JISC

Fact sheet

A content-rich online service for learning, teaching and research, British Newspapers 1800-1900 will provide online access, supported by appropriate resource discovery tools, to some 2 million pages of newspapers, across a range of subjects and disciplines. Newspapers cover all subjects: the texts will be an incredibly rich resource for researchers all over the UK, covering subjects such as military history, sports events, advertisements, politics, social events (e.g. fairs), literature, innumerable local events. Rights have not so far been a problem, and to cover the situation, the BL has made contact with all newspaper publishers to notify them of the Project’s intention to digitise. We have an active User Panel, drawn from the HE/FE communities, which has been successful in driving the selection of newspapers to date. The Panel is supporting and informing the development of the web functionality and presentation of this new service. The first three work packages have been defined and a brief description of some of the titles is given below. The full list of titles selected to date are attached as an Excel file.  

There are 4 workpackages selected to date. Work Package 1 was assembled on the basis of London (National) titles, together with the concept of the speciaist sub-cluster, which is intended to enrich the news content of London newspapers with a more spcialist outllook, in this case, the Chartist movement. Workpackage 2 and 3 extends the range of the selection to include provincial newspapers published all over the UK. Workpackage 4, continues to extend UK coverage, in particular ensuring inclusion of newspapers published in Wales and in Scotland.  

The aims for selection are: UK wide coverage; ensuring coverage of the whole of the ninteenth century; and digitising complete runs. It is intended to create a mix of national titles as well as provincial newspapers, with the aim of having fruitful cross searching of both types of paper, which often covered events in different ways.

Brief descriptions of some of the newspapers

Morning Chronicle A London daily. Under the editorship of John Black, the young Charles Dickens was a reporter,and Thackeray worked as an art critic.

Reynolds Newspaper Achieved sales of more than 350,000 by the early 1870s. In origin a radical newspaper, it remained in control of the Reynolds brothers until 1894.

The Era Politically liberal-conservative, combining a sporting journal with a family newspaper. “Literature and the metropolitan & provincial drama has more space allotted to them in the Era than in any other journal” (advert in Mitchell, 1856)

Examiner Weekly radical magazine. As well as supporting radical causes and politicians such as Sir Frances Burdett also published the poetry of Percy Bysshe Shelly and William Hazlitt amongst others. Reminded readers that half of the cost of each issue was stamp duty with the slogan “tax on knowledge” printed on the front page.

Pall Mall Gazette Originally created as an evening paper digesting the news from the morning papers. Conservative for the first 15 years then with a change of editor became more radical. Developed a more “tabloid” style of journalism (banner headlines, shorter more readable paragraphs, breaking up the text with illustrations, diagrams & maps). Carried out several campaigns, especially against child prostitution.

Poor Man’s Guardian Founded by Henry Hetherington in 1831 to further the cause of universal suffrage and the trade union movement. Offices raided in 1835 by  courts and their presses seized and destroyed.

Cobbet’s Weekly Political Register William Cobbett founded this paper in 1802, to futrther his parliamentary career. Tory in outlook initially but gradually became more radical.

Birmingham Daily Post The Birmingham Daily Post was launched in 1857 by Irishman John Frederick Feeney as a Monday to Friday Paper of four pages and priced at one penny. It is still published.

Belfast Newsletter Founded in 1737, for almost two hundred years the Henderson family was closely associated with the newspaper. It is still published.

Derby Mercury Conservative advocating the interests of agriculture, commerce, literature and the Church of England.

Ipswich Journal Anti-Chartist, conservative

Liverpool Mercury Liberal, supported the Anti-Corn Law League. Advocates civil, religious & commercial freedom.