Iron T. P. Printer .....

Skene Dhu · Post by **Skene Dhu** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 12:06 am

Hi All,

Anyone have any ideas as to what an Iron T. P. Printer was. I came across in the 1841 census for Glasgow, and was the occupation of a relative

Cheers
John

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 8:31 am

hi John
I don't have an answer, but just looking at it I wondered if the TP was anything to do "type". e.g. Iron Type Printer, though type is such a short word it seems daft to have abbreviated it... and why they would specify what material his fonts were made of I don't know.... I seriously doubt anyone in the UK was still using wooden fonts in 1841!!!

Is the writing clear? Its definately "Printer"? There must have been may jobs titles within the Iron Industry too which might be worth considering.

Sorry I can't be of more help. Maybe someone else will be able to help.
Best wishes
Lesley

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 6:49 pm

Hi John
I've had a little time to think about this one, and was thinking back to my typographic and printmaking days - my shot at it would be "Iron Tympan Press Printer." No idea if this is what was meant tho' - its just a guess based on the little I know/remember about printing processes!

A Tympan Press was used to print newspapers and the like a long while ago - it a slow process and the type needs to be inked up by hand inbetween each print. These days this kind of press is used by printmakers to produce limited editions of lino prints, woodblock prints - infact any type of relief printmaking.

Pic of one here>
http://www.briarpress.org/cgi-bin/briar ... age=tympan
and a diagram here:
http://www.woodblock.com/encyclopedia/e ... press.html

Best wishes
Lesley

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 7:04 pm

From this article it looks as though these type of presses were used for newspapers in USA in 1819, though it states the presses were made of wood there. Even more likely then that you would specify an Iron press, and printing on this type of press was, it seems a likely job around 1841.
http://www.oldstatehouse.com/educationa ... =20&page=4

and:
An overview of the process used in this era - newspaper printing.
Printing a Newspaper: 1792-1892
http://inventors.about.com/library/inve ... Newspapers
then click the bit that says
8. Newspapers - Comic Strips and Books, then Printing a Newspaper: 1792-1892

Best wishes
Lesley

Skene Dhu · Post by **Skene Dhu** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 8:07 pm

Hi Lesley,

Many thanks for your help, I think you are probably spot on with Iron Tympan Press Printer, if I knew how to go about placing the census on the gallery, you would see the writing is quite clear, the words Iron & printer are there, and because of limited space, the Enumerator has shortened Tympan Press to T. P.

Cheers

John

Researching Connacher, Conacher, Blackley, Innes, Rose, Hutchison, Frew, Kay, Cowie, Jappy, Geddes, McMillan, Legget, Strathairn, Greig, Forsyth, Laird, Coburn and many more