Employees at the firm are currently clearing out their offices in readiness for a move into a new build, which is based near to the town’s law courts. During the course of clearing out the office, one of the workers found the historic papers tucked away in the back of a filing cabinet.
The papers were found bound in leather and date back to the days of the Northampton Mercury, before the Chronicle was the leading newspaper in the area. Copies of the Mercury from this era are extremely rare and are of great interest to local historians and publication enthusiasts.
Jon-Paul Carr works at the town’s Central Library, which is home to Northampton Mercury examples from as early as 1720. He commented on the find, saying:
“We’ve got a set of the 1722 papers and the British Library have got one, but there aren’t many more. All copies of The Mercury dating back to these days are very rare and it’s very unusual that this copy is bound.”
Nowadays, the local newspaper is produced with the help of professional printing companies in Northampton. The old editions of the Mercury are from the days of infancy for the printing press, meaning they are of particular historical significance.
More details about the discovery, as well as the reactions from local people, can be found on the Chronicle’s website.
Get a Free Quote for Copies