PART 1 - BRISTOL

THE BRISTOL POST BOY

Published weekly by William Bonney, bi-weekly in 1709, survived from September 1702 until at least December 1715.

21/8/1704 (No.91) only: 20/3/1708 only: 10/9/1709 only: 26/8/1710 only. (Bristol Central Library)

1713:- 7/3/1712-3 (No.619) to 24/12/1715 (No.811) incomplete. (All Souls, Oxford)

The issue after 738 is numbered 784 and two issues with following dates are both numbered 795.

SAM. FARLEY'S BRISTOL POST MAN

Published weekly by Samuel Farley from August 1715 until about 1725.

Continued as Farley's Bristol Newspaper.

10/9/1715 (No.6) and 19/11/1715 (No.19) only (All Souls, Oxford)

24/12/1715 (No.24) and 28/1/1715-6 (No.29) only (Bristol Central Library)

BRISTOL WEEKLY MERCURY

Published weekly by Henry Greep.

1/12/1716 (No.61) only. (Bristol Central Library)

FARLEY'S BRISTOL NEWSPAPER

Published weekly by Samuel Farley in Wine Street, probably as a continuation of Sam. Farley's Bristol Post Man.

Continued as Sam. Farley's Bristol Newspaper.

18/10/1725 (No.20) to 27/1/1732-3 (No.130) incomplete. (Bristol Central Library).

SAM. FARLEY'S BRISTOL NEWSPAPER

Published weekly by Samuel Farley as a continuation of Farley's Bristol Newspaper. From 1738 published by Samuel and Felix Farley, the sons of Samuel snr.

Continued as Farley's Bristol Journal.

30/3/1734 (No.191) to 26/8/1738 (No.421) incomplete. (Bristol Central Library)

FARLEY'S BRISTOL JOURNAL

No Printer's name, but probably Samuel and Felix Farley as a continuation of Sam. Farley's Bristol Newspaper.

Probably replaced by F.Farley's Bristol Journal and Farley's Bristol Advertiser in 1742.

29/8/1741 (No.552) only (Bristol Central Library)

ORACLE: OR BRISTOL WEEKLY MISCELLANY

Published weekly by Andrew Hook who was one of the most interesting figures in the history of the Bristol Press. He is believed to have issued his first newspaper on Saturday 3/4/1742 whilst in gaol for debt! From the beginning of 1743 until September 1749, when his newspaper ceased publication, the title systematically changed in order to evade advertisment duty. The original title viz Oracle: or Bristol weekly Miscellany, was continued to the end of the year. From then until 20/4/1745 two titles were used alternatively: Bristol Oracle and County Intelligencer, and Bristol Oracle and County Advertiser. On 20/4/1745 the title was changed to Bristol Oracle, and this alternated with the County Advertiser until 18/5/1745. From 25/5/1745 until the final issue of Hook's newspaper on 16/9/1749 the Bristol Oracle alternated with the Oracle County Advertiser. several men assisted in the printing of the newspapers and changes in the imprint appeared regularly.

Continued as Bristol Oracle and County Intelligencer and Bristol Oracle and County Advertiser.

3/4/1742 (No.1) to 31/12/1742 (No.40) (Bristol Central Library)

14/8/1742 (Vol.I No.20) and 25/9/1742 (Vol.I No.26) only (Newspaper Library, Colindale)

Printed by Benjamin Hickey till 24/12/1742 then by J.Watts.

BRISTOL ORACLE AND COUNTY INTELLIGENCER

Published fortnightly and alternatively with the Bristol Oracle and County Advertiser by Andrew Hook.

Continued alternatively as the Bristol Oracle and the County Advertiser.

8/1/1742-3 (Vol I No.1) to 6/4/1745 (Vol III No.60) incomplete. (Bristol Central Library)

Number 15 is used twice and No.55 is not used. Printed by J.Watts until 6/8/1743, after which imprint reads 'printed for A.Hook.

BRISTOL ORACLE AND COUNTY ADVERTISER

Published fortnightly and alternatively with the Bristol Oracle and County Intelligencer by Andrew Hook.

Continued as the County Advertiser.

15/1/1742-3 (Vol I No.1) to 13/4/1745 (Vol III No.60) incomplete. (Bristol Central Library).

14/8/1742 and 25/9/1742 only (Newspaper Library Colindale)

4/4/1744 and 8/9/1744 only (Burney Collection, British Museum)

13/11/1742 and 19/2/1742-3 only (Press Club, London)

Printed by J.Watts until 30/7/1743 after that the imprint reads 'printed for A.Hook'. Number 45 is used twice.

