1856 Hamilton Advertiser
One of the oldest documents I have has been passed down through our family. Its the first edition of the Hamilton Advertiser, which must have made quite the impact in Blantyre at the time.
The edition is rather crumbly despite best efforts to preserve it. Dating from 1856, it is kept usually in the dark and in dry conditions and sadly already deteriorated halving. As you would expect, there are many adverts and a whole section inside about Blantyre. I’ll be bringing you some of the adverts and stories in coming weeks. There are main headline stories inside, one of which is announcing the arrival of the new town hall (Hamilton). The launch of a local newspaper must have been welcome news for many residents in Blantyre, but I bet equally not so, for those people who had no time for papers or could not read well.
I’m thrilled to own an original well sought document that is nearly 160 years old.
I have an original copy of the first edition of the Hamilton Advertiser and Newsletter 5th July 1856, which has been in my family since then. Although it’s very delicate and stored folded, it is intact and completely legible.