The Royal Gazette and Newfoundland Advertiser, Newfoundland, 1807

A Printer’s Second First: John Ryan and the Birth of Newfoundland’s Press

John Ryan (1761–1847) holds the rare distinction of being the first printer in not one, but two Atlantic provinces. Born in the American colonies, Ryan relocated to New Brunswick after the American Revolution, where he established The Royal St. John’s Gazette, and Nova-Scotia Intelligencer – New Brunswick’s very first newspaper. (You can read more about that story here).

In 1806, after several years in New Brunswick, Ryan moved once again – this time to Newfoundland. He arrived in St. John’s at the request of Governor Sir Erasmus Gower, who had been under pressure from local merchants to allow a newspaper. Gower agreed, but imposed strict conditions: Ryan had to post a hefty bond of £200, submit all content for approval, and steer well clear of anything resembling criticism of the governor.

The following year, in 1807, a new governor, John Holloway, tightened the rules even further. Nothing could be published that might be seen as critical of Great Britain.

Even under these restrictions, Ryan, along with his son Michael, managed to launch Newfoundland’s first newspaper – the Royal Gazette and Newfoundland Advertiser – in August 1807. In its early years, the Gazette was cautious, featuring little to no editorial comment. But the paper’s very existence planted the seeds for future public discussion and, eventually, reform. Newfoundland may have lagged behind the other Atlantic colonies when it came to representative government, but a newspaper was a step in the right direction.

The governors of the day seemed quite happy with Ryan’s compliance. For years, they refused permission for any rival newspapers – even declining Ryan’s own son Michael when he tried to establish a second publication.

In 1814, Ryan temporarily returned to New Brunswick to wind up his business partnership with William Durant. During his absence, his son Lewis Kelly Ryan kept the Gazette running.

It wasn’t until 1815 that a second newspaper appeared in Newfoundland – the Newfoundland Mercantile Journal, established by Alexander Haire and Robert Lee.

John Ryan died in 1847 and is buried in St. John’s, leaving behind a legacy of firsts in the early newspaper world of Atlantic Canada.