COUNTY ADVERTISER

Published fortnightly and alternatively with the Bristol Oracle by Andrew Hook.

Continued as the Oracle County Advertiser.

27/4/1745 (Vol I No.1) to 11/5/1745 (Vol 1 No.2). (Bristol Central Library).

ORACLE COUNTY ADVERTISER

Published fortnightly and alternatively with the Bristol Oracle by Andrew Hook.

25/5/1745 (Vol I No.3) to 9/9/1749 (Vol III No.64) incomplete. (Bristol Central Library).

27/6/1747 only (Press Club, London)

Volume number II is not used. The issue for 28/3/1747, (Vol I No.51) is followed by the issue for 11/4/1747 (Vol III No.1).

BRISTOL ORACLE

Published fortnightly and alternatively with the County Advertiser and later the Oracle County Advertiser by Andrew Hook.

20/4/1745 (Vol I No.1) to 16/9/1749 (Vol III No.65) incomplete. (Bristol Central Library)

Volume No.II is not used; the issue for 21/3/1747 (Vol I No. 51) is followed by the issue for 18/4/1747 (Vol III No.2)

THE BRISTOL BATH AND SOMERSETSHIRE JOURNAL

Published by R.Wimpenny and E.Collins. Crane & Kaye list No.68 in 1743.

4/6/1743 (No.56) only (Bodleian, Oxford)

F.FARLEY'S BRISTOL JOURNAL

Towards the end of 1742 Felix Farley began to issue two newspapers which appeared on alternative Saturdays. One of these was F.Farley's Bristol Journal and the other was Farley's Bristol Advertiser. The alternation of these two continued until August 1746 when the Advertiser ceased regular publication and the Journal continued to appear weekly. It has been asserted that his brother Samuel was responsible for printing the Advertiser, but judging from the imprints Felix seems to have been the dominant partner in the production of both.

Continued as F.Farley's Bristol Advertiser.

24/3/1743 (No.17) to 26/12/1747 (No.1595) incomplete. (Bristol Central Library)

There are numerous numbering errors in numbering: No.64 is followed by No.19, six issues bear the number 99, No.138 is followed by No.1, which is followed by No,141 etc., No.145 is followed by No.1560 etc. During the period when the Journal alternated with the Advertiser the issues are sometimes numbered consecutively and sometimes numbered in conjunction with issues of the Advertiser. The Journal appeared consecutively on 21 and 28/9/1745 and appeared weekly between 12/4 and 24/5/1746 and from 30/8/1746 to 26/12/1747.

FARLEY'S BRISTOL ADVERTISER

Published fortnightly and alternatively with F.Farley's Bristol Journal by Felix Farley and Comp.

Replaced by S.Farley's Bristol Journal.

31/3/1743 (No.18) to 23/8/1746 (No.111) incomplete. (Bristol Central Library)

There are numerous errors in numbering. The issue for 30/3/1744 (No.65) is followed by the issue for 14/4/1744 (No.19). Sometimes the issues are numbered consecutively and at other times they are numbered in conjunction with the issues of F.Farley's Bristol Journal, with which the Advertiser alternated, There was no Advertiser for 28/9/1745. An issue of F.Farley's Bristol Journal bears this date, and the next issue of the Advertiser appeared on 5/10/1745. There were no issues of the Advertiser between 5/4/1746 and 24/5/1746, but during this period F.Farley's Bristol Journal appeared weekly.

F.FARLEY'S BRISTOL ADVERTISER

Published by Felix Farley. Judging from the sequence of numbering F.Farley's Bristol Advertiser and S.Farley's Bristol Journal it seems that these two alternated for a short period.

9/1/1747-8 (No.1597) and 23/1/1747-8 (No.1599) only. (Bristol Central Library)

S.FARLEY'S BRISTOL JOURNAL

Published by Samuel Farley. Alternated for a short period with F.Farley's Bristol Journal.

Continued as Farley's Bristol Journal.

16/1/1747-8 (No.1598) only (Bristol Central Library)

FARLEY'S BRISTOL JOURNAL

This paper, which was issued on Saturdays, was printed jointly by the two Farley brothers, Samuel and Felix.

Continued as Bristol Journal.

30/1/1747-8 (No.1600) to 27/2/1747-8 (No.1604) only. (Bristol Central Library).

