Martin, The Newsagents, Stokesley, Hub of a 19c Printing and Publishing Industry

Martin - The Newsagents, 30 The High Street, Stokesley, TS9 5DQ, has a long history as a Printing and Publishing Hub and Stationers. Although sadly there is no plaque on the building or information available to visitors, except via Daphne Frank's booklet Printing and Publishing in Stokesley, published in 1984 by the Stokesley and District Local History Study Group, was part of and a hub for an amazing local Print and Publishing industry in 19thc Stokesley. It was where John Walker Ord of Guisborough had his well known book The History and Antiquities of Cleveland printed in 1846. However, the names and associations of the building are much wider as we shall see, although for our main purpose, it was where a young George Markham Tweddell served his printing apprenticeship and created his first newspaper.

The building looks tall and narrow from the High Street, but is quite extensive but unseen in the back yard. It's probably that the printing would have been conducted there while the shop area would have been the stationers and office and the upper rooms, the residence.

With certainty, the premises at 30, The High Street, Stokesley was used as a Printing and Publishing base by William Pratt Senior from 1812. However, I think i have read of its earlier use as a printer but until I find the reference, I can't expand on that.

The best source of information on Printing and Publishing in Stokesley is a pamphlet of that title by Daphne Franks 1984, published by the Stokesley and District Local History Society, a wonderful booklet.  Daphne gave me a copy of her book in 1986 when she attended one of my Creative Writing classes in Stokesley and it was a fascinating read.

Daphne tells us that "The earliest reference to printing or allied trades in Stokesley appears in the Parish Register for 1759, when bookseller William Buckton's daughter Elizabeth was baptised. From the same source we find the occupation of Nicholas Taylerson, given as 'printer' at the time of his marriage to Miss Amelia Clarke in 1793. he was a member of a well known family of merchants in the town who gave their name to the Pack Horse Bridge. He printed, perhaps, the first book in Stokesley, in 1783. It was Roseberry Toppin; or the Prospect of a Summer's day" in 1783 by Thomas Pearson, school master, blacksmith, watchmaker and gunsmith of Stokesley, who became a Custom's House officer at Stockton."

Daphne Franks, author of Printing and Publishing in Stokesley

Daphne also tells us "In a letter about printing in Stokesley, pasted inside the cover of George Tweddell's "Yorkshire Miscellany", William Mason, a poet of Middlesbrough, writes "Mr Taylerson was not succeeded by Mr William Pratt, as there was already a printer in Stokesely named Richard Hodgson". He goes on to say that Hodgson "was son of the Reverend Richard Hodgson of Kirby Sigston" He was also 'a man of good abilities', but unfortunately much addicted to the prevalent vice of the age. Indeed had he been sober, Pratt need never have put his head into Stokesley..."  A licence to have a printing press was granted in Northallerton in 1818.

It may have been one of these who had 30, The High Street premises first.

In 1822 Robert Armstrong, watch and clock maker and agent for newspapers, was engaged with Thomas Mease in the first Stokesley Paper war between the radicals (represented by Armstrong, and the Methodists, represented by Mease. the full account of this interesting story is covered here http://northyorkshirehistory.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/radicalism-in-stokesley-in-1820s.html

Robert Armstrong installed a printing press in his shop in 1823 for the production of a series of tracts called "The Missionary" or "Stokesley and Cleveland Illuminator" They were based on the revolutionary ideas of Thomas Paine, whose book The Rights of Man had sold over 100 copies in Stokesley.

By 1851 there were three printers in Stokesley who between them employed 62 people, the largest company being Pratt and Son.

William Pratt Senior
William Pratt is a noted printer and bookseller in Stokesley in references prior to 1812. In that year he

became a publisher of  Bibles for use at sea, from 30, The High Street, Stokesley. A note in one reads

"Published at the request of sea captains wintering at home in Stokesley, to use for the benefit of themselves and crews. Increasing demand - but only 29 were published owing to the Rights of Official printers and publications"

"The book was a solid tome measuring 15" x 10" and 3" thick, bound in leather and embellished with engravings by S. Topham, sculptor of Leeds. It was printed on the 'Stanhope" press, which although on the same principle as earlier presses, was made of cast iron, not wood, which made it more manageable."

Other books published by William Pratt during this period include Pamela by Samuel Richardson, said to be the first real English novel and originally published in 1740.

The Saints Everlasting Rest or a Treatise of the Blessed State of the Saints in their enjoyment of God in Glory first published in 1640, written by the Reverend, Learned and Holy Mr Richard Baxter, illustrated with fine cuts by Mr Topham, the sculptor.

The Pilgrims Progress (from this world to that which is to come) by John Bunyan 1678.



William Pratt was also Overseer of the Poor in 1819 and the following year he was a Police Constable in Stokesley and had a circulating library, the stamp agency and an Agent for the Norwich Union Insurance Company. In 1824, his Stanhope press produced A Selection of Psalms. The firm became William Pratt and Son in 1825. His wife, Mary Pratt died in 1830 and William Pratt in 1832 age 55 years

JOHN SLATER PRATT 1807 -1867
John Slater Pratt was the eldest son of William Pratt Senior and was to become Stokesley's most enterprising Printer and Publisher. John continued trading out of 30, The High Street. The business must have flourished for when John inherited his father's business on his father's death in 1832, he was already a man substance. During the 1830's John was publishing books from these premises. In 1838, he published books like Captain Cook's Voyage Round the World and A Life of Napoleon Bonaparte.

