THE STAMFORD MERCURY is one of the most important newspapers in the history of English provincial journalism: its history is a microcosm of the evolution of the newspaper press over the last three hundred years. The Mercury was founded in the early years of the 18th century, when the provincial press was still in its infancy, and it remains the oldest newspaper in Britain continuously published under the same title. The paper quickly established itself as the principle news and business organ of the East Midlands and by the early nineteenth century it had grown to be the largest provincial weekly newspaper in England. For much of its life the paper was known as the Lincoln, Rutland and Stamford Mercury and it was distributed over a very wide area, throughout the East Midlands and East Anglia. This exhaustive and pioneering study traces the history of the paper from its inception as The Stamford Post in 1710, its sudden change of name to the Mercury in 1712, and through to the modern tabloid of today. This comprehensive history also includes detailed information on Stamford's numerous rival newspapers. Printing techniques and technology, bibliographical formats, methods of distribution, even the sources of information the newspaper used, are all included; and there are many appendices, including one covering the location of early copies and runs of the paper, and an utterly-comprehensive index. The book is essential reading for anyone interested in the history of the English press, and a superb resource for local historians.