Hot Off The Press – New Titles Added This Week
Published on 22 December 2025 by Rose Staveley-Wadham
This Christmas week at The Archive we are investigating a Christmas crime, as we welcome three brand new titles and 200,800 pages to our collection in all. The Christmas treats don’t stop there, however, with updates to six of our existing titles from the UK and Ireland.
So read on to discover more about the Christmas crime which caused a stir in the Deptford community in December 1869, and also to learn about our new and updated titles of the week.
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The Darwen News
Established in the Lancashire market town of Darwen in 1874, the Darwen News appeared every Saturday at the cost of 1d. Liberal in its politics, the paper circulated ‘extensively among all classes in the town and surrounding districts,’ with a focus mainly on news from the area.
For example, the four pages of the Darwen News printed the latest from the Darwen Petty Sessions, the Preston Quarter Sessions, the Blackburn Petty Sessions, all the while reporting on news from Blackburn, Preston and Bolton.
Furthermore, the Darwen News, which had a circulation of some 4,500 copies, published serialised fiction, a column devoted to ‘topics of the week,’ national and international news, and notices of births, marriages and deaths.
The Greenwich and Deptford Chronicle
Our next new title of the week is the Greenwich and Deptford Chronicle, which was established in 1862 with the full title of the Greenwich and Deptford Chronicle and Blackheath, Charlton, Eltham, Hatcham, Lee, Lewisham, New Cross, Rotherhithe, Plumstead, and Woolwich Advertiser. Edited and published by John Flanedy, this south-east London paper was of ‘Liberal and progressive policy, advocating Free Trade and the rights of labour.’
Moreover, the Greenwich and Deptford Chronicle represented the interests of ‘the Liberal Party in the Borough of Greenwich,’ although it was not ‘connected with any Christian denomination.’ This paper appeared every Saturday at the cost of 1d., filling four pages with local news.
Indeed, the Greenwich and Deptford Chronicle had the reputation of being ‘the local paper,’ being ‘found in the hands of all the respectable classes on both sides of politics.’ To that end, the publication printed the latest from the likes of the Greenwich and Woolwich Railway, the Woolwich Local Board of Health, the Borough of Greenwich Advanced Liberal Association, the Greenwich Vestry, the Blackheath Petty Sessions, the Woolwich Police Court and the Greenwich Police Court.
Furthermore, the Greenwich and Deptford Chronicle detailed all the local inquests, accidents, and bankrupts in the area, whilst also printing correspondence from readers. The paper was later incorporated into the Kentish Mail, ‘the recognised official Liberal organ for the district.’
The Silent Messenger
Our final title is the Silent Messenger, which was positioned at the deaf population of Ireland. Please do be aware that when browsing this title, you will find outmoded language used to describe the deaf community.
The Silent Messenger first appeared in March 1895, following on from Our Little Messenger, a publication originated by Mission to the Adult Deaf of Ireland founder Wilhelmina Tredennick (1837-1891). Describing itself as ‘The only Magazine in Ireland devoted to the interests of the Deaf,’ the debut editorial of the paper promised to contain ‘the latest news of what is being done for the deaf and dumb in our own country and abroad.’
Published in Belfast, the Silent Messenger’s debut editorial went on to describe how:
Our hearing friends can form but little conception of the isolation of the deaf and dumb, who, with at best, a limited education, and still more limited opportunities of improvement, live out their lives, after leaving school, in some country place where it may be there are not half-a-dozen people, if so many, who can speak to them on fingers. Their loneliness calls forth our warmest sympathy…
Published every two months, the Silent Messenger featured news on deaf mission work across Ireland, as well as news regarding the deaf community from across Britain and from further afield, from the likes of Norway and Australia. Meanwhile, the paper included a serial story, and ‘hints to parents’ of deaf children.
