Matthew Carey (1760-1839) was a journalist in Ireland who attacked the English government for persecution of Irish Catholics. After being apprehended and serving a one-month jail sentence, he fled England and arrived in America in 1784. Five years later, he announced plans to publish a Roman Catholic Douay-Rheims Version English Bible, if he could secure 400 pre-paid subscribers. He secured 471, and on December 1, 1790 delivered it to his subscribers. As there was very little demand for Roman Catholic scriptures in colonial America, it is unlikely that more than about 500 copies of the Matthew Carey Bible were ever printed, making it quite rare today. It is the first non-King James version English Bible printed in America.
After an early career as a printer, journalist and newspaper publisher, Carey became one of the most successful book publishers in the U.S.