Scotland First Newspaper : FIrst & Last Issue : Caledonian Mercury 1661-1867

FIrst & Last Number of the Caledonian Mercury 1661-1867

The Mercurius Caledonius - Comprising The Affairs now in Agitation in Scotland; With A Survey of Forraign Intelligence

Here we have a bound copy of the Caledonian Mercury’s celebration of its 200 years in the game. It was published in 1861 and begins with a ‘Fac Simile’ of the first edition of the first newspaper in Scotland, the ‘Mercurius Caledonius’, dated 8th of January, 1661, and is followed by a run-down of its history as a newspaper operating out of Edinburgh. This is bound in with the very last issue of the paper  which is dated April 20. 1867.

In good condition throughout. Binding good. Contents good throughout.

The first issue of the paper details the contemporary events of the Marquis of Montrose, having been previously hanged, drawn & quartered; his torso, limbs, and skull, being retrieved together from where they’d been distributed to and the reconciled whole having been reinterred in Holyroodhouse with full honours after the Restoration. It’s very strange reading it from a source writing as they witnessed the scene.

The Caledonian Mercury was arguably Scotland's first newspaper. It was founded in Edinburgh in 1660 by the playwright Thomas Sydserf, the son of the Bishop of Galloway. It contained domestic news such as reports of parliamentary debates, reports from abroad and reprints of news from London newspapers.

Twelve editions were published between 1660 and 1661, the first having the date "From Monday Decemb. 31 to Tuesday, Jan. 8th, 1661"

John Robertson sold the newspaper in 1790. The “Caledonian Mercury” would continue to be published under various owners until April 1867, before it finally bowed to the competition provided by better-resourced titles. At the time of its closure, it was known as ‘Granny Mercury’ due to its long history and its homely, old-fashioned reputation. The “Scotsman” newspaper bought out the title and the name of the defunct paper was allowed for a time to appear as a subtitle of the “Weekly Scotsman”, but it was eventually dropped there too.

(Loc : Platform, Scotland 1)