Marmaduke Johnson | |
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| Born | 1628 Rothwell, West Riding of Yorkshire, England |
| Died | December 25, 1674 (aged 46) |
| Known for | First master printer in America, printed the Indian Bible in the Algonquin language |
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Marmaduke Johnson (1628 – December 25, 1674) was a London printer who was commissioned and sailed from England to Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1660 to assist Samuel Green in the printing of The Indian Bible, which had been laboriously translated by John Eliot into the Massachusett Indian language,[1][2] which became the first Bible printed in America.[3][4] Johnson is considered the first master printer to emerge in America. When he attempted to operate his own privately owned printing house in Boston, without an official license from the Crown, the Massachusetts General Court interceded and censured his operation, which in turn started one of the first 'Freedom of the Press' issues in colonial America.[5] After several appeals the Court conceded, where Johnson moved to Boston, set up and outfitted his printing shop, and ultimately became the first printer in America allowed to operate his own private printing press.[6] During his printing career, Johnson printed several works for Eliot containing religious material translated for the Indian nations of Massachusetts.[7][8]
- ^ Matteson; Malone (ed.), 1943, v. 10, pp. 110–111
- ^ Franklin V., 1980, p. 303
- ^ Byington, 1899, p. 251
- ^ Adams, 1847, p. 241
- ^ Littlefield, 1900, p. 89
- ^ Franklin V, 1980, p. 307
- ^ Thomas, 1874, v. 2, pp. 315, 318–319
- ^ Eliot; Johnson (ed.), 1666, title page