey Constitution of 1776 until it was replaced by the New Jersey Senate under the Constitution of 1844.
History
The Legislative Council replaced ...
.
He also was a judge of the
Court of Common Pleas
A court of common pleas is a common kind of court structure found in various common law jurisdictions. The form originated with the Court of Common Pleas at Westminster, which was created to permit individuals to press civil grievances against one ...
in New Jersey for thirty-five years. At different times, he held all of the more important governmental offices in Elizabethtown, including alderman. He was appointed aide-de-camp for New Jersey Governor
Joseph Bloomfield
Joseph Bloomfield (October 18, 1753October 3, 1823) was the fourth governor of New Jersey. He also served two terms in the United States House of Representatives from 1817 to 1821.
The township of Bloomfield, New Jersey is named for him.
Birth
...
, and was re-appointed by his successor
Aaron Ogden
Aaron Ogden (December 3, 1756April 19, 1839) was an American soldier, lawyer, United States Senator and the fifth governor of New Jersey. Ogden is perhaps best known today as the complainant in ''Gibbons v. Ogden'' which destroyed the monopoly p ...
.
After he sold his printing establishment, under President Monroe, he was appointed as
Postmaster
A postmaster is the head of an individual post office, responsible for all postal activities in a specific post office. When a postmaster is responsible for an entire mail distribution organization (usually sponsored by a national government), ...
of Elizabethtown, which office he held until his retirement in 1829. He was admitted as an original member of The
Society of the Cincinnati
The Society of the Cincinnati is a fraternal, hereditary society founded in 1783 to commemorate the American Revolutionary War that saw the creation of the United States. Membership is largely restricted to descendants of military officers wh ...
in the state of New Jersey after it was established in 1783.
Kollock published several books in Chatham:
*''The United States Almanack, for the Year of our Lord 1780'' in 1779
*''The New-England Primer Improved, for the more easy attaining the true Reading of English, To which is added, the Assembly of Divines, and Mr. Cotton's Catechism'' in 1782
*''Ebenezer Elmer, Surgeon of the Regiment, An e ogy on the late Francis Barber, Esq: Lieutenant Colonel Commandant of the Second New-Jersey Regiment'' in 1783
Today, Shepard Kollock Park, a recreational field named after him, exists in
Chatham, New Jersey
"The Chathams" is a term used in reference to shared services for two neighboring municipalities in Morris County, New Jersey, Morris County, New Jersey, United States – Chatham Borough, New Jersey, Chatham Borough and Chatham Township, New Jers ...
. It borders on the
Passaic River
Passaic River ( ) is a river, approximately long, in Northern New Jersey. The river in its upper course flows in a highly circuitous route, meandering through the swamp lowlands between the ridge hills of rural and suburban northern New Jersey, ...
.
References
Bibliography/recommended reading
* Anderson, John R. ''Shepard Kollock: Editor for Freedom''. Chatham, New Jersey: Chatham Historical Society, 1975.
* Cunningham, John T. ''Chatham: At the Crossing of the Fishawack''. Chatham, New Jersey: Chatham Historical Society, 1967.
* Philhower, Charles A. ''Brief History of Chatham, Morris County, New Jersey''. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1914.
* Thayer, Theodore. ''Colonial and Revolutionary Morris County''. The Morris County Heritage Commission. ''(government publication)''
* Vanderpoel, Ambrose Ely. ''History of Chatham, New Jersey''. New York: Charles Francis Press, 1921. Reprint. Chatham, New Jersey: Chatham Historical Society, 1959.
* White, Donald Wallace. ''A Village at War: Chatham and the American Revolution''. Rutherford, New Jersey: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1979.