Ruth Bowe writes:
For over a century and a half the newspaper history in the Bahamas has been
closely connected with the Nassau Guardian and the Moseley family, the
original founders, owners and editors. The history of the Nassau Guardian began
with the arrival of Mr. Edwin Charles Moseley in 1837 from England to assume
the Editorship of the Argus.1
However, he declined this position because the newspaper was anti-emancipation
and opposed to many of his views.
On 23 November 1844 he founded the Nassau
Guardian which became the longest lived and most widely circulated newspaper
in The Bahamas. In the 1870's there was a growing concern for the survival of
the newspaper industry since the community did not require nor could it support
three newspapers.
With this in mind the Moselelys acquired the Bahama Herald
in 1877, a year before the birth of the Bahamas' outstanding female journalist,
Mary Moseley.
Mary Moseley was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Edwin Moseley
and the granddaughter of the founder and first editor of the Nassau
Guardian. She was born into a "newspaper" family and at a very
early age she showed a keen interest in journalism and in the newspaper
business. She was educated in Nassau at the Church High School (later known as
St. Hilda's) and privately tutored.
Upon the death of her father in 1904 Miss Moseley undertook the management
and editorship of the Nassau Guardian. It was thought that her new job
was only temporary but in fact, along with Bahamian history, it became her life
long interest. In 1907 Miss Moseley acquired the actual business from the
Estate of the late Percival James Moseley. She worked unstintingly at the helm
of the Nassau Guardian for forty-eight (48) years. She finally gave it
up in 1952 and afterwards worked in an advisory capacity.
If you are interested in the full text
of the article, you may order this issue of our Journal for B$5.00 plus
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Full set of 31 Journals: $110
Our next talks are:
Thursday
28th
January 2010 at 6pm Talk
Sir Randol Fawkes by Rosalie Fawkes
Thursday
25th
February 2010 at 6pm Talk
‘Over-the-Hill’ Grants Town by Sir
Orville Turnquest.
The Bahamas Historical Society (BHS)
is a non-profit organization dedicated to stimulating interest in
Bahamian History and to the collection and preservation of material
relating thereto. Its Headquarters, the former IODE Hall, was a gift
from the Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire (IODE). BHS is
on Shirley Street and Elizabeth Avenue in Nassau.
www.bahamashistoricalsociety.
com
