This week in Canadian media history: One of Canada’s first publishers passed away
Samuel Neilson ran a printing shop and the Quebec Gazette, a paper that published the government’s official announcements.
By Aeman Ansari
Samuel Neilson’s father was the owner of the Quebec Gazette and held the office of King’s printer. The Gazette, a bilingual publication, was founded in 1764 by his uncle William Brown and Thomas Gilmore, and Neilson inherited control of the paper after Brown died. His printing shop on Côte de la Montagne was damaged by fire, but with the help of William Moore, owner of the Quebec Herald and the Advertiser, he was able to continue publishing. Neilson improved the paper by creating more space for news, essays and opinions that discussed the forthcoming Constitutional Act. He died of tuberculosis on January 12, 1793, and his brother John, 16 at the time, acted under the guardianship of Alexander Spark. John was given full responsibility of the firm when he turned 18.
With research from The Canadian Encyclopedia
