Founded and owned by William Minshull, a printer, on 20 June 1801, the Lancaster Gazette established itself as a chronicle of the events of the town and local area. Issues published in 1803 record: Remarkable Events of the Year, Shipping Reports, and Patriotic Poems and Songs. Issues published in 1808 record the many court cases, for example, Sarah and William Johnson were found guilty of forging bank notes, and sentenced to transportation for fourteen years. By the 1830s, publication was weekly on Saturdays.
William Minshull died in May 1833, and his daughter Graciana Jane sold the newspaper to Charles Edward Quarme in August 1834. Quarme was a prominent local Conservative, who ran the newspaper until 1848, when he sold it, probably to George Christopher Clark. Quarme continued as editor of the newspaper until 1874, when he retired at the age of eighty. Readers were expected to enjoy the "Odds and Ends" column--a couple of entries for issue no. 2323 of 28 November 1846 show the range of these notes:
"The Directors of all the theatres at Berlin have resolved to substitute the explosive cotton for gunpowder, in their representations, because the cotton makes little or no smoke, which is annoying to the public but has injurious effect on the voices of the singers and actors."
and
"It is calculated that upwards of 260,000 pounds are paid weekly to railway labourers in England."
Quarme ensured that the consecration of Christ Church on 23 September 1857 was reported in detail by the Gazette , and he also produced an illustrated album to mark the occasion. Quarme also produced, in 1877, A Narrative of the visit of Queen Victoria to Lancaster in 1851 ...
George Christopher Clark is recorded in Mitchell's Press Directory as being the proprietor between 1851 and 1873. The price of the Saturday edition reduced over the years: 4 1/2 d in 1846, 3 1/2 d in 1860, 2 1/2 d in 1870, 1d by 1880. By 1872 the newspaper was being issued on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Mitchell commented in 1870: "...strongly attached to the principles of the Church of England"; and in 1880: "...is a popular family newspaper." In 1874, a W. Bell is cited as proprietor, and from 1875 until 1894, W. King & Co. are cited as proprietors. Hubbard cites circulation in 1882 as 2,500 copies. The last issue of the Lancaster Gazette was published on 30 June 1894.
For this newspaper, we have the following titles in, or planned for, our digital archive:
- 1801–03 The Lancaster Gazetteer, and General Advertiser for Lancashire, Westmorland
- 1801–94 The Lancaster Gazette
