PLYMOUTH |
The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History |
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PLYMOUTH TIMES, DEVONPORT, STONEHOUSE On February 5th 1842 The Plymouth Times, Devonport, Stonehouse & West of England Advertiser was first published. It was issued in support of Mr Alderman John Johnson, of London, who was the Conservative candidate for representing Plymouth. The editorial offices, one room on the ground floor and two on the first floor, were behind the bookshop run by Mr Benjamin Nicholson at 16 Bedford Street. The entrance was at the junction of Westwell Street with Basket Street and in the ground floor room an errand boy took messages and occasionally sold copies of the paper. The upper rooms were occupied by the owners, Mr Edward Scott and Mr Evan Hopkins, the editor, Mr George Isbel Soper and the one reporter, Mr William Hunt. Mr Scott was the son of Mr E Scott, the brewer. Mr Hopkins, a conveyancer, of Tin Street, was the son-in-law of Mr W Stuart, the resident engineer of the Plymouth Breakwater. William Hunt, who in time replaced Mr Soper as editor, described Mr Scott as 'suave and gentle in manner' and Mr Hopkins as 'sharp and brusque'. Like most newspapers at that time, the Plymouth Times was printed by hand-presses and thus took a considerable time to produce. Each copy was impressed by the Post Office with a penny stamp and deliveries sent by coach, carrier's carts and men on horseback over a wide area. Mr Hunt was succeeded as editor by a Mr Clifford but he soon left Plymouth to join "The Times" in London, as a result of which the Plymouth Times, Devonport, Stonehouse and West of England Advertiser ceased publication on May 8th 1858.
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