BRISTOL JOURNAL

The early issues of the Bristol Journal were printed jointly by the two Farley brothers, but they soon quarreled, Samuel taking over sole proprietorship in 1751, while in 1752 Felix founded his own newspaper. Samuel and Felix Farley appear in the imprint until 3/11/1750 (No.1723). The next extant issue 26/10/1751 (No.1744) carries the name S.Farley & Co. Samuel continued to print the Bristol Journal but in 1753 both brothers died and in accordance with Samuel's will the printing of the Bristol Journal was continued by his niece Sarah, daughter of Edward Farley of Exeter. Many issues of the newspaper after 19/4/1755 do, however, bear the name S.Farley in the imprint and not Sarah's full name, and it is believed that the printer may have been Samuel Farley, son of Felix, however, Sarah's name does appear in full from 7/10/1769 until after her death in July 1774. The newspaper then came under the proprietorship of Hester Farley, a daughter of Felix Farley, but Sarah's name continued on the imprint. After litt le more than a year she sold out to George and William Routh and Charles Nelson her brother in law, and Rouths and Nelson appears on the imprint from 16/9/1775.

Continued as Sarah Farley's Bristol Journal.

26/3/1748 (No.1608) to 12/7/1777 (No.3194) incomplete. (Bristol Central Library)

4/9/1756 (No.2156) only (Newspaper Library Colindale

Nos. 2653 is used three times and the following numbers are used twice:- 2642, 2647, 2683, 2688, 2689. Numbers 7682 - 7641 are used in error for 2632 - 2641. and 2632 - 2641 are used out of sequence.

BRISTOL MERCURY

Published by Edward Ward.

Possibly replaced by the Bristol Weekly Intelligencer in 1749 which was also published by Edward Ward.

20/10/1748 (No.24) only. (Bristol Central Library)

BRISTOL WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER

Published weekly by Edward Ward.

The first issue appeared on 23/9/1749, one week after the last issue of the Bristol Oracle. The history of the paper after 1752 is very obscure and it is believed to have ceased publication in or about 1759. |Its failure may be attributed to the successful competition of the two established Journals.

23/9/1749 (No.1) to 3/2/1759 (No.487) almost complete. (Bristol Central Library).

24/3/1750 to 29/12/1750 almost complete (Bodleian, Oxford)

The numbers 29 and 66 are used twice, 68 is not used at all.

FELIX FARLEY'S BRISTOL JOURNAL

Published weekly by Felix Farley. The first issue of this Journal was printed on Saturday 28/3/1752 and the newspaper was destined to become one of the foremost in Bristol. It is interesting to note that for many years after 1753 Felix Farley's Bristol Journal, like its rival the Bristol Journal, had a woman proprietor. The newspaper had a long history and retained its title until 1853 when it amalgamated with The Bristol Times.

2/5/1752 (Vol.1) to 27/12/1800 (Vol.LI No.2699) almost complete. (Bristol Central Library).

21/5/1768 to 16/11/1793 very incomplete (Newspaper Library).

1782 and 1787-89 (Burney Collection, British Museum)

The first numbered issue is that for 10/9/1774 (Vol.XXIV No.1230), which is the first issue to bear a printers name that of T.Cocking. Volume number XXXV is not used; the issue for 2/4/1785, with Volume XXXIV, is followed by the issue for 9/4/1785, with Volume number XXXVI. The following numbers are used twice:- 1279, 1323, 1716, 1717, 1802, 2148, 2192, 2273, 2293, 2302-2306, 2308-2319, 2680-2682, 2684, 2696; the following numbers are not used :- 1341, 1510-1599, 1670-1699, 1756-1758, 1803, 2102, 2274, 2412, 2413, 2538; the numbers 24201, 24202 (2 issues bear this number are used in error for 2421-2422. Printers:- Felix Farley until 4/1753, then Elizabeth Farley 1753-1757, E.Farley and Son 1758, Elizabeth Farley 1759-1767, T.Cocking 1767 to 3/1785, Cocking and Rudhall 3/1785 to 7/1787, J.Rudhall 8/1787 to 4/1788, J.Rudhall and Co. 4/1788 to 5/1790, J.Rudhall 5/1790 to 11/1790, T.Cole 11/1790 to 2/1792, J.Rudhall 3/1792 to 12/1800.

BRISTOL CHRONICLE; OR UNIVERSAL MERCANTILE REGISTER

Published weekly by John Grabham 1/1760; John Grabham and William Pine 3/1760 to 12/1760; William Pine from 1/1761. When the Bristol Weekly Intelligencer ceased publication in 1758 the number of newspapers printed in Bristol was reduced to two, and the Bristol Chronicle, which was issued on Saturdays, was probably started to fill the gap.

Continued as Bristol Chronical and Mercantile Register.

5/1/1760 (Vol.I No.1) to 11/7/1761 (Vol.II No.80) (Bristol Central Library)

There are many numbering errors.

