George Howe

George Howe (1769 – 11 May 1821) was a poet, printer, and editor of the first Australian newspaper, the Sydney Gazette. Early life Howe was the son of Thomas Howe, a government printer on Basseterre, Saint Christopher Island (now better known as Saint Kitts) in the West Indies. When he was 21, he went to London and worked as a printer for The Times. In March 1799, George Howe, alias George Happy, alias Happy George, was charged with shoplifting after he and a man named Thomas Jones had robbed a mercer’s shop at Alcester. and they were sentenced to death, commuted to transportation for life to New South Wales. Howe arrived at Sydney on 22 November 1800. He received a full pardon on 4 June 1806. Editor of the Sydney Gazette