Joseph Royle

Joseph Royle (1732-1766) was a Colonial printer and publisher in British America during the reign of George III. Royle was born in 1732 within the geography of North West England reasonably substantiating his scottish ancestry. Royle married Rosanna Hunter and had two sons, William Royle and Hunter Royle.

Craftsmanship at Colonial Williamsburg Print Shop

The Colonial Williamsburg print shop was established by William Parks on August 6, 1736 printing the first issues of The Virginia Gazette. William Hunter served as a successor of Parks upon his death in 1750. Hunter support of the Colonial Williamsburg printing press works sustained until his death in 1761.

Joseph Royle assisted William Hunter typesetting talents by serving as his printing press foreman at the Colonial Williamsburg print shop. In 1761, Royle sustained the compositors and publishing operations at the Colonial Williamsburg shop competently considering the arduous stamp duties laden by the Kingdom of Great Britain. The Virginia Almanack and Virginia Gazette remained in circulation for the Colony of Virginia despite Royle spells with a contagious disease known as pertussis or potentially tuberculosis.