Sip Sip History - Bahamas Historical Society
Personalities: Mary Moseley 1878 - 1960
By Jim Lawlor
Jan 18, 2010 - 10:17:39 PM

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.

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Our next talks are:

Thursday 28^th January 2010 at 6pm Talk Sir Randol Fawkes by Rosalie Fawkes

Thursday 25^th February 2010 at 6pm Talk ‘Over-the-Hill’ Grants Town by Sir Orville Turnquest.