The Colonial Patriot, Nova Scotia – 1827
Front page of The Colonial Patriot,
dated August 27, 1833
A Colonial Patriot – A Radical Voice From Pictou
The Colonial Patriot was a groundbreaking newspaper – the first to be printed in Pictou, Nova Scotia, and the first to wield significant influence beyond Halifax. It boldly championed liberal – or what some contemporaries considered radical – principles.
Founded by Jacob Sparling Cunnabell and William H. Milne, the paper debuted on December 7, 1827. Its masthead bore the motto Pro rege, pro patria (For King and Country).
Jotham Blanchard (1800–1839), a local lawyer, served as its anonymous editor for several years until 1830 and was undeniably the driving force behind the publication. Without revealing his identity, Blanchard engaged in a series of spirited exchanges with Joseph Howe, the proprietor of the Novascotian, who would later become the champion of responsible government.
Blanchard frequently criticized newspapers for their servility to a system that stifled freedom and open discussion. His outspoken views often drew condemnation from provincial authorities, and The Colonial Patriot was frequently labeled a ‘radical newspaper.’ Blanchard himself was dismissed as ‘an upstart of an editor.’
While there is no definitive evidence that Blanchard converted Howe to his more progressive views, he succeeded in broadening Howe’s perspective on the political problems facing the province. In 1830, Blanchard was elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly.
Due to Blanchard’s declining health, The Colonial Patriot ceased publication in mid-1834. However, he continued to serve the people of Nova Scotia to the best of his abilities until his early death in 1839 at the age of 39.
A successor to the Colonial Patriot was The Bee, established in 1836 by James Dawson after purchasing the Patriot’s press and type. In 1840, The Bee was acquired by John Stiles, who then launched the Mechanic and Farmer.
Timeline: The Colonial Patriot and Its Legacy
• December 7, 1827 – The Colonial Patriot publishes its first issue in Pictou, founded by Jacob Sparling Cunnabell and William H. Milne.
• Late 1820s – Jotham Blanchard becomes the paper’s anonymous editor, shaping its bold, liberal stance.
• 1830 – Blanchard is elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly.
• Mid-1834 – The Colonial Patriot ceases publication due to Blanchard’s declining health.
•1836 – James Dawson establishes The Bee using The Patriot’s press and type.
• 1839 — Jotham Blanchard dies at the age of 39.
• 1840 — John Stiles acquires The Bee and launches the Mechanic and Farmer.
Jotham Blanchard
Image Sources:
Newspaper article ‘Slavery in the West Indies’. In Nova Scotia Archives Looking Back, Moving Forward: Documenting the Heritage of African Nova Scotians. https://archives.novascotia.ca/african-heritage/archives/?ID=725&Page=202102100
Portrait: Jotham Blanchard. In Tales of Our Village, The Colonial Patriot, Nova Scotia, 1827.
References:
Beck, J. Murray. “Blanchard, Jotham,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 7, University of Toronto/Université Laval 2003.
https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/blanchard_jotham_7E.html
A history of the County of Pictou, Nova Scotia (1877). In Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/historyofcountyo00pattuoft/page/n7/mode/2up
Sherwood, Roland H. (1982). Jotham Blanchard, The Forgotten Patriot of Pictou. Lancelot Press.