Sheffield Telegraph Archive: Back Issue Newspapers

Sheffield Telegraph Archive: Back Issue Newspapers

Why Everyone Should Read Old Newspapers

Newspapers offer unique insights into what the world, or community, was like on any given day.  While many local papers feature personal sections, such as a listing of deaths or births, this information isn’t easily found in any other medium.  A typical Google search will not take you to an article about your grandfather’s birth or display that funny personal advertisement your mom placed in the 1980s. So, in order to better understand yourself, and your community, it’s important to brush up on your knowledge of local papers.  For anyone calling Sheffield home, that’s best done through the weekly Sheffield Telegraph.

The History of the Sheffield Telegraph

The Sheffield Telegraph , originally titled the Sheffield Daily Telegraph, published its first issue on June 8th of 1855. In its earliest years, the paper worked to popularize the conservative cause among the working class. It struggled until W.C. Leng assumed the editor’s chair in 1864 and introduced Linotype printing to the ailing paper   By 1898, the Telegraph was selling more than a million copies per week.  The paper changed its name twice throughout the between 1934 and 1942.  The paper assumed its current title from 1942 until 1965. On September 15th of 1965, the Sheffield Telegraph became the Sheffield Morning Telegraph for about a year. One last name change occurred in 1966.  From 1986 to 1989, the paper ceased production.

After three years of obscurity, the paper relaunched as the now-weekly Sheffield Telegraph. While originally published on Thursdays, the publication moved printing to Friday in the latter part of 2010.  In 2011,  Sheffield Today estimated the paper had around 40,000 regular readers. There are no more up-to-date figures available.

Interesting Facts About the Sheffield Telegraph

  • Since launching in 1855, the Sheffield Telegraph has switched editors 15 times.
  • The paper’s better-known staff members include Geoffrey Baylis, Peter Keeling, Graham Crawthorne, John Morris, and Leslie Daniells.
  • Since its first issue, the Sheffield Telegraph has changed its name no less than six times.
  • The Sheffield Telegraph was the city’s first daily newspaper.
  • The information in the Sheffield Telegraph can be subdivided into four main categories: “News”, “Sport”, “What’s On” and “Lifestyle.”

Sheffield Telegraph Archives

To find back issues of The Sheffield Telegraph you can visit the UK historical newspaper archive page.