Louis Timothee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Louis Timothee
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| Born | 1699 |
| Died | 30 Dec 1738 (age 39) |
| Resting place | Charleston County, South Carolina, USA |
| Occupation | printer |
| Known for | publisher in colonial America |
| Spouse(s) | Elizabeth Villin (maiden name) |
| Children | Peter (b. 24 May 1725) Mary (b. 08 Dec 1726) Louis (b. 19 Jun 1729) Charles (b.14 Sep 1730) Catherine (b. 15 Jan 1735) Louisa (b. 6 Dec 1737) |
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Louis Timothee (also known as Lewis Timothy) was an important printer in early America. He worked in the colonies of Pennsylvania and South Carolina. He was a partner with the famous Benjamin Franklin. Louis Timothee was also the first person to be paid as a librarian in America.
Contents
Early Life and Moving to America
Louis Timothee was born in 1699 in Holland, which is part of the Netherlands. His parents were French Huguenots, a group of French Protestants who had to leave France because of their religion. They settled in Rotterdam. Louis learned how to print from his father when he was young.
In 1731, Louis, his wife Elizabeth, and their four sons moved to America. They arrived in Philadelphia. Like all male immigrants, Louis had to promise loyalty to King George II. He did this on September 21, 1731.
Louis was very good with languages. He spoke German, French, English, and his native Dutch. Soon after arriving in Philadelphia, he advertised in the Pennsylvania Gazette that he wanted to open a French school. He also offered to teach French to young people in their homes.
Working with Benjamin Franklin
Louis Timothee first found work as a French teacher. He met Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia because of his printing skills. Franklin was a well-known printer and inventor. Louis started working for Franklin and learned how to publish newspapers.
His first try at publishing a newspaper was a German-language paper called Philadelphische Zeitung. It started in 1732 but stopped within a year. After that, Louis became the printer for the Pennsylvania Gazette, which Franklin owned.
Franklin was impressed with Louis's work. In 1733, they made a six-year agreement. Franklin would provide the printing equipment for a newspaper in Charleston, South Carolina called the South Carolina Gazette. This newspaper was having trouble. Louis would publish the paper and pay Franklin back over six years. The previous editors of the paper had died.
Louis did very well as the newspaper publisher. He became the official "public printer" for the colony of South Carolina. He also became the postmaster. Louis expanded his printing business to include books and pamphlets. During this time, Louis's son, Peter Timothy, started learning the printing trade in his father's shop.
The agreement between Franklin and Louis said that Franklin would provide the printing press and the printing type. They would share the costs and the profits. The agreement also said that if Louis died too soon, Peter would take over the printing business.
America's First Librarian
In 1732, Benjamin Franklin also arranged for Louis Timothee to work as a part-time librarian. This was for the Library Company of Philadelphia, one of Franklin's first projects to help the community. Franklin started the library in 1731.
Louis Timothee was hired on November 14, 1732. He became the first person in the American colonies to be paid as a librarian. He earned three pounds sterling every three months. He worked every Wednesday from 2 to 3 o'clock and every Saturday from 10 to 4.
Later Life and Family Business
Louis Timothee moved to Charleston, South Carolina, in late 1733 to start the South Carolina Gazette again. He began publishing the newspaper on February 2, 1734. His family, including his wife Elizabeth and their six children, joined him in Charleston in the spring of 1734. Four of their children had been born in the Netherlands. Around this time, Louis changed his name to "Lewis Timothy."
In 1738, Louis Timothee told his readers that a pamphlet he was printing was delayed. He said it was because he and his son had been sick with a fever. Louis died two months later, in December 1738, at the age of 39.
Louis had thought about the possibility of dying early. This was because three other printers in South Carolina had died soon after arriving in the colony. So, he had a special part added to his contract with Franklin. It said that his oldest son, Peter, could take over the business if Louis died too soon.
Peter was only thirteen years old when his father died. He was learning to be a printer with his father. However, he was too young and didn't have enough experience to run the business by himself. So, Franklin agreed to make Louis's wife, Elizabeth Timothy, his partner. Elizabeth had six children to care for.
Peter started taking over some of the newspaper work in 1740. By 1746, he was fully in charge of the printing business. This included the newspaper and printing government documents as the official "public printer" for the colony. When Peter was twenty-one, he took over the partnership his father had with Franklin. He worked closely with Franklin for more than thirty years.
Works
The South Carolina Gazette newspaper from February 2, 1734, is one of Louis Timothee's works:
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Containg freshest Advices Foreign and Domestick
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Bottom part of the second page of the SC Gazette, Feb 2, 1734
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Bottom part of the third page of the SC Gazette, Feb 2, 1734
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Bottom of the fourth page, showing Printed by L. Timothy
