The name on the Blue Plaque. (Ulster Scots)

The Name on the Blue Plaque

John Dunlap (1747–1812)
Printer o the American Declaration o Independence

Staunin lonesome on a bit o waste grun that slopes doun tae the dark, wunnerin River Mourne, is a blue plaque fixed tae a weather-beaten concrete stann.

This plaque tells thaim that tak notice o it that John Dunlap, printer o the American Declaration o Independence, was born here in 1746.

It micht also say, but disnae, that Don Shearer o Clipper Carlton Showband fame was born here an aa in 1934.

This blue plaque is a memorial tae a man wha, at the age o ten, was sent frae his hame in Strabane tae jine his uncle William Dunlap in Pennsylvania, whaur he learned no juist the craft but the business o prentin. William had already biggit up a successful prentin business in America, but tae the young John this wisnae onything oot o the ordinar; there were likely ten prent shops in Strabane at the time he left.

Contrair tae popular belief, John Dunlap didnae learn his trade in Gray, Printers in Strabane, but it is the place that will aye be linked wi his name. As a wee lad he maist certainly knowed  Gray's Printers. Bairns started wark at a verra young age in thae days, an the prent shop, near his hame in Meetinghouse Street, maun hae seemed a fascinatin place tae a young lad.

John Dunlap was born intae a Scotch Presbyterian faimily, likely frae the Ayrshire pairt o Scotland, whaur the name wid hae been pronounced "Delap". His faither, an aa cried John, was a saddler wha ran his business on the verra spot whaur the blue plaque in Strabane nou stauns.

Like mony Scotch-Irish wha gaed tae America, John Dunlap "made a name for hissel". No only did he excel in the prentin trade, but he becam a sodger an served as an officer unner George Washington durin the American Revolutionary War.

He pit hissel on the richt side o history whan he cast his lot wi the Patriots agin the Loyalists. Comin frae a Scottish Presbyterian faimily that had suffered discrimination unner the English Ascendancy, it is nae surprise that he chose the side o freedom. He michtnae hae foreseen it then, but that decision helped mak siccar his place in history.

Whan Uncle William decided tae follae a religious callin, his nephew offered tae buy the prentin business an promised tae pey for it in instalments. He peyed his last instalment in Januar 1773 an mairit his sweetheart, Elizabeth Hayes Ellison, a widow frae Liverpool, in Februar o the same year.

Wi his hard-won independence an his new wife by his side, John Dunlap was ready tae expand baith his faimily an his business. Ower the coorse o their mairiage the Dunlaps had at least sax bairns an his company prospered. Leavin ahint the prentin o tracts an sermons, he gaed on tae publish the first daily newspaper in the United States, the Pennsylvania Packet.

But Dunlap's great moment in history cam in 1776 whan Thomas Jefferson arrived at his prent shop carryin a handwritten scroll an commissioned him tae prent twa hunner copies o the newly-agreed American Declaration o Independence. No only tae prent them, but tae hae them ready by the neist day, the Fourth o July.

Usin the nou warld-famous Dunlap Broadsheet, John delivered on time. Whan he ran oot o Dutch paper efter the first hunner copies, he resorted tae his ain invention, paper made frae rags. On the Fourth o July 1776, Jefferson's men lifted the first batch, an America's declaration o independence frae Britain had begun.

Ironically, despite Dunlap's reputation in the prentin warld, it was a rival newspaper, The Pennsylvania Evening Post, that first published the document for public readin. Frae toun tae toun an village tae village, the news o American independence spread. Twenty-six o the original broadsheets are kent tae survive the day, but nane are in Ireland.

Through prentin an land speculation, John Dunlap becam a verra wealthy man. He bocht, for little or naethin, lands confiscated frae Loyalists wha had focht on Britain's side an refused tae sign up tae the new Congress.

He had promised hissel he wid retire at the age o forty-eight, an he did. But retirement isnae aa it's cracked up tae be. For a man wha had warked syne he was ten year auld, the days an weeks were lang. Sae he "took tae the drink". He dee'd o apoplexy in 1812.

But his contribution tae American history wasnae forgot. He was buried in Christ Church Ground in Philadelphia wi full military honours.

His heidstane stauns only a few yairds frae the grave o Benjamin Franklin, but yin wunners whether thaim that visit Franklin's grave stop tae say a prayer for John Dunlap frae Strabane, printer o the American Declaration o Independence.

Patricia Shearer, 2026