Publishing: Gray Printers (Gray & Sons)

Looking Southeast along Main Street 1956 | fullsize
Postcard published 1956 by Gray's Printers [Photo from Mr Curlyhill]


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SEPIATOWN	WHATWASTHERE	BIRD'S EYE
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• 1797: The Carroll and Foster printery is established. The printery publishes the Strabane Morning Post. Although hidden behind shutters today, a sign above the doorway in Gray's Printers states "Established 1797".
• 1822: Carroll and Foster become Carroll and Gray.
  Carroll provided financial support for the building of Saint John's Church, Townsend Street 1821.
• 1834: Carroll dies on December 28.
• 1835: Gray becomes the sole proprietor January 1.
  Gray is listed in the Trade Directory of 1839 in Main Street under John Gray, Printers and Stationers and Australian Agent
• 1887: Name changes to Gray and Co.

It is often claimed that John Dunlap started his apprenticeship at Gray's printery. Sadly this was not the case. John was born in Meetinghouse Street c1746, but at the age of 10 left Strabane to live in with his uncle William Dunlap in America. John served an apprenticeship under his uncle William who, at that time, was one of the leading printers in Philadelphia.


Looking Southeast along Main Street 1943 (gas street lighting) | fullsize
The street image shown above was reconstructed from a short sequence in a filmed documentary. Several  figures in motion, during this sequence, were repeated several times in the reconstructed image. The half man shown in the distance is actually the same soldier with the light shaded jacket shown twice in the foreground. This problem only affects objects in motion. Buildings are unaffected.

Related Video:

Video [cc]: Gray Printers 1943: The printer featured in the clip is Bobby Gray.
Bobby (Robert) is listed in the 1901 and 1911 Census.
(Look out for the damaged Presbyterian church shown at the start of the video)

Newspaper Articles:
Strabane Morning Post - Transcribed by Alison Kilpatrick

1812	July	28	Strabane Morning Post
1814	Dec	2	Strabane Morning Post
1815	Jan	3	Strabane Morning Post
1815	Mar	28	Strabane Morning Post
1815	Apr	11	Strabane Morning Post
1815	Apr	18	Strabane Morning Post
1815	Apr	25	Strabane Morning Post
1815	May	2	Strabane Morning Post
1815	Oct	31	Strabane Morning Post

Related Documents:

1	Early Strabane Newspapers and their Proprietors

Related Images: