Commencing in 1787, the newspaper underwent four changes of title by 1842, when the title The Hull Packet and East Riding Times was adopted. In 1845, each issue of eight pages (price 41/2d) was published on a Friday; each page had six columns. Advertisements frequently carried an engraving denoting its subject: railway (a steam train and wagons); shipping (a sailing vessel); even for beer (a bottle with ''India Pale Ale'' printed on its label).
Many topics were covered: Shipping Intelligence, Science, Foreign Intelligence, Agricultural Information, Literary Notices, University and Clerical Intelligence, Hull Police Report. The sprat fishery in the Humber had commenced, with several of the fishing boats coming back with five to eight chaldrons-a good season was in prospect. In the Borough Sessions, there was half a column of a report on ''A Parrot admitted as a Witness in a Court of Justice'', doubtless included to amuse the paper's readers.
The issue of 10 December 1845 carried a full two-and-a-half-column report explaining the "Resignation of the Conservative Ministry". On January 2 1863 (price 2d), there was a long report with full titling: 'America. Great Defeat of the Federals and Immense Loss of Life. General Burnside re-crossing the Rappahannock. The excitement in America.' Equally interesting is the smaller article adjacent to this, entitled: 'The American War and the Women of the South'. The Lancashire Cotton Famine had brought about the Stalybridge Riots of March 1863, and a long editorial was published in the 27 March 1863 issue of the Hull Packet . War reports continued: the issue of 11 April 11 1879 carried the headline under Latest News: 'Latest From Zulu. Another Disaster for British Troops, Meeting in favour of Sir Bartle Frere.' In the same issue was half a column of report on the Hull Athletic Amateur Sports Club, giving the many names of the contestants in the heats of the races.
It was this combination of varied reports, a great many advertisements, and good clear printing which continued to sell the newspaper throughout the century, for the population of Hull grew tenfold from 22,000 in 1801. The paper was incorporated with The Hull Daily Mail in 1886.
For this newspaper, we have the following titles in, or planned for, our digital archive:
- 1799–1806 The Hull Packet
- 1807–27 The Hull Packet and Original Weekly Commercial, Literary and General Advertiser
- 1827–33 The Hull Packet and Humber Mercury, or Yorkshire and Lincolnshire General Advertiser
- 1833–48 The Hull Packet
- 1843–86 The Hull Packet and East Riding Times
