Elizabeth Timothy

Print shop of Lewis Timothy, Elizabeth's husband

Elizabeth Timothy (née Villin born 30 June 1702 – died 2 April 1757) was the first female newspaper publisher in America.

Early life

Born Elizabeth Villin on 30 June 1702, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, she married Lewis Timothy, a Huguenot, in 1724. Both of them emigrated to Philadelphia in 1731, with their four children at that time.

Career

In Philadelphia, Lewis worked with Benjamin Franklin, who trained him in the printing business. In 1733, Franklin sent Lewis to Charleston, South Carolina, to revive the South Carolina Gazette, the colony's first successful newspaper.

When Lewis died suddenly in 1738, and their oldest child, Peter, was too young and inexperienced, Elizabeth decided to take over the management of the newspaper. This made her the first female editor and publisher in American history. She published her first issue on 4 January 1739, with her eldest son listed as the publisher, as a woman was not allowed to have such job. However, the issue also announced that Elizabeth was running the newspaper.

She continued running the newspaper, publishing news, poetry and literary classics until 1746, when her son, Peter, then aged 21 years old, took over his mother's role as the publisher and editor. Elizabeth opened a bookstore for a year before leaving Charleston for nine years. She later returned to Charleston and died there on April 2, 1757. She was buried in St. Philip's Church.

Bibliography

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• "18th Century S.C. women". The Times and Democrat. Orangeburg, South Carolina. 19 September 1982. p. 28. Retrieved 10 August 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
• "Early Journalism in S.C." The Greenville News. Greenville, South Carolina. 27 May 1934. p. 21. Retrieved 3 August 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
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