Joshua Drewry
1730 - 1796? or 1812
Life History
1730 |
Born in Lincoln |
1730 |
Baptised in St Mary Le Wigford, Lincoln |
|
Married Mary |
Notes
Children:
Joshua Drewry, 1774, Christened at St Botolph, Lincoln.
Married Ann
John Drewry, 1776, Christened at St Botolph, Lincoln
John Drewry, 1777, Christened at St Botolph, Lincoln
Married Jane
Elizabeth Drewry, 1780, Christened at St Botolph, Lincoln
Mary Drewry, 1781, Christened at St Botolph, Lincoln
William Drewry, 1782, Christened at St Botolph, Lincoln
Footer in the Derby Mercury, 1790
The above footer suggests that in 1790 Joshua Drewry was a printer in Lincoln and worked with his brother John in Derby.
It looks like Joshua was still in Lincoln in 1794:
It looks like Joshua moved to Staffordshire in 1794 (to set up a newspaper there on behalf of his brother John - who died in 1794).
In 'Audley and the Staffordshire Advertiser' it is reported that:
"The Staffordshire Advertiser was founded in 1795 and published in Stafford. The proprietor was Joshua Drewry. (He is credited with the revival of horse racing in Stafford in 1806.)"
The following quote ['Source'] suggests seems to be a little unreliable in respect of John's family's provenance (which so far appears to be Lincoln) and regarding Joshua's death date:
"
William Ward moved to Stafford (from where John Drewry's family originated [?]), to start a newspaper, the 'Staffordshire Advertiser', for John Drewry's brother, Joshua Drewry II."
[Joshua Drewry II above is Joshua Drewry Primus in respect of publishing in Stafford. He is 'II' here because his father was also Joshua.]
" .. Very little is known about Ward's residence in Stafford. His new employer, Joshua Drewry II died in 1796 and Joshua's wife died the same year at the age of 22. Stennett prints a poem (written by Ward, in Hull, in September 1796), in memory of Mrs Drewry. It is called 'To the Redbreast. A Sonnet' a reference to the fact that a red-breast alighted on the Communion Table during their marriage service. Ward had written poetry since his childhood."
In The Library History Database:
" STAFFORD - Drewry's Circulating Library 1795 [Joshua Drewry] - 1804."
"
NEWCASTLE-UNDER-LYME - Chester & Drewry's Circulating Library 1800? [Charles Chester & Joshua Drewry]."
(See marriage certificate of Ann Drewry and Charles Chester in Thomas Drewry's page.)
" STAFFORD - Drewry's Circulating Library 1813 [Miss Drewry] - 1814.."
An Apprentice in 1796
Which of the Joshuas took Thomas Sherwin as an apprentice in 1796? At a guess it is Joshua's son.
So who is this Mrs Drewry? [Source]
Death announcement for Mrs Drewry.
And who is this Joshua?
Recorded in the Bury & Norfolk Post.
Joshua Drewry (1774-1841) [Source]
| Name | Drewry; Joshua (1773-1841) |
| DatesAndPlaces | born c1773; died East Cottage, Stafford, 13 June 1841 |
| Activity | Printer and newspaper owner/editor. Printer at Stafford, (1794); bookseller with circulating library, etc. Founded the Staffordshire Advertiser (1795). Supported Sheridan and the Whigs. Mayor of Stafford (1818-19). Bankrupt (1819). Founded the Bookworm (b & d 1820), The Weekly Register of General Information (1827-8). Succeeded in printing business by sons John and William. |
| PublishedWorks | Personation or the Wife Bewitched A Farce in Three Acts (1835) |
| Relationships | Son of Joshua Drewry, printer at Lincoln, nephew (and apprentice) of John Drewry, printer and newspaper owner of Derby. Married, several children. |
In the Derbyshire Registers of Marriages, 1558-1837a:
"Joshua Drewrey, of Stafford, printer, & Sarah Wilson, lic. 26 Jan 1795"
[spelling is Drewrey, and the marriage took place in Derby All Saints]
In the Derby Mercury in 1801 Joseph Drewry of Staffs. is shown as an agent for the Phoenix Fire Co., Derby.
In 1818 The Manchester Mercury reported Joshua Drewry's appointment as Mayor of Stafford.
From the Chester Chronicle, June, 1826:
From the Hereford Journal, 1841, describing Joshua as possibly "the father of the English Provincial Press"
In the Leicestershire Mercury, June 1841, another announcement of Joshua Drewry's death:
"On Sunday, at the residence of his daughter, East Cottage, aged 68, Joshua Drewry, Gent. of Stafford, original proprietor of the 'Staffordshire Advertiser'"
In "The Newspaper press, in part of the last century and up to the present period of 1860"
As an instance of the spirit of the Local Militia of those days, I
might quote the following, which is copied from a circular letter of
Quarter Master Drewry, under date Dec. 14th, 1813 : -
"The officers of
the Central Staffordshire Regiment of Local Militia, are particularly requested to meet at the Mess-room on Thursday, the 23rd of December instant, at 12 o'clock at noon, for the purpose of taking into consideration the expediency of volunteering their services, under the provisions of the Act of Parliament recently passed, to enable His Majesty to accept the services of the Local Militia out of their respective counties.
By order of ;
Lieutenant Colonel Chetwynd.
Joshua Drewry, Quarter Master.
Head Quarters, Stafford, Dec. Hth, 1813.
0. H. M. S.
Captain Amphlett, C. S.L.M., Stafford."
Which Joshua Drewry is this?
DREWRY'S STAFFORDSHIRE GAZETTE, founded by Joshua Drewry, ran for six months in 1827
Unfortunately the source of the above is no longer available.
Deeds relating to property in the parish of Lincoln St Peter at Gowts
Lease for a year
Parties: John Hutchinson of the Close of Lincoln gent. and Henry Boot of the city of Lincoln surgeon.
Property: ..That other messuage (adjoining the north side of the last) being heretofore part of a messuage called Broxholme's great house in the parish of St Peter at Gowts formerly in occupation of Joshua Drewry, James Sewell and (blank) now in occupation of John Hutchinson ...
Date: 20 June 1798
A daughter of Joshua Drewry died 13 January 1848.
(Reported in The Derby Mercury, 19 January 1848.)
