Draft:Wrexham Free Press
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The Wrexham Free Press was a weekly newspaper from Wrexham, a town in northern Wales. The first issue was published in February 1870 and its last issue appeared in February 1873. It was four pages and cost one penny. It expanded to eight pages in October 1870.[1] Lisa Peters suggests that the 'Free' in its title means that it was not created to promote a political viewpoint.[2]
The Free Press was established by the Wrexham Free Press Newspaper Company which was incorporated as a limited company in January 1870. In its first issue, the Free Press stated that its aim was to provide Wrexham and its neighbourhood with a cheap newspaper and to provide an advertising medium for local businesses.
In June 1871 Alfred Raphael Gaisson, the Free Press's printer, publisher, reporter, and editor was involved in a dispute with the newspaper's printers. He claimed that the printers, who were members of the Provincial Typographical Association had "thwarted him in several ways." Gaisson attempted unsuccessfully to move the start of the printers' working day to six o'clock from eight o'clock and employed printers who were not member of the Provincial Typographical Association.[3]
David Hamer took over from Gaisson in November 1871.[4] Gaisson accused Hamer of threatening him and Hamer was bound over to keep the peace. Hamer also had difficulties producing the Free Press claiming that he brought the newspaper out despite forty men in the town being against him.[5]
In September 1871 the newspaper changed its title to the Wrexham Free Press and North Wales Advertiser.[6] It changed its title again in 1872 to the Wrexham Free Press, Mold and Holywell Journal.
In February 1873, the newspaper announced that it would become a temperance newspaper called the Good Templar Advocate and General Intelligencer,[7] owned by the International Order of Good Templars. The Good Templar Advocate and General Intelligencer changed its name to the Templar of Wales in May 1873.
Rivals
[edit]The Free Press argued that it was superior to its local rivals: it claimed that news appeared in it two weeks before the Wrexham Guardian[8] and that it was published a few hours before the Wrexham Advertiser.[9]
Sales
[edit]In 1873 the Free Press claimed to have a circulation of 3,000 a week.[10] In a February 1873 editorial, shortly before it ceased, the Free Press stated that its sales had more than doubled due to the working class becoming subscribers, instead of spending their money on alcohol but did not give any figures.[11]
Premises
[edit]By January 1873, the Free Press had publishing establishments in Mold and Holywell.[12]
Distribution Networks
[edit]The Free Press was distributed by a relatively small network of agents. It published an agent listing in 1870 which showed that most of its agents were located around Wrexham and east Denbighshire.[13]
Editors
[edit]February-October 1870 - Gomer Jones
October 1870-June 1871 - W. H. Tilston
June-November 1871 - Alfred Raphael Gassion
November 1871-1872 - David Hamer
1872-February 1873 - William Lester
References
[edit]- ^ "Enlargement of Wrexham Free Press". Wrexham Free Press. No. 1 October 1870.
- ^ Peters, Lisa (2011). Politics, Publishing and Personalities: Wrexham Newspapers, 1848-1914. Chester: University of Chester Press. p. 44. ISBN 9781905929870.
- ^ Peters, Lisa (2011). Politics, Publishing and Personalities. Chester: University of Chester Press. p. 45. ISBN 9781905929870.
- ^ "Wrexham Free Press". 25 November 1871.
- ^ "The 'Free Press' and its Staff - A New Edition of Who's Who". Wrexham Weekly Advertiser. 28 October 1871.
- ^ "Wrexham Free Press". 30 September 1871.
- ^ "Editorial". Wrexham Free Press. 15 February 1873.
- ^ "Wrexham Free Press". 1 April 1871.
- ^ "Wrexham Free Press". 15 July 1871.
- ^ "Mitchell's Press Directory". 1873.
- ^ "To Our Readers". Wrexham Free Press. 22 February 1873.
- ^ Peters, Lisa Jayne (2002). "Wrexham Newspapers 1848-1914". Cadair. Aberystwyth University. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
- ^ Peters, Lisa (2009). "Selling the News: Distributing Wrexham's Newspapers, 1850-1900". In Periodicals and Publishers: The Newspaper and Journal Trade, 1750-1914: 215.