Rooted in Tradition: The Remarkable Story of The Casket Newspaper
First issue of The Casket, June 24, 1852, Vol. 1, #1. John Boyd, Publisher and Proprietor. Tag line: LIBERTY: Choicest gem of the old world and fairest flower of the new. Casket, in its original meaning, was a small box or chest for jewels, letters, or other things of value, itself often of valuable material and richly ornamented.
The story of how a small-town weekly newspaper, born in 1852, built a legacy of faith, community and continuity in Nova Scotia.
How does a small-town weekly newspaper survive for almost 175 years when large-city papers seem to last a few years and then disappear? And to make it more amazing, how does a small-town, decidedly Catholic publication survive?
In June 1852, John Boyd (1823 – 1880), of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, began a small Catholic newspaper, which appeared weekly and which is still being published to this day. Antignonish had, at that time, a population that was was largely both Scottish and Catholic. Boyd had a good education and was particularly interested in Scottish history, the Gaelic language and the history of the Roman Catholic Church. He was only twenty-nine when he published the first issue of The Casket on June 24, 1852. Initially the paper had content written in Gaelic but by 1857 it had become English only. To keep his paper alive, Boyd also took on job printing and opened a Catholic bookstore.
By the end of 1860, Boyd had been publishing The Casket for eight and half years. In December he moved the paper to Halifax. He made this decision for a few reasons. People were just not paying their subscription fees and in Halifax he could get a lot more advertising to help cover his costs. He would also be in the centre of things in Halifax, he would have better access to information about currency exchange, shipping and banking news. More importantly he could include more coverage on political and legislative events.
However, this arrangement did not last long, a few months later, in July 1861, Boyd returned to Antigonish and sold the paper to his half-brother, Angus Boyd (1833 – 1913). John Boyd devoted himself to his bookstore but after suffering further revenue loses, he moved to Boston.
The first issue published by Angus Boyd appeared on July 18, 1861. Angus maintained the same form of content established by his half-brother but perhaps it had more local content. Angus was popular and he remained publisher and owner until 1888 when he left that position to become the customs collector.
Joseph Chisholm, who would later become Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, was editor from 1888 to 1890 when Michael Donovan from St. John, New Brunswick, bought the paper. Donovan had joined the staff of The Casket in 1887 after previously working for the Saint John Globe newspaper in New Brunswick.
Michael Donovan was the publisher and principal shareholder from 1890 – 1919. Under his leadership The Casket became a much more professional paper. January 16, 1890 was the first issue with Donovan as publisher and a few months later on May 29, 1890, a new masthead was introduced. The name now became the The Antigonish Casket and this name was in effect until June 1894 when it reverted to The Casket.
Charles J. MacGillivray was editor between 1919 and 1947. Under his leadership the paper became decidedly more Catholic in content as well as more community orientated.
From the beginning, The Casket was both a community and a catholic journal. Perhaps this is what enabled the paper to survive when so many other small-town papers had disappeared. John Boyd understood his audience, and subsequent publishers always strove to honour the character and traditions that he established. The size of the town where a newspaper is published has little relevance to its worth. People in small towns are perhaps more aware that the present is part of their past and will be part of their future. A small-town paper is valuable because of its character and traditions.
Timeline of the Casket
• June 24, 1852 – The Casket publishes its first issue, founded by John Boyd in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.
• 1857 – Gaelic content disappears from the paper; it becomes an English-language publication.
• December 1860 – John Boyd moves The Casket to Halifax, seeking financial stability.
• July 1861 – Boyd returns to Antigonish and sells the paper to his half-brother, Angus Boyd.
• July 18, 1861 – First issue published under Angus Boyd.
• 1888 – Angus Boyd steps down; Joseph Chisholm becomes editor.
• 1890 – Michael Donovan becomes publisher and principal shareholder.
• January 16, 1890 – First issue under Donovan’s leadership.
• May 29, 1890 – Paper renamed The Antigonish Casket.
• June 1894 – Name reverts to The Casket.
• 1919 – 1947 – Charles J. MacGillivray serves as editor, reinforcing the paper’s Catholic and community focus.
Front page of The Antigonish Casket, published by Michael Donovan. Dated Thursday, May 29, 1890. Vol. XXXIX, No. 20. Tag line now reads ‘A Catholic Journal Non-Partisan in Politics
Front page of The Casket dated December 24, 1936. Shows the illustrated treasure chest on the masthead. Publisher: Charles J. MacGillivray.
Image Sources:
Vol. 1, No. 1: The Casket
Boyd, John (Ed). (1852, June 24). The Casket. In the Nova Scotia Archives, PANS MFM #1152.
The Antigonish Casket
Donovan, Michael (1890, May 29). The Antigonish Casket. In the Nova Scotia Archives, PANS MFM #3571.
The Casket with Illustration
MacGillivray, Charles J. (1936, December 24). The Casket. In the Nova Scotia Archives, PANS MFM #1187
References:
Pryke, K. G., (2003). “Boyd, John (1823-80),” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 10, University of Toronto/Université Laval. https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/boyd_john_1823_80_10E.html
MacLean, R.A, (1996). The Casket: 1852 – 1992, From Gutenberg to Internet: The Story of a Small-Town Weekly, The Casket Printing & Publishing Co., Ltd.