Digital Extra: The Journal's 175th Anniversary

07.21.2004

1874. Passing the mantle to a woman

Whether it was at birth, at marriage or at death, the newspaper business was a powerful force in the life of Mary Caroline Knowles, first female publisher of The Providence Journal.

Born July 20, 1810, she was the only daughter of Josiah Jones, publisher of the Providence Patriot and Columbian Phenix, a politically influential paper in the early 1800s.

The failure of a newspaper in Stonington, Conn., led to her marriage.

Joseph Knowles, a Westerly native, had been apprenticed to William Storer, publisher of the Stonington paper. After two years, Storer went out of business and released Joseph from the indenture of his apprenticeship. Joseph moved to Providence to seek his fortune.

In 1832, he took a job with Josiah Jones.

In 1834, he married Jones' daughter.

As Joseph rose in the publishing world of Providence, Mary Caroline fulfilled the roles of wife and mother, bearing seven children.

By 1838, Joseph had become senior publisher of The Providence Journal. While one of his later partners, Henry B. Anthony, took an active role in the operation of the newspaper, Joseph Knowles remained an influential force behind the scenes.

When Joseph Knowles died Dec. 21, 1874, Mary Caroline inherited his portion of the ownership of The Providence Journal, along with the title of senior publisher. She would fulfill that role much as her husband had, remaining in the background.

She held the title of senior publisher until her death of anaemia on June 17, 1879.