Numbering erratic; new series numbering occurs at unknown intervals.

With occasional errors in numbering.

Numbering began again in a new series with the change in format from quarto to folio (May, 1725).

BEIN Z17 00165 Copy 2: Imperfect: Mutilated, with some loss of text: 6127

BEIN Z17 00165 Copy 2: From the library of the Press Club, London: 2532-2534, 6127, 6133, 6141, 6151, 6184.

Imprint from colophons (1711-1712); later imprints from added title pages.

Title page imprints include years of publication; imprint addresses vary.

Title words in early numbers bracketed by woodcuts of sailing ships and post-boy; text begins with factotum initial.

Subtitle dropped with later issues.

Imprints vary, and in Jan. 1752 move to the first page, below the date line; Jan. 1763-Jan. 1769 reads in part: "Printed and sold by J[ohn]. White and T[homas]. Saint, in Pilgrim-street"; after White's death his former partner's name appears alone, or as "T. Saint and Co.", until Aug. 1788; 1788-May 1795 reads in part: "printed by J. Hall and J. Elliot, successors to the late Mr. T. Saint"; from mid-May 1795 to mid-Feb. 1796: "printed by the executors of J. Hall, deceased"; in 1796: "printed by Edward Walker, successor to Messrs Hall and Elliot"; the imprint moved back to the colophonin March 1796 and added the names of newsagents, with some variants, until <Nov. 1797>, when the colophon read: "Newcastle upon Tyne: printed by Edward Walker."

Some issues signed at head; register continuous from issue to issue to letter "O".

Initial year of publication from date of coverage; years on some issues given according to Lady Day dating until 1752; from Jan. 1752-Dec. 1768, the year of coverage is in roman.

Originally published as a 12 p. large quarto, imposition of a new tax on paper required the publisher to change the format to a single folio sheet of 4 pages (announced in the issue of 24 Apr. 1725), printed first in two columns, later in three. The newspaper went to a full sheet in four columns in Oct. 1770, and to a slightly larger sheet of five columns in 1796.

On early issues title is engraved within a cut of Newcastle city, the words bracketed with small cuts of city arms and the post-boy. In 1725 the large cut and engraved title were replaced by black-letter title words, bracketed by the Newcastle coat of arms and the post-boy. Later issues (1752-1796) have an unornamented title; from Mar. 1796 the title has an engraved landscape centered between title words, which now lack the leading article.

Text begins in the early years with a factotum initial.

In later issues the entire first page is devoted to advertisements, some of which are illustrated with small cuts.

In the 1770s and 1780s the front page included many advertised rewards offered for wanted criminals from as far away as London; in some numbers these notices took up the entire page.

The most successful of the 18th century Newcastle papers; includes Eruopean and London news, with provincial news notes, ship movements and advertisements. Later issues include local news and Parliamentary coverage, with news reprinted from the London papers. Politically Tory and high church through the early part of the century, reprinted many articles from the Craftsman; later opposed John Wilkes and government reform.

Under the proprietorship of Hall and Elliot the paper was dominated by advertisements rather than general news. News coverage improved after the paper became the property of Edward Walker, and it began to include a greater variety of informtion including reprinted matter from the London Gazette.

Description based on: Numb. 2. (Wednesday, August 1st. to Saturday August 4th. 1711.); title from caption.

Newcastle courant, giving an account of the most material occurrences no. 364 (30 Nov. 1713)-<no. 1137 (5 Nov. 1718)>

Newcastle courant <no. 174>-no. 363

Craftsman. Selections.

Cranfield, G.A. Hand-list of English provincial newspapers and periodicals, 1700-1760, 75

English short title catalogue, P1419

New Cambridge bibliography of English literature, II:1362

Newsplan, Northern region, p. 162-164

Wiles, R.M. Freshest advices 92

Stewart, P. British newspapers and periodicals, 1632-1800, 176

Northumberland (England) > History > 18th century > Newspapers > Early works to 1800.

Newcastle-upon-Tyne (Northumberland) > History > 18th century > Newspapers > Early works to 1800.

Great Britain > History > 18th century > Newspapers > Early works to 1800.

Europe > History > 18th century > Newspapers > Early works to 1800.

Newspapers - 18th century - England.

Newspapers.

England Newcastle-upon-Tyne.