By 1840, John Slater Pratt had become wealthy enough to build a mansion at the west of Stokesley which he named Oakland's House. (now a care home). here he erected a Steam Engine, Warehouse and Gas Works, becoming Stokesley most successful printer and biggest employer in that industry. The next decade witnessed a boom in printing and publishing. However, that  left 30, the High Street vacant in 1840.

From his press poured books to serve every need and taste - text books, books of travel and adventure, religious books, cookery books and fiction. Some illustrated, produced in cloth bound pocket editions called Pratt's popular Library and all for 6d (double volume 1/-. Daphne Franks speculated that they could have been the forerunners to Penguin books. They had a juvenile library too - improving literature - The Well Spent Hour, Cousin Bertha's Stories.

At 17, John Slater Pratt was taking down Manor Court Proceeding in shorthand for his father to publish in pamphlet form. He was a landowner and member of the Railway committee. In 1834 he married Mary Elizabeth Dowell in Stokesley, eldest daughter of the late Lt. Dowell R.N., who served with Nelson at Trafalgar. In 1834 he was a member of the Select Vestry of Stokesley Parish Church, advocating "the exclusion of all persons in business from the office of overseer of the Poor, a protest against the abuse of this office. He was inspector of weights and measures, elected High Constable for west Langbaurgh and taking the chair at a lecture for Temperance. When the new Parish library formed in 1845, he was a founder member and printed the catalogue for free. In literary circles he was an important figure, appearing in 1846 with local authors and publishers at a Grand Soiree to commemorate Sir Walter Scott, in Langbaurgh schoolroom, High Green. Daphne Franks has many more interesting facts about John Slater Pratt in her book, available from the Stokesley Society.

THE PRATT COLLECTION The Pratt Collection (books published by the pratt family) with additions by other printers, is now housed in the basement of Northerallerton Library, and catalogued by the Reference library there.

Later in 1857, another member of the Pratt household would hold the reigns at 30, The High Street, but mean while it was the turn of -

WILLIAM BRAITHWAITE
With William Braithwaite comes the connection with George Markham Tweddell. William Braithwaite took over the the premises at 30, the High Street in 1840 when John Slater Pratt moved into Oakland's House and established his Stream Press. Such was the increase in publications, litracy and printed matter that William Braithwaite seem to do a decent trade.

William came from a background of merchants and yeoman farmers. His brother John farmed 300 acres and owned the local Brick and Tile works at Busby. The family home in Stokesley was Providence House, situated on the South Side of West Green near to the White House. Braithwaite's Yard, now Leven Wynd, gave access to agricultural buildings and to the walled garden, now Claremont House.

William married Elizabeth Wilstrop, whose parents kept the Black Swan Inn, at that time the town's most important hostelry and posting house., replaced in 1886 by the Wesleyan Chapel. William had a circualting library and was agent for the Norwich Fire Insurance Society. In th emid 1840's, Braithwaite was not only selling large quantities of books but also retailing patent medicines, paintings and even pianos. Such luxury items indicate a rise in the living standards of some people in the Stokesley area in the hungrey 40's. Again Daphne Franks has far mopre details about William Braithwaite.

From the Braithwaite press came the History and Antiquities of Cleveland by John Walker Ord - the most important book to emerge from this wave of printing and publishing in Stokesley. It was issued is 12 monthly parts at 2/6d, starting in 1844. John Walker Ord of Guisborough was a prominent local figure, poet and writer.

Braithwaite also published a classic series of cheap editions in card and cloth at 1/6d which included reprints of Rural Sketches and Songs of the Heart and Contributions to the practice of medicine  by Lawson Fleck Crummy, Dewdrops - a collection of essays by Jabez Inward, Coulson's Treatises on the Slide Rule, Blackett's History of Ireland and the Handbook of the Herbarium by George Dixon of the North of England Agricultural School, now the Friends School at Great Ayton. He also sold stationary and newspapers.

Moreover, William Braithwaite was a noted mentor to a number of  important figures in the regions Printing and Publishing business. The local newspaper industry benefited greatly from his mentoring, but not without some conflict.

From the press of William Briathwaite, came an endergetic apprentice who was determined to "rectify the deplorable fact that Cleveland was behind the times in that it had no newspaper of its own." George Markham Tweddell (known as George Tweddell at this stage) was only 19 when in November 1842, George burst into print with his monthly newspapeer - The Stokesely News and Cleveland Reporter, priced 2d.

The first two issues were printed on Braithwaites press. Issue No 1 carried a bold leading article on the Corn Laws, noting that the tennants were afraid to vote for repeal because the landlords would instantly evict them. Various items of news from Guisborough, Hinderwell, Staithes, Linthorpe and Middlesbrough ensured a wide local circulation. Activities of The Oddfellows Friendly Society were reported by Brother George who was very active in the Stokesley lodge. details of forthcoming cricket matches, local court proceedings and the Muses Bower - poetry by local authors including some by George under various pen names but mostly as Peter Proletarious. The Life of  Donald Stuart, a Yorkshire apothocary (possibly Dr Crummy, provided a regular series and Water and its Virtues by John troy, author of Drunkensess appears in installments.

No 2 for December 1842 begins with a violent attack on the Government's action in the Chinese War. The writer calls it 'an outrage on humanity, our youth trained in Human butchery, then sent abroad to try their skills on defencesless people because they have provoked the ire of HM Government by refusing to buy ands swallow narcotic poison (Opium).

Photo of 30, The High Street when it was The Country News.