The Hereford Journal was published in Hereford in 1770 as a weekly 4-page publication by Charles Pugh and cost 3d. It was known as The British Chronicle or Pugh’s Hereford Journal. A Conservative publication, the paper consisted of foreign news, news from London, advertisements, poetry and anecdotes. There was very little local news and in common with many provincial papers of the time, the news from London appeared in the order in which it was received. For example, on 4 January 1781, Sunday and Monday’s Posts from the London Gazette appeared on page 2 and Wednesday and Thursday’s Posts appeared on page 3. The paper was therefore printed in stages as and when the London papers were delivered by the post boy.
Charles Pugh died in 1788 and his unmarried sister Margaret Pugh took over the business. Between 1788 and 1791 the paper was printed and edited by John Duncumb, who later became a clergyman and became known for his unfinished history of Hereford. Printer David Walker was also involved with the Hereford Journal before he moved to Gloucester to take over the Gloucester Journal in 1802.
The Journal had a number of other proprietors over its lifetime, some of whom had a longer association than others. By 1890 it claimed a circulation exceeding that of its local rivals, (the liberal Hereford Times and the Hereford Mercury) combined. It also claimed to be one of the largest penny weeklies in the world!
The Hereford Journal was eventually incorporated into the Hereford Times in 1932.
For this newspaper, we have the following titles in, or planned for, our digital archive:
- 1781–92 The British Chronicle, or, Pugh's Hereford Journal
- 1793–1923 Hereford Journal
