Wrexham and Denbigh Weekly Advertiser
 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (March 2020) |
 | |
| Type | weekly newspaper |
|---|---|
| Publisher | George Bayley  |
| City | Wrexham |
| OCLC number | 610083577 |
The Wrexham and Denbigh Weekly Advertiser (established in March 1854) was a weekly English language newspaper in Wales.[1]
It contained local news and information from north-east Wales and the border area. Although it claimed no political allegiance, it supported the Liberal party. It was published by George Bayley; after his death by the company Bayley & Bradley.[2]
The Wrexham and Denbigh Weekly Advertiser was a successor to the fortnightly Wrexham Advertiser (1850–1854) and the monthly Wrexham Registrar (1848–49). It ran until 1936.
The first issue appeared on Saturday 11 March 1854 with the title Wrexham and Denbigh Weekly Advertiser, and Cheshire, Shropshire, Denbighshire, Flintshire, and North Wales Chronicle. it was a four-page broadsheet, priced 2d., 3d. if stamped.
Appearing weekly allowed the newspaper to provide the latest news from Wrexham and Denbighshire but as a weekly publication, the newspaper had to pay the one penny stamp duty until it was abolished in 1855. The price was reduced after stamp duty was abolished. The first edition appeared on Saturday morning, followed by a second edition on Saturday evening.[3] Its price was reduced to one penny in April 1895. In 1907 the day of publication was changed from a Friday to Thursday but the protests led to it being changed back to Friday less than a year later.[4]
It published a Mold edition from 1909 and expanded to twelve pages in March 1914. It reduced to eight pages in September 1914. Due to the paper shortage, in February the Advertiser asked its agents only to order the number of copies that were regularly purchased[5] and a month later, it informed its readers that it could only guarantee a copy to those who had placed an order with a newsagent.[6]
After World War I, the Advertiser was challenged by the new Wrexham Leader and in 1933 Bayley & Bradley was sold to Rowland Thomas (the managing director of Woodall, Minshall & Thomas) and the directors of the Leader. The last issue published by Bayley & Bradley appeared on 24 June 1933.[7] Publication was moved to Oswestry.[8] In 1936 the Advertiser was merged with the Wrexham Star to create the tabloid-style Wrexham Advertiser and Star. The Advertiser and Star ceased publication in December 1945; recommenced in April 1953 before finally ending in December 1957.[9] The Wrexham Leader moved to twice weekly publication to replace the Advertiser and Star.
Title Changes
[edit]The title changed from the Wrexham and Denbigh Weekly Advertiser to the Wrexham and Denbighshire Weekly Advertiser on 2 February 1856. In February 1863 it became the Wrexham Advertiser and Denbighshire, Cheshire, Shropshire and North Wales Register. It final title change came in 1870 to the Wrexham Advertiser and North Wales News.
Circulation
[edit]1857 - 550 copies per week[10]
1859 - 2,000 copies per week[11]
Rivals
[edit]The Wrexham and Denbigh Weekly Advertiser had a rival in the Conservative-supporting Wrexham Albion (1854), later the Wrexhamite (1855–1857), and then the Wrexham Guardian (1869-1954).
Ownership
[edit]After George Bayley died in January 1863, the newspaper came under the control of his widow Selina and his brother Charles George Bayley, and the new editor George Bradley. Together the established the company of Bayley & Bradley to print the newspaper.[12]
Premises
[edit]The newspaper's original premises were in Hope Street, Wrexham.
1857 - moved to Bank Street
1868 - moved to the Music Hall in Henblas Street.[13]
Editors
[edit]1854-1863 - George Bayley
1863-1890 - George Bradley
1890-1893 - William Charles Bayley
1894-1895 - Frederic Bowser Mason
1897-1907 - John Rice Jones (A H Dodd commented that the Advertiser "acquired a considerable reputation" under his editorship[14])
1907-1927 - James Wright[15]
1927 - J G Benson[16]
References
[edit]- ^ Davies, Lisa (1999). "Wrexham's first three newspapers: the Wrexham Recorder, the Wrexham Registrar, the Wrexham Advertiser (and descendants) to 1900". Transactions of the Denbighshire Historical Society. 47: 57–70.
- ^ Wrexham and Denbigh Weekly Advertiser at Welsh Newspapers Online, National Library of Wales
- ^ Peters, Lisa (2011). Politics, Publishing and Personalities. Chester: University of Chester Press. p. 27. ISBN 9781905929870.
- ^ Peters, Lisa (2011). Politics, Publishing and Personalities. Chester: University of Chester Press. p. 29. ISBN 9781905929870.
- ^ "Wrexham Advertiser". 12 February 1916. p. 3.
- ^ "Wrexham Advertiser". 23 March 1916. p. 5.
- ^ Croom-Johnson, Elizabeth. "Notes on the History of the Wrexham Advertiser". Wrexham Archives and Local Studies Service, DWL/12/5.
- ^ Peters (2012). "Still Wrexham's Longest Running Newspaper - the Wrexham Advertiser". Transactions of the Denbighshire Historical Society. 60: 114.
- ^ Peters, Lisa (2012). "Still Wrexham's Longest Running Newspaper - the Wrexham Advertiser". Transactions of the Denbighshire Historical Society. 60: 115.
- ^ "Wrexham and Denbighshire Weekly Advertiser". 3 January 1857. p. 4.
- ^ "Wrexham and Denbighshire Weekly Advertiser". 28 May 1859. p. 4.
- ^ Peters, Lisa (2011). Politics, Publishing and Personalities. Chester: University of Chester Press. p. 27. ISBN 9781905929870.
- ^ Peters. Politics, Publishing and Personalities. p. 28.
- ^ Dodd, A H (1957). A History of Wrexham, Denbighshire. Wrexham: Hughes & Son. p. 254.
- ^ Peters, Lisa (2002). Wrexham Newspapers, 1848-1914. PhD Thesis, University of Wales. p. 70.
- ^ Peters, Lisa (2012). "Still Wrexham's Longest Running Newspaper - the Wrexham Advertiser". Transactions of the Denbighshire Historical Society. 60: 113.