A couple of years into the publication of the Silent Messenger, the scope of the publication was widened by the addition of ‘a teachers’ department and including the educational and general interests of the deaf throughout the world, but especially in Great Britain.’ This observation came from the American Annals of the Deaf, published in 1898.
Our updated titles
In the run up to Christmas we’ve been busy updating our existing titles. The Belfast Telegraph welcomes over 167,000 brand new pages to its ranks this festive season, whilst we also see updates to fellow Northern Irish title the Dromore Leader. Meanwhile, we’ve also added new pages to Republic of Ireland title the Irish Independent, whilst this week also sees the addition of over 10,000 brand new pages to West Sussex title the Midhurst and Petworth Observer.
A Christmas crime – burglaries at Deptford
As the citizens of Deptford, southeast London, celebrated their Christmas Day in 1869, they were unaware that just then a Christmas crime was taking place. But what form did this Christmas crime take?
Our new title, the Greenwich and Deptford Chronicle, 1 January 1870, relates how on ‘the evening of Saturday last (Christmas Day) the premises of some of our neighbours were forcibly entered, and various articles of value stolen.’
The paper tells of how fishmonger Mr. Warren had gone out with his wife ‘to spend the evening with his friends, having previously seen the premises secure, and the front door locked.’ Mr. Warren returned at ‘half-past ten o’clock in the evening, and all seemed to be right at that time,’ before leaving again. But when the fishmonger and his wife returned home ‘at between one and two in the morning,’ they found ‘the contents of the drawers’ in their bedroom ‘strewed on the floor, and everything in disorder.’
The toll of this Christmas crime? The Greenwich and Deptford Chronicle details how:
A further examination resulted in the knowledge that the thieves had carried off between £3 and £4 in 5s. parcels of copper, besides a gold finger ring, set with a green stone, a small gold broach set with a red stone, and a number of postage stamps.
And the perpetrators of this Christmas crime were nothing but thorough, having ‘pulled the bed-clothes down, and left other signs that they had made a diligent search for anything that they might think worth laying their hands on.’
Meanwhile, the premises of hatter Mr. Francis were likewise robbed. Here, the thieves had ‘forced open the front door,’ and had again gone upstairs to ply their criminal craft. Mr. Francis was relieved of a ‘set of gold studs, a keeper ring, a dress ring set with a green stone, and a Post-office savings bank book.’ The thieves also stole hats from Mr. Francis’s stock, one of which was noticeably large in size, leading the Greenwich and Deptford Chronicle author to assume that one of the perpetrators had ‘a very large head.’
As for the timing of this Christmas crime, it was thought to have taken place before the robbery at Mr. Warren’s, as the Francis family returned home ‘at a little after 11 o’clock.’ But the robberies were thought to be connected, with the Greenwich and Deptford Chronicle hoping that ‘the big-headed burglar and his companion will soon be in the hands of justice.’
This report from the Greenwich and Deptford Chronicle presents a wonderful vignette on how Christmas was celebrated in the late 1860s, with people leaving their homes to celebrate. It also illuminates the valuable and personal items tradesmen like hatters and fishmongers had in their homes. The British Newspaper Archive is invaluable in providing such insights, be sure to browse its pages here.
New Titles
Title | Years Added |
1877-1880, 1888-1889, 1905 | |
1869-1870, 1872-1873, 1875-1876, 1878, 1880-1885 | |
1895-1896 |
Updated Titles
This week we have updated six of our existing titles.
You can learn more about each of the titles we add to every week by clicking on their names. On each paper’s title page, you can read a free sample issue, learn more about our current holdings, and our plans for digitisation.
Title | Years Added |
2000-2008 | |
1888-1889 | |
1921-1950 | |
1921, 1926, 1960 | |
1986-2004 | |
1930-1952 |
You can keep up to date with all the latest additions by visiting the recently added page. You can even look ahead to see what we’re going to add tomorrow.
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About the author
Rose Staveley-Wadham
Newspaper Licensing Manager
Published on Mon, 22 December 2025.