William Minns (abt. 1763 - 1827)

Born about 1763 in Boston, Massachusetts Colony

Died Jan 1827 at about age 64 in Halifax, Nova Scotia

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Biography

William Minns was born about 1763 in Boston, son of William Minns and Sarah King. William "as a youth, had come to Halifax with his brother-in-law John Howe and set type in the latter's office before starting the Weekly Chronicle in 1786. " "if the general lack of editorial comment and the complete absence of controversy are an indication, Minns was altogether content with Halifax and Nova Scotia as they were." "One of the best-dressed and pressed and best-proportioned men of his day, he got his greatest satisfaction from activities unconnected with his newspaper, particularly as an actor in the theatre that existed during the governorship of Sir John Wentworth early in the century." ^[1]

As for The Weekly Chronicle it was "commenced in 1787, and continued to exist until about 1828 or 9." It was established by William Minns, stationer, "in Barrington Street, opposite the north-end of the Grand Parade." ^[2] William was a friend or connection of the McNabs, and was "growing too old to run his newspaper" ^[3] "In 1826 [James] Spike and Joseph Howe , then 22, bought the Weekly Chronicle from William Minns, Howe's step-uncle." Dictionary of Canadian Biography

Sources

1. ↑ J. Murray Beck, Joseph Howe, Volume I: Conservative Reformer 1804-1848 (McGill-Queens University Press: Kingston, 1982).
2. ↑ Early Journalism in Nova Scotia, J. J. Stewart, Nova Scotia Historical Society, #6 (1888).
3. ↑ Kay Hill, Joe Howe, the man who was Nova Scotia (Mclelland and Stewart,1980), p. 31.