Alice Reilly facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alice Reilly
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|
|---|---|
| Born |
Alice Abbot
1701/1702 |
| Died | 19 April 1778 (aged 76) Dublin, Ireland
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| Nationality | Irish |
| Known for | Printer and publisher |
Alice Reilly (1701/1702 – 19 April 1778) was an important Irish printer and publisher. She ran a successful business in Dublin during the 1700s.
Contents
Alice Reilly's Life and Work
Early Life and Taking Over the Business
Alice Reilly was born Alice Abbot in 1701 or 1702. She married Richard Reilly, who was also a printer, in 1733. When Richard passed away in 1741, Alice bravely took over his printing business. This was a big step for a woman in those times.
Alice paid fees to the printers' guild, called the Guild of St Luke the Evangelist. This allowed her to work as a printer. However, because she was a woman, she could not become a full member of the guild.
Running a Printing Business
From 1741 to 1762, Alice ran her business from Stationers Hall in Skinner Row. This building was later taken down in 1762. After that, she moved her business to Temple Bar, where she worked from 1763 to 1767.
Alice built a very successful printing company. She even took on apprentices, who were young people learning the printing trade. One of her apprentices was her nephew, John Abbott Husband. By 1776, her business was quite large. She had six apprentices and seven journeymen, who were skilled workers.
Publishing Newspapers and Books
Alice Reilly published the Dublin News-Letter. Her husband had renamed this newspaper The Oracle. From 1741 to 1744, she worked with Edward Exshaw to publish it.
In 1743, Alice and Exshaw became the official printers for the Dublin Society. This was a very important job. The Dublin News-Letter became the Society's main publication. It included their announcements and reports. This guaranteed Alice a steady income. She printed 500 copies of the newspaper twice a week.
Besides newspapers, Alice also published many books. She produced books for Exshaw and other clients. She even printed catalogues of books in 1755 and 1760. In 1744, Alice started publishing another newspaper called The Dublin Courant. She later sold this newspaper in 1745.
Alice Reilly retired around 1767. She passed away in Dublin on April 19, 1778, at the age of 76. She is remembered as a pioneering woman in the printing and publishing world.
See also
- List of women printers and publishers before 1800
