Gunpowder and Tea Cakes: My Journey with Felicity

I’m eager to visit a woman printer from the colonial days. Mr. Merriman steps away to prepare the notice. He tells Felicity we can enjoy some rock candy while we wait. Felicity hands me a small chunk of something that looks like glass. I pop it in my mouth. It tastes sweet, but also a little spicy, like cinnamon. Mr. Merriman’s message reads: “William Merriman, merchant, begs leave to inform his customers, that he will sell only those British goods purchased before the sale of imported goods was declared illegal. Furthermore, he intends to fully comply with the Committee of Safety.”

As we walk, Ben explains to me that the Patriots wanted a newspaper that wasn’t controlled by the royal governor, so they asked Mistress Reed’s husband to start the Gazette. Now that he’s passed, Widow Reed is the printer. The sign hanging over the shop reads Printing Office & Post Office. Ben says he’ll wait outside. He wants to watch the hustle and bustle on the street.

Felicity and I step inside and see a woman helping a customer behind a counter. I look around, and see various things for sale: books, maps, writing paper, sealing wax, and a stack of the latest paper. I see posters nailed to the walls. They have words on them, with titles like “Law” and “Proclamation.” mostly everything is black and white. This must be one of the most important places in Williamsburg. Nowadays people can get news from the internet and TV and radio. But back in Felicity’s time, the only place to get information was to have it printed.

The customer must have news to share because he is examining a poster on the counter. He is tall and well-dressed, with red hair in pretty curls, smoothed back into a ponytail. Mistress Reed has on a dark dress with a white ruffle around the neck and a white cap over her dark hair. The man looks pleased, and says this is important. They’ll need fifty printed. The woman smiles and says she’ll of course hurry, Mr. Jefferson. Mr. Jefferson. Could it be?

The man turns and sees Felicity and me, with my eyes wide and mouth fallen open. For a split second, he looks straight into my eyes, but I can’t think of anything to say before he hurries from the shop. Finally, I ask if that was Thomas Jefferson.