PLYMOUTH |
The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History |
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PLYMOUTH
AND DOCK TELEGRAPH
The Plymouth and Dock Telegraph started on March 19th 1808, one week after the Plymouth Chronicle and General Advertiser for the West of England had appeared. Whitfeld relates that there was some indignation that they were beaten to the press because work had started on the newspaper some twelve months earlier. The type and machinery were ordered well in advance but the most important part of the equipment did not arrive until the Monday night, shortly after the Plymouth Chronicle appeared. The printer, Mr L Congdon, of 52 Fore Street, Plymouth Dock, and the publishers, Mr B Haydon and P Nettleton, of Plymouth; and Mr T Huss, of East Stonehouse, never allowed the other party to forget their annoyance, either. Its format was exactly the same as that of its competitor (four pages, five columns per page, each 16 inches long). Of no little consequence was the fact that the paper on which it was printed was already imprinted with the mark of the stamp duty office and was received by road from London. In January 1809, when the roads were inundated with flood water, the paper did not arrive in time and part of that week's issue was printed on blank, unstamped paper. During the Napoleonic War the price of the newspaper was 6½d, of which a full 5d was stamp duty. The Royal Devonport Telegraph and Plymouth Chronicle In 1824, after the failure of the Chronicle, both newspapers were amalgamated and re-appeared as the Royal Devonport Telegraph and Plymouth Chronicle, published every Saturday. In 1828 it cost 7d a copy [1]. By 1833 it had dropped the Royal from the title. Mr Congdon retired in 1827 and ownership of the newspaper passed to Mr George Soper, who was also the editor of the Plymouth Journal. In 1832 he entered into a partnership with Mr William Richards, printer and bookseller. Devonport & Plymouth Telegraph, Naval and Military Gazette, and Western Counties Advertiser From the issue published on Saturday February 8th 1851 the Devonport and Plymouth Telegraph: Naval and Military Gazette, and Western Counties Advertiser, was under the new ownership of Mr Richard Clarkson Smith, of 1 Chapel Street, Devonport. It now cost 4½d a copy. [2] Devonport & Plymouth Telegraph, Naval and Commercial Gazette, and Western Counties Advertiser The last issue was published as the Devonport & Plymouth Telegraph, Naval and Commercial Gazette, and Western Counties Advertiser, on Saturday June 27th 1863. It cost 2d unstamped or 3d stamped. [3] It then amalgamated with the Western Weekly News despite Whitfeld's claim that it passed in spirit to the Devonport Independent. Publication was every Friday afternoon at 26 Bedford Street, Plymouth, and also at number 1 Chapel Street, Devonport, the former office of the Devonport and Plymouth Telegraph. [3] Sources (incomplete):
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