Thomas Colville
Many years letter press printer
In Dundee
who departed this life
12th august 1819
Also of
Margaret Brown
his wife
who died 13th May 1831
one of their sons raised this stone
???
remainder eroded.
_____________ with the patriarch's joy,
Thy call I follow to the land unknown;
I trust in thee, and know in whom I trust;
Or life, or death, is equal; neither weighs,
All weight in this, O let me live in thee.
Formerly a mark with the initials but now a monument.
Source: The Book of the Howff, ŠLibraries, Leisure and Culture
Dundee, Local History Centre & is reproduced with kind permission.
THOMAS COLVILLE was for many years the only printer in Dundee ;
and in the course of a long life, he made repeated efforts to arouse the
literary spirit of his townsmen. About the year 1777, he commenced a periodical
publication, somewhat of the nature of its contemporary, the Edinburgh Weekly
Amusement ; but for want of support, it had but a very brief existence. Copies
of this publication are now exceedingly scarce. Towards the close of last
century, he published a work entitled the Dundee Repository, which was in
duodecimo, and extended to two volumes. In Jan. 1799, he commenced to print and
publish the Dundee Magazine and Journal of the Times. This publication was
issued monthly, and contained a variety of curious and amusing articles. Some
four or five volumes of this work were issued, each volume containing about 700
pages. Mr Colville has also the merit of having established a newspaper in the
town the Dundee Mercury, the printing and publishing of which he commenced in
1805. It was issued on Wednesdays, price sixpence, and its publication was
continued until about 1812, when it gave way before its more successful rival,
the Dundee Advertiser, which had been in the field several years previous to the
appearance of the Mercury. The last effort of this nature that Mr Colville made
was in 1816, in which year another Dundee Magazine appeared. This publication
extended to twelve monthly numbers, making one octavo volume ; but it died at
the end of the year. Correctly speaking, this magazine was conducted by one of
his sons Mr Alexander Colville, a partner of the firm, and who superintended the
whole of their business, age having incapacitated Mr Colville for bestowing his
usual attention, although constantly in the office so long as health permitted
him. He died August 22, 1819.
Source 4
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