History
Prelude
On 1 October 1717, Nicholas Lawes, Governor of Jamaica, requested the Board of Trade's permission for the founding of a local printing press. Lawes presented his case personally at the Board's meeting on 10 October 1717, further adding that a press 'would be a publick convenience and advantage to commerce.' The requested press was set up by Robert Baldwin, printer, sometime during AprilMay 1718, on Church St., Kingston. He is thought to have been guaranteed a government contract for the printing of official business, and to have chosen Kingston as his base for the greater commercial opportunities this centre offered (in contrast with Spanish Town, the administrative capital, which saw less commerce than Kingston and nearby Port Royal).Establishment
The ''Courants date of first publication is uncertain. The earliest extant issue is that of 28 May 1718, which has been proposed as the paper's first issue. An earlier issue of 11 February 1718, not extant, has also been proposed as the paper's first issue. Either issue makes the ''Courant'' the first newspaper published in the West Indies, and the second regular newspaper in the British colonies of the New World (preceded only by the '' Boston News-Letter'' of 1704).Run
Editorship
The ''Courant'' was published by authority and passed by the censor of colonial Jamaica, Thomas Ridout. It was edited by Robert Baldwin until the first quarter of 1722; by his widow, Mary, until sometime during 1734; by their sons, Peter and Robert r. until 5 February 1746; it is unclear who edited the paper after this.Printing
The ''Courant'' was usually printed in four sheets of 17 by 22 inches. Its early copy seems to have been modelled after the ''Coverage
The ''Courant'' covered European news (as published in British papers which were brought over to Port Royal), government business, and some local news, including prices current and shipping intelligence, in addition to advertisements. Its coverage seems to have remained unchanged throughout the paper's history. An analysis of advertisements in extant issues of the ''Courant'' revealed that ads for runaway (black and white) slaves constituted the bulk of the paper's ads. The issue for 12 September 1722, notably, gave an account of the 28 August 1722 hurricane, which claimed 400 lives.Circulation
A ''Courant'' issue cost 'one bit, or three-half-crowns a quarter.' Its audience is thought to have comprised mainly Jamaican merchants and planters. Distribution was organised by parish, with various of the press's agents taking subscriptions, and slaves delivering the paper's issues. For instance,Disestablishment
The ''Courants date of last publication is uncertain. Its last issue is generally thought to have been published in 1755. It may have been continued by the ''St. Jago de la Vega Gazette'', first published in 1755, or merged with or replaced by the ''Jamaica Gazette'', first published in 1745.Legacy
' tifully few copies' of the ''Courant'' 'have survived the ravages of time, hurricane and termites.' For instance, the earliest extant issues, for 30 July 1718 and 5 August 1718, survived only due to their removal from Jamaica, as Baldwin had used these as pasteboard to bind a Royal Navy log-book due for the Board of Trade in London. In total, only 15 of the paper's issues are known.Notes
Citations
References
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