Joseph Royle (publisher)

Joseph Royle
Born	1732 England
Died	January 26, 1766 (aged 33–34)
Resting place	Williamsburg, Virginia
Residence	Colonial Williamsburg
Occupation	publisher and printer
Known for	publisher in colonial Virginia
Spouse(s)	Roseanna (Hunter)
Children	William (b. 1764) Hunter
Website	Inventory of Estate of Joseph Royle

Joseph Royle (1732 – January 26, 1766) was an colonial American newspaper publisher and printer for the colony of Virginia.

Royle was Scottish, born in 1732 in an unknown location in Great Britain. It is not known when he immigrated to the American colonies. Royle likely lived in the same colonial Williamsburg house as his employer, the Virginia Gazette publisher William Hunter, as a co-tenant. This property, known as the "Ravenscroft site" consisting of two half-acre lots, is located at the corner of Nicholson and Botetourt Streets in colonial Williamsburg. This is at the east end of colonial Williamsburg, a block away from Duke of Gloucester Street, where the Williamsburg printing office and post office are located.

Royle was a journeyman who apprenticed under Virginia's "public printer" ("printer to the public") William Hunter. He became the foreman in the print shop around 1758 when he was 26 years old. Upon the death of Hunter in 1761, Royle took over the position as Virginia's "public printer" – a prestigious job of producing all legal public documents and forms. He was the "public printer" through the Assembly of June 1765. His salary started in 1761 at £350 per year and increased to £375 in 1764. Royle also took over Hunter's position as the publisher of the Virginia Gazette and enlarged it to demy size (10" x 15 1/2"). He also became then the postmaster of the Williamsburg post office, Hunter's previous position. Royle followed Ben Franklin's model as a typical colonial printer and postmaster.

Upon the death of Hunter Royle also inherited the remainder of a 25-year lease on the Ravenscroft property, some nine years. He eventually bought the property in 1763 and owned it until his death in 1766. The Ravenscroft lots, part of Royle's estate, were held in trust for Royle's son, William. William was only two years old when Royle died in 1766.

Royle was the brother-in-law to the prior tenant on the lease, John Holt. Holt, one time Mayor of Colonial Williamsburg, had started the 25-year lease in 1745. Royle became Holt's brother-in-law when he married William Hunter's sister, Roseanna. Roseanna was the younger sister of Holt's wife, Elizabeth. Royle was given the sum of £1000 by William Hunter in his will, on condition that he would continue the Williamsburg printing business for the joint interest of Hunter's infant son William Jr and himself. Royle died in 1766 before his nephew (William Hunter Jr.) became of age.

...
Wikipedia