  After departing from Virginia, William Nuthead set up the first Maryland press at St. Mary's City sometime before August 31, 1685. This press continued in operation until a few years after Nuthead's widow removed it to Annapolis about 1695; yet nothing more survives from it than a single broadside and some printed blank forms. In 1700 Thomas Reading began to operate a second press at Annapolis, and his output in that year included a collection of laws which is the earliest Maryland imprint now represented in the Library of Congress. Since the Library's is the only extant copy, it is particularly regrettable that its title page and considerable portions of the text are lacking. Catalogers have supplied it with the title: A Complete Body of the Laws of Maryland. The copy was formerly in the possession of the lawyer and diplomat John Bozman Kerr (1809-78). It might not have survived to this day were it not for his awareness of its importance, as shown in his flyleaf inscription: ? would this have been printed in Md at so early a period as 1700—in Md or elsewhere in the Colonies—It is dedicated to Mr Wm Bladen father, it is presumed, of Govr Thos Bladen, of whom Pope, the Poet, speaks so harshly—Having given much attention to Md History I know no book—calculated to throw more light upon manners & customs than this printed copy of the body of Md Law in 1700—The language of the early acts of assembly was much modified in 1715 & 1722—Here the Exact words are preserved as in the original acts—Unless in some old collection in England, five thousand dollars would not procure a like copy—Many years ago there was Extant, in MS, in Charles Co Court records, as I have been told, a similar collection—This printed copy is "the schedule annexed to 1699. c 46 & the act of 1700. c 8— Sept 22d 1858 William Bladen, to whom the book is dedicated, was then clerk of the Upper House and had been instrumental in bringing Thomas Reading to Maryland. In fact, the records indicate that he assumed the role of publisher. If John Bozman Kerr had had access to the proceedings of the Lower House for the year 1700, he would have been most interested to find there Bladen's written proposal: That if the house are desirous the body of Laws should be printed soe that every person might easily have them in their houses without being troubled to goe to the County Court house to have recourse thereto. That the house made [sic] an Order for printeing thereof and that every County be Oblidged to take one faire Coppy endorsed and Titled to be bound up handsomely and that for the encouragement of the undertaker each County pay him therefore 2000lbs of Tobo upon delivery the said booke of Laws.... This was approved on May 9. John Bozman Kerr, from Genealogical Notes of the Chamberlaine Family of Maryland (Baltimore, 1880). John Bozman Kerr, from Genealogical Notes of the Chamberlaine Family of Maryland (Baltimore, 1880). |
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