BRISTOL CHRONICLE AND MERCANTILE REGISTER

Published weekly by William Pine.

Possibly later replaced by the Bristol Gazette and Public Advertiser.

7/11/1761 (Vol.II No.96) only. (Bristol Central Library)

BRISTOL GAZETTE AND PUBLIC ADVERTISER

Published weekly by William Pine to 25/12/1794, then by William Pine & Son.

Founded in 1767, the Gazette differed from its contemporaries in that it was published weekly on Thursdays instead of Saturday. Its end is particularly obscure and it is presumed that publication ceased in 1872.

24/12/1767 (Vol.I No.19) to 26/12/1799 ((Vol.XXXVIII No.1682) incomplete. (Bristol Central Library).

20/12/1770 (No.176) to 22/6/1797 odd issues only (Newspaper Library, Colindale).

Number 1204 is used four times and 459 is used three times: the following numbers are used twice: 205, 210, 320, 380, 389-396, 334, 457, 458, 661, 669. 1159, 1167-1175, 1179, 1196, 1209, 1213, 1216, 1219, 1231, 1235, 1244, 1263, 1267, 1292, 1333, 1341, 1384, 1388, 1390, 1408, 1415, 1416, 1431, 1433, 1434, 1502, 1670. The following numbers are not used: 202, 324, 351-354, 403, 404, 483, 515-520, 1372, 1392, 1527-1560.

BONNER AND MIDDLETON'S BRISTOL JOURNAL

The first issue of this newspaper founded by Samuel Bonner and Richard Middleton appeared in August 1774, at a time when three other Bristol newspapers were flourishing. Like thwo other of its contemporaries, it was issued on a Saturday. It had a long history retaining its original title until December 1803. It then continued as Fenley and Sheppard's Bristol Journal until April 1804 when it became the Mirror which it stayed until January 1811 when it changed to the Bristol Mirror before being incorporated with the Bristol Times (founded 1839) in January 1865 to form the Bristol Times and Mirror.

1/10/1774 (Vol.I No.4) to 27/12/1800 (Vol.XXVII No.1373) almost complete. (Bristol Central Library)

24/12/1774 to 27/12/1800 incomplete (Newspaper Library, Colindale)

The following numbers are used twice: 310-313, 318, 892-894, 1180-1189, 1294. The following numbers are not used: 284-287, 363, 707, 897, 898, 976, 1046-1048, 1068, 1255, 1256.

SARAH FARLEY'S BRISTOL JOURNAL

This newspaper originally founded by the Farley brothers in 1748, has a continuous history of 60 years and was probably second only in popularity to Felix Farley's Bristol Journal. It was a continuation of the Bristol Journal and was published weekly by G.& W.Routh until 1/1785, then by William Routh until 5/1791, then by W.Routh and J.Cassin 5/1791, then W.Routh and H.Peach 9/1791 then William Routh from 6/1793. Continued until 1806 when it was renamed the Mercantile and General Intelligencer, renamed Western Star and Bristol Mercantile Gazette in 1807 and ceased publication in 1808.

19/7/1777 (Vol.LXII No.3195) to 21/12/1799 (Vol.LXXXIV No.4356) reasonably complete. (Bristol Central Library)

3/3/1781 (No.3383) to 8/10/1796 (No.4189) odd numbers (Newspaper Library, Colindale)

3/8/1793 only (Burney Collection, British Museum)

Number 3448 is used three times. Numbers 3210, 3997, 3440-3443, 3445-3447, 3449, 3566, 3578, 3919, 3926, 4098-4111 are used twice. Numbers 3220, 3573-3578, 3635, 3927, 4080-4093 are not used.

BEE AND SKETCHLEY'S WEEKLY ADVERTISER

Published weekly on Mondays by J.Sketchley.

27/10/1777 (Vol.I No.1) to 30/12/1777 (Vol.I No.10) (Bristol Central Library).

CONSTITUTIONAL CHRONICLE

Published weekly by Hill and Blagden.

7/12/1780 (No.1) to 4/4/1782 (No.69) incomplete. (Newspaper Library Colindale)

20/12/1781 (Vol.II No.55) and 17/1/1782 (Vol.II No.59) only (Bristol Central Library)

BRISTOL MERCURY

This paper was first published in 1790, under the proprietorship of William Bulgin and Robert Rosser, at a time when four other papers were being printed in the city. It was begun in response to numerous expressions of opinion in favour of a Monday paper. Continued as an independent title until 1909 when the Bristol Times and Mirror acquired its copyright.

1/3/1790 (Vol.I No.1) to 26/2/1798 (Vol.VIII No.418) incomplete. (Bristol Central Library).