S Kneeland and T Green

Seen as “S. Kneeland and T. Green, in Queen Street over against the prison”

Samuel Kneeland (1696–1769) and Timothy Green (1703–1763) were major publishers and printers in New England. They published the Boston Gazette and New England Weekly Journal. Timothy came from a huge family of very prolific printers. Samuel Green to Samuel Green (1615-1702) [printer] to Deacon Timothy Green (1679-1757) to Timothy Green (1703-1763).

Important Christian publications:
The Kneelands and the Greens printed works by Philip Doddridge, Jonathan Edwards, Isaac Watts, John Flavel, John Cotton, George Whitefield, Cotton Mather, Thomas Foxcroft, Samuel Checkley, Richard Baxter, Jonathan Dickinson, Thomas Prince, Gilbert Tennet, and Matthew Henry. They were the major printers for the “Great Awakening.”

 Complicated relations:
Samuel Kneeland was related to Timothy Green by being cousins and then brothers-in-law after they married. Samuel’s mother was Mary Green, the sister of Benjamin Green, the father of Timothy Green.
Samuel Kneeland married Mary Alden (of the Aldens from the Mayflower)
Timothy Green married Mary’s sister Elizabeth Alden.

The location:
Queen Street only existed for the years 1708-1788.
Previous to Queen Street it was called Prison Lane (1634-1708).
After Queen Street it was called Court Street (since 1788).
The prison was called the Boston Gaol (1635-1822). It had walls three feet thick and housed witches and pirates.
The Boston Gaol held Captain John Alden, the son of John Alden of the Mayflower, accused of witchcraft.
The Boston Gaol also held James Franklin, Benjamin’s older brother, for printing a note against the local government.

Sources:
Kneeland, Stillman Foster, “Seven Centuries in the Kneeland Family” New York: Published by the author, 1897.