Hot Off The Press – New Titles This Week

This week at The Archive we are delighted to welcome a smorgasbord of new Shetland newspapers, as we welcome 91,354 brand new pages and eight brand new newspaper titles to our collection in all. Meanwhile, from Derby to Dundee via Dublin, we welcome updates to 38 of our existing titles from across the United Kingdom and Ireland.

So read on to discover more about our new Shetland newspapers, alongside new titles from elsewhere in Scotland and from Wales as well. Meanwhile, we tell the remarkable story of Betty Mouat, the ‘Columbine Castaway,’ a 59-year-old spinner who found fame in 1886 as she found herself alone in a boat, drifting from Shetland to Norway.

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So let’s settle in now with our new Shetland newspaper pages, although our first new title of the week was not actually published in Shetland, but all the way across the Atlantic in Chicago. First published in July 1887, the Orkney & Shetland American was a ‘monthly journal devoted to the social and commercial interests of Orcadians and Shetlanders abroad.’ Essentially then a title for expats from both Orkney and Shetland, it was edited by Magnus Flaws and ran with the motto ‘multum in parvo’ – ‘a great deal in a small space.’

Orkney & Shetland American | 1 July 1887

The debut edition of the Orkney & Shetland American explained the reasoning behind its foundation:

In view of the fact that the Orkney and Shetland People of North America are so widely scattered over the length and breadth of this continent, and that there is no medium by which they can ascertain each others movements, we have been prompted to publish this paper, with the belief that the O. and S. population of these United States and the British American Provinces desire such a journal and they will support it.

Orkney & Shetland American | 1 January 1890

Support it, they did. With its mix of news from Orkney and Shetland, as well as a look at the histories of the Scottish archipelagos, the Orkney & Shetland American was an entertaining read. Featuring snippets like ‘E.T. Davis of Mitchel, thinks he has the smallest Shetland pony in Canada. It stands at 10 ½ hands high,’ the title also examined issues pertinent to Orkney and Shetland, such as ‘The Crofter’s Question,’ as well as printing obituaries of notable Orcadians and Shetlanders. Finally, the newspaper often printed the latest from the Orkney and Shetland Benevolent, Social and Literary Society of Chicago.

Another Shetland newspaper published further afield than Shetland itself, which forms the northernmost point of the United Kingdom, was the Orkney & Zetland Chronicle, Zetland being the official name of Shetland until 1975. Bringing together again the Orkney and the Shetland Islands, this monthly journal was published in Edinburgh by John Moir of Royal Bank Close, making its first appearance on 10 December 1824.

In its first ever edition, the Orkney & Zetland Chronicle made a punchy editorial debut:

The present tract is published as the first of a series of papers relative to Orkney and Zetland. Some persons may be disposed to smile or to sneer at the idea of a periodical publications devoted to the affairs of one of the most remote and obscure provinces of what is now itself but a province. Yet it ought to be remembered, that there is scarcely a county in Great Britain or Ireland, of equal population, which does not put forth its weekly newspapers, or some other record of the transactions which occur within its bounds…

Orkney & Zetland Chronicle | 31 January 1825

Indeed, the Orkney & Zetland Chronicle went on to claim how ‘Orkney and Zetland has long been neglected,’ as an ‘oppressed portion of the British empire.’ So what sort of content would this spunky Chronicle feature? Well, the title published lengthy descriptions of the makeup of both Orkney and Shetland, the archipelagos’ histories, alongside ‘sketches of the literature, and a summary of the history of the times.’ Although, the writer could not help but note, ‘there is at present, however, wondrously little passing in the world of the latter description worthy of notice or record.’

As for politics, the Orkney & Zetland Chronicle explained how ‘we shall give as much as our readers can have any occasion for; that is, very little: really we cannot see that they or any men of sense, are much concerned in the present fanciful distinctions betwixt Whig and Torry, or the childish squabbles on such subjects in which the ghosts of those defunct sects occasionally engage.’

Our next Shetland newspaper actually hails from Shetland itself, and it is the Peerie Times. Those familiar with Scottish slang, or more particularly Orcadian and Shetlander slang, will know that ‘peerie’ means ‘tiny’ or ‘small,’ which is only appropriate for this particular title. The Peerie Times, which was published in Lerwick, the main town in Shetland, was the ‘mid-week edition of the Shetland Times.’

Peerie Times | 27 May 1874

Founded in April 1874, two years after the establishment of the Liberal Shetland Times, the Peerie Times cost just one halfpenny and featured district and national news, serialised fiction, letters to the editor, literary notes, as well as notices of births, marriages and deaths.

Another new Shetland newspaper, also published in Lerwick, is the Shetland Election News. Published ahead of the January 1873 Shetland by-election, which was called after the death of the incumbent Frederick Dundas, the Shetland Election News appeared in late December 1872.

Devoted to the interests of the Liberal candidate Samuel Laing, to the detriment of his opponent, businessman and former Mayor of Limerick Sir Peter Tait, the title declared how ‘the friends of Mr Laing, anxious that his supporters and the Electors generally, should know the true state of election matters, have issued the Shetland Election News; the Zetland Times being secured exclusively in the interests of Sir Peter Tait.’ Given that the Zetland Times, or Shetland Times, to which we have added new pages this week, was considered to be the ‘recognised medium for all Official Announcements relating to the islands,’ it was little wonder that Samuel Laing’s ‘friends’ decided to publish their own missive.

