Early indian newspapers
Early life[edit]
Marshman was the first child of Joshua Marshman and Hannah Marshman and was born in August 1794 at Bristol, England where his father was at that time a schoolmaster, before later emigrating to India as a missionary.
Move to India[edit]
At the age of 5, Marshman travelled with his parents and William Ward on an American ship called the Criterion to Bengal, arriving at Serampore on Sunday morning, 13 October 1799.
In May 1800, his parents opened two boarding schools at Serampore; these became the most popular in the area and Marshman received his education from his parents. He was part of the growing mission family, eating at the communal table and joining with other children in Mission life; as one would expect he became a fluent Bengali speaker.
Achievements[edit]
In April 1818, Marshman, together with his father Joshua, launched the first monthly magazine in Bengali, Digdarshan, which focused on educative information for the youth, and very shortly thereafter the weekly newsmagazine Samachar Darpan which was one of the two first Bengali newspapers (the other being Bengal Gazeti, published by Gangakishore Bhattacharya, in the first half of 1818). Subsequently the Serampore Mission also launched the Friend of India weekly in 1821, which became so popular that Serampore was synonymous with the Friend of India in European minds for much of the 19th century. The printing operations were so successful that they acquired their own substantial buildings by the river just north of the Mission Chapel.
In 1875 the Friend of India amalgamated with another paper The Englishman, becoming The Statesman which remains one of India's leading English-language dailies.
Marshman also started a new paper mill at the Mission to manufacture a special new type of paper that had been devised by the missionaries to resist the virulent ravages of the local white ants. This became known as "Serampore Paper" and was used throughout the province.
In 1820 a steam
Marshman was the first child of Joshua Marshman and Hannah Marshman and was born in August 1794 at Bristol, England where his father was at that time a schoolmaster, before later emigrating to India as a missionary.
Move to India[edit]
At the age of 5, Marshman travelled with his parents and William Ward on an American ship called the Criterion to Bengal, arriving at Serampore on Sunday morning, 13 October 1799.
In May 1800, his parents opened two boarding schools at Serampore; these became the most popular in the area and Marshman received his education from his parents. He was part of the growing mission family, eating at the communal table and joining with other children in Mission life; as one would expect he became a fluent Bengali speaker.
Achievements[edit]
In April 1818, Marshman, together with his father Joshua, launched the first monthly magazine in Bengali, Digdarshan, which focused on educative information for the youth, and very shortly thereafter the weekly newsmagazine Samachar Darpan which was one of the two first Bengali newspapers (the other being Bengal Gazeti, published by Gangakishore Bhattacharya, in the first half of 1818). Subsequently the Serampore Mission also launched the Friend of India weekly in 1821, which became so popular that Serampore was synonymous with the Friend of India in European minds for much of the 19th century. The printing operations were so successful that they acquired their own substantial buildings by the river just north of the Mission Chapel.
In 1875 the Friend of India amalgamated with another paper The Englishman, becoming The Statesman which remains one of India's leading English-language dailies.
Marshman also started a new paper mill at the Mission to manufacture a special new type of paper that had been devised by the missionaries to resist the virulent ravages of the local white ants. This became known as "Serampore Paper" and was used throughout the province.
In 1820 a steam