Stephen G. HOLROYD (1807-1884) Providence, Rhode Island, printer
I am not related - this is part of a transcription project.
from "Printers and Printing in Providence, 1762 - 1907"
prepared by a committee of Providence Typographical Union #33 as a souvenir of the 50th anniversary of its institution
printed in 1907
"The Journeymen"
p. XLIII.
"STEPHEN G. HOLROYD ('Uncle Stephen') - Born Providence June 12, 1807; died there Feb. 10, 1884; learned the trade of a printer, working as a journeyman until Feb. 2, 1833, when, in partnership with Sylvester S. Southworth, he published the Daily Gazette. The paper lived nine months, when it was made a weekly and soon after discontinued. In 1837-'40, in partnership with Andrew M. Barber, he published the Otsego Republican, at Cooperstown, N. Y. This town was the home of the novelist, James Fennimore Cooper, who at that time was in some disfavor with the public because of the many strictures on American ideas, methods and manners contained in some of his books. A New York newspaper, in criticising one of Cooper's novels, published an article full of personal abuse of the novelist. This article was copied into many newspapers, Mr. Holroyd's among others, and the result was a series of libel suits. The Otsego Republican was an unsuccessful defendant in one of them and in consequence Mr. Holroyd returned to the ranks of the journeymen, working for a short time on the Freeman's Journal, in Cooperstown, and, in 1841, in New York city. There he worked on the Tribune, which started in 1841, and on the Courier and Enquirer, then one of the leading papers of that city. In 1849 Mr. Holroyd returned to Providence, accepting a position on the Journal Nov. 3. Mr. Holroyd collected the ship news for the Journal, using a boat for that purpose, and also put it into type. It was, in those days, one of the most important departments of the paper. He became an expert in the business, following the news of the Providence vessels in their voyages from port to port, changes in ownership and commanders, and could, without referring to other authority, tell all there was to say about them. In 1867 he gave up the collecting part and took the ship news cases on the Press, holding them until 1881, when he retired.On that occasion his associates in the office presented to him a gold-headed cane, suitably engraved, Mr. George O. Willard, when city editor of the Press, making the presentation speech. He was initiated into Providence Union April 11, 1868. He is buried in North End Cemetery."