Shetland Election News | 30 December 1872

To that end, the Shetland Election News listed, in full, the names of Samuel Laing’s supporters in both Orkney and Shetland, with Laing eventually claiming victory in the 1873 by-election.

Our final two new Shetland newspapers, well Orkney and Shetland newspapers, were both published in Kirkwall, Orkney’s largest town. The first of these is the Orkney and Shetland Journal, which was first published on 11 June 1836 at the cost of 2d. With the motto of ‘Salus populi, suprema lex’ – ‘The good of the people is the supreme law’ – this enterprising title set out to establish a ‘local newspaper’ for Shetland.

Indeed, the inaugural editorial stated how ‘that Shetland, and many other districts of Scotland, have been hitherto destitute of local newspapers, must, we think, be, in a great measure, attributed to the high stamp duty, which places such publications beyond the means of the generality of the humbler classes of inhabitants not resident in towns.’ Meanwhile, the Orkney and Shetland Journal would take ‘the liberal side of the question’ with regards to politics, whilst, true to its motto, its chief object would be to ‘promote local improvements.’

Orkney and Shetland Journal | 1 December 1838

So what type of content did the Orkney and Shetland Journal feature? Well, it printed ‘Local Intelligence,’ shipping news, articles devoted to both shipping and fishing, news from local societies, as well as a ‘Summary of News from the South, Domestic and Foreign.’ This title appeared originally on a bimonthly basis, before moving to a monthly publication schedule.

The final of our new Shetland newspapers this week is the Orkney & Shetland Telegraph. Again published in Kirkwall, with the full name of the Orkney & Shetland Telegraph and Farmer’s Journal, this title was established in 1876 and appeared every Thursday at the cost of one halfpenny.

With a circulation of 2,000 copies, the Orkney & Shetland Telegraph focussed on local news, with such reports like ‘the bakers in Kirkwall on Monday increased the price of the 4lb loaf from 7 ½ d to 8d’ making its pages. The paper also printed news of ‘foreign arrivals’ in Orkney and Shetland, as well as notices of births, marriages and deaths. Looking further afield, the Orkney & Shetland Telegraph printed a ‘Glasgow Letter’ and a ‘Canadian Letter,’ and reported on international news, alongside poetry and general interest columns.

Orkney & Shetland Telegraph | 30 December 1880

That’s the final of our new Orkney and Shetland newspaper titles, but we remain in Scotland for our penultimate new title of the week, which is the Hawick Telegraph and Border Times. Published in the Scottish border town of Hawick, the Hawick Telegraph and Border Times first appeared on 28 January 1882 at the cost just one halfpenny.

‘Circulated extensively in the border counties of Roxburgh, Selkirk, Berwick and Dumfries,’ the Hawick Telegraph and Border Times printed local intelligence, featuring news from local churches, football teams, societies, and more, alongside the latest from the district, from the likes of Denholm, Ashkirk, Selkirk, Newcastleton, and Liddesdale. The paper also printed a handy calendar of events alongside more general features and news.

Hawick Telegraph and Border Times | 4 February 1882

Our final new title of the week hails from Wales, and it is Y Clorianydd – ‘The Scales.’ Published in Llangefni, a town in the heart of Anglesey, this primarily Welsh language title was launched on 13 August 1891. Appearing every Wednesday, Y Clorianydd’s main articles were printed in Welsh, although some advertisements were printed in English.

Circulating in Anglesey, as well as in Liverpool and Manchester, Y Clorianydd was edited for an amazing 48 years by journalist and englynion writer Edward Owen Jones (1871-1953), also known as E.O.J. A Conservative newspaper, the title went out of print in the 1960s.

Y Clorianydd | 6 January 1954

That’s all from our new newspapers, and with 38 updated titles for you this week, there’s still plenty to explore. True to our Shetland newspaper theme, we’ve added new pages to the Shetland News and the Shetland Times, whilst we’ve updated fourteen of our other Scottish newspaper titles, with additions to the likes of the Glasgow Herald, the Deeside Piper and the Fife News.

Meanwhile, we’ve added new pages to two of our Welsh titles, the Montgomery County Times and Shropshire and Mid-Wales Advertiser and the Wrexham Advertiser, as well as updating two of our titles from the Republic of Ireland, the Irish Independent and The Dublin Builder.

The Story of the Columbine Castaway – Betty Mouat

In 1886, 59-year-old spinner Betty Mouat shot to fame, after a boat journey from Grutness, in the southern tip of Shetland, to Lerwick, went badly wrong. The sole passenger of the smack Columbine, the vessel hit bad weather and the captain washed overboard. The other crew members sought to rescue him by launching a small boat. Unable to rescue the captain, and now unable to return to the Columbine, Betty was left alone.

Shetland Times | 9 March 1918

With a small amount of provisions, after nine days, Betty and the Columbine washed ashore in Norway. After her rescue, she was received with acclaim back in Scotland, something new pages added to the Fife News reveal. On 27 February 1886 the newspaper reported on her return, describing how she ‘did not feel inclined to say much of her perilous adventures of the last three weeks.’

Illustrated London News | 20 February 1886

The paper describes her as being ‘feeble,’ and as ‘showing much exhaustion,’ with her ‘utmost desire’ being to ‘return to her quiet home.’ Indeed, Betty Mouat did not embrace her fame, refusing a proposal from a London theatre manager to ‘receive visitors’ in return for ‘£10 a week,’ or over £1,100 in today’s money.

Read more about Betty Mouat’s remarkable voyage in the Fife News here, which devotes some four columns to her adventures.

New Titles

Updated Titles

This week we have updated 38 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.

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.