Newspapers are a great source of information for the local historian. In 1605 Nathaniel Butter printed single sheets publicising details of sensational Yorkshire trials. Local gentry employed agents to send the London news to their country estates and news agencies reported the latest events from the continent. By the eighteenth century provincial publishers had set up local presses to meet a growing demand for news. This was mainly national news, though the amount of local news steadily increased.

Abolition of excise and stamp duties from the 1830s onwards led to a proliferation of local newspapers. Towns such as Harrogate and Scarborough had several titles, the Advertiser, Gazette, Herald, Mercury and Post, all in commercial and political competition. Today many separate local editions of the same title can be published, highlighting the events of particular towns and villages.

In the pages of local newspapers, researchers can discover the circumstances behind the lives of individuals within the community: births and deaths; reports of crimes; leisure activities; agricultural prices; the coming of the railways; emigration; and war. There are advertisements for: private schools; small businesses; circulating libraries; purveyors of patent medicines; and much more.

Historical newspaper collections

Libraries in North Yorkshire continue to collect and preserve all local newspapers, including the free advertisers. Major historical files include (earliest date shown):

• Craven Herald at Skipton library (1854)
• Craven Pioneer at Skipton library (1861)
• Darlington & Stockton Times at Northallerton library (1847)
• Easingwold Advertiser at Easingwold library (1892)
• Harrogate Advertiser at Harrogate library (1836)
• Malton Messenger at Malton library (1854)
• Scarborough Evening News at Scarborough library (1886)
• Scarborough Gazette at Scarborough library (1847)
• Scarborough Mercury at Scarborough library (1855)
• Selby Times at Selby library (1869)
• Whitby Gazette at Whitby library (1854)
• Yorkshire Gazette at Malton library (1819)

Many more newspapers are stored on microfilm or microfiche. Some titles are held in the original form before they are microfilmed as part of an on-going preservation program. These local newspapers include (earliest date shown):

• Bridlington Free Press at Scarborough library (1985)
• Evening Gazette (Middlesbrough) at Northallerton library (1970)
• Filey & Hunmanby Mercury at Scarborough library (1990)
• Gazette & Herald at Malton library (1990)
• Harrogate Herald at Harrogate library (1980)
• Knaresborough Post at Knaresborough library (1996)
• North Yorkshire Advertiser at Northallerton library (1997)
• North Yorkshire News at Northallerton library (1980)
• Northallerton, Thirsk & Bedale Times at Northallerton library (1977)
• Northern Echo at Northallerton library (1938)
• Pateley Bridge & Nidderdale Herald at Pateley Bridge library (1863)
• Ripon Gazette at Ripon library (1996)
• Ryedale Citizen at Scarborough library (1993)
• Ryedale Mercury at Scarborough library (1983)
• Ryedale Star at Malton library (1995)
• Scarborough Citizen at Scarborough library (1987)
• Scarborough Town Crier at Scarborough library (1998)
• Selby & District Herald at Selby library (1990)
• Selby Chronicle at Selby library (1991)
• Selby Express at Selby library (1872)
• Selby Gazette & Herald at Selby library (1975)
• Selby Post at Selby library (1986)
• Selby Star at Selby library (1989)
• Tadcaster News at Selby library (1979)
• Trader (Scarborough) at Scarborough library (1981)
• Wetherby, Boston & Tadcaster News at Tadcaster library (1993)
• Yorkshire Evening Press (Selby edition) at Selby library (1983)

Please note that the newspaper runs may not be complete.

Most of the local newspapers are available on microfilm at the relevant library. It is important to reserve a microfilm reader in advance of a visit. The staff will be pleased to assist with information on opening hours and booking procedures. The main reference libraries have a microfilm reader-printer and copies of the newspaper entries can be made for a small charge.

Please contact the relevant local library for full opening times, access, booking and other details.

National collection of newspapers at the British Library

The British Library Newspaper Reading Rooms at Colindale, North London, provide access to most of the British Library's major collections of British and overseas newspapers. The collections also include popular magazines, trade papers and comics. For more information, see the British Library Newspaper Reading Room website.

The Newsplan project in Yorkshire and Humberside

The Newsplan project provides access to history through local newspapers in the Yorkshire and Humber regions. It is a co-operative programme involving public libraries, universities and newspaper publishers, with active support from the British Library.

Newsplan works to preserve, list and microfilm the historic runs of local newspapers held in the region and in the national library collection. In doing this, librarians have found previously unknown titles held in private collections and these have been added to the programme.

For more information and to access the collections see the Newsplan website.

More information

You can find more information about historical newspapers in the following publications:

• An introduction to using newspapers by Colin Chapman
• Local newspapers 1750-1920 by Jeremy Gibson
• Family history from newspapers by Eve McLaughlin
• Newspapers and local history by Michael Murphy