ROWLAND WETHERALD, PRINTER (1727-1791).

By B. R. HILL.

Read on December 2nd, 1902.

The earliest reference to the Wetherald family at present known is contained in the Parish Register of Great Salkeld, Cumberland. There we have under date October 14th, 1695, the entry of the birth of a son to Thomas Wetherald. The said Thomas was church-warden there in 1705.*

Rowland Wetherald, son of John, presumably son of Thomas before-mentioned, was born in the year 1727. The entry in the Birth Register is as follows:-A.D. 1727, Rowland, son of John Wetherald, baptised April 13th. Of his boyhood and early manhood there does not appear to be any record, though it is evident that he made some contribution to learning earlier than 1760, as on the title-page of "The Perpetual Calculator" (which was published at Newcastle in that year), his own name is followed by the pen name "Philomath." "The Calculator" was issued by Messrs. I. Thompson and Co.. At the back of the title there is an advertisement intimating that he taught Arithmetic, Astronomy, Architecture, Navigation, Gunnery, etc., at his house in Great Salkeld, near Penrith, Cumberland, and that boarding could be had on easy terms.

In an account of the Wetherald family in 1818, it states that he came to Sunderland about 1762, as a teacher of Mathematics. He began business as a printer in the High Street, and afterwards removed to Maude's Lane, where he carried on his business till his death. In 1765, it is recorded on the family tombstone in Bishopwearmouth Churchyard that he buried his wife Mary, and his eldest daughter Mary. He married again, as the following extract from the Bishopwearmouth Registers shows:

* Loftie's Great Salkeld: its Rectors and History, p. 97-98.

Rowland Wetherald and Ann Copland, both of this parish, married by license, 11th September, 1768, by Thomas Birkett.

Witnesses-Jane Bell, Jo. Garthwaite.

What induced him to settle here cannot now be determined, but probably his knowledge of navigation would have something to do with it. For a long period of eighteen years, all that is chronicled of the Wetherald family is to be found on the tombstone before referred to.

The entries are:

Mary, their eldest daughter, died th March, 1765, aged 9 years.

Rowland, their second son, died 16th February, 1769, aged 18

years.

Elizabeth, their second daughter, died November 28th, 1782, aged 24 years.

William, their fourth son, died 21st June, 1782, aged 23 years.

John, the eldest son, was in early life, a clock and watchmaker, and also an engraver, somewhere in Bishopwearmouth. His wife was a daughter of George Walton, who left her an annuity of £40, and an equivalent sum for a certain number of years for the education of her children. In later life, John apparently did little as a clock and watchmaker, but he was often occupied, on account of his neat hand-writing, in copying deeds and other documents. For some time he acted as clerk to Mr. John Wright, Attorney-at-Law, and is even described in one instance as an Attorney himself. It was his custom to keep a record of all monies received and expended. Some of these records have been preserved and are in the possession of one of his descendants, who now kindly permits me to make some extracts. They

1. John Wetherald, Wearmouth, son of John Wetherald, Attorney, and Mary his wife, late Walton, March 15th, 1799, aged 9.-Extract from Bishopwearmouth Parish Register.

are of interest, and add not a little to our scanty knowledge of Sunderland's first printer.

He records under date :

Oct. 6th, 1786. Cash paid my father for the boarding, clothing, and educating of my son Rowland

for half a year, being the last payment of the third year.

£7

On April 2nd, 1787, a similar payment is made, and on April 24th, 1787, he says:-Paid my father for coals

These entries show that the father was still engaged in scholastic work. The last recorded payments to his father for teaching, read as follows:

March 29th, 1788. Paid my father the remainder of Rowland's ...£5 19 0

half-year's board, etc.

School fire for the winter season.

May 17th, 1788. Paid my father in part of Rowland's

2 0

...£I I O

Rowland Wetherald died on June 10th, 1791, aged 64 years. It states on the tombstone that he was the first to set up printing in Sunderland, and the "Newcastle Courant" on June 25th of the same year, in recording his death, says :

"He was a printer in Sunderland, and author of 'The Perpetual Calculator.'"

There is nothing to show, however, that he was actually engaged in printing himself, but we have evidence that one of the family was so employed. On this specimen, a play-bill dated 17th January, 1781, appears the imprint of T. Wetherald, Maude's Lane. The press remained in the hands of the family for about five years after the death of Rowland, as this entry in the son's book shows:

* Exhibited at the meeting.

Feb. 24th, 1796. Boatage for Robert to distribute the type,

Then follows the record of the negotiations for disposing of the plant.

March 5th, 1796. Postage of letter from Wm. Hallgarth, about

March 16th, 1796. Postage of a letter from Wm. Hallgarth,

Sept. 27th, 1796. Postage of a letter to the "Hue and Cry," to advertise the sale of the printing type

Jan. 21st, 1797. Advertising the printing type and materials in the " Newcastle Courant" on the Ist of October, 1796, † paid Mr. Edward Walker, the printer....

...

4s. 6d.

May 2nd, 1797. Postage of a letter from Hallgarth about appointing a day to view the type, etc., 41d.

Sept. 2nd, 1797. Cash received in part from Wm. Hallgarth for all the type and printing materials,

Dec.

£10 10 0

16th, 1797. Cash received of Wm. Hallgarth, jr., of South Shields, the second payment for the type, press and materials. £10 10 0

Brockie, in his "Sunderland Notables" informs us that Miss Wetherald, daughter of Rowland Wetherald, was a bookseller. Her shop was in High Street under the Subscription Library. Mr. R. Renney, Parish Clerk, about the year 1810, bought her stock, consisting of some cart-loads of books, for a few shillings it is stated, but this may be an exaggeration.

* From this entry and other records it is quite evident that some members of the family resided for some time at Monkwearmouth.

This particular issue is missing from the file preserved at "The Journal" Office, and there is not a file in the British Museum.

Mary, daughter of John Wetherald, who died 2nd June, 1821, was married on February 4th, 1799, to John Wright, the attorney, who occasionally employed her father.

The family tombstone of the Wright's adjoins the Wetherald's, and thereon is recorded :

John Wright, of Bishopwearmouth, Gentleman, died 10th January, 1834, aged 80; and Mary his widow, died 1st October, 1854, aged 77 years. Frances Wright, their daughter and first child, died 14th September, 1811, aged 12.

There is at Great Salkeld, a rebuilt farm-house known as Wetherald House. The original house was no doubt the former home of the family.

* Loftie's "Great Salkeld: its Rectors and History," p. 97.