29/10/2008 - The latest news - from the 1800s! - THURSDAY 30 OCTOBER 10am

A comprehensive range of 19th Century British Library newspapers is now available digitally at the county’s libraries, and county council leader Stewart Young has used it to track down reports of his grandfather' s performances in the 1800s.

The new digital historical resource can be accessed from any of Cumbria's libraries.  

It covers a range of regional and national newspapers from 1800 – 1900.  In total, there are 2.2 million pages, covering 48 different titles.  The collection reflects the social and political developments of the time and covers a wide range of topics - from well-documented historical events to the sport, culture and entertainment of the time. 

By searching one of the titles on the site - the theatrical magazine 'The Era' - Stewart Young found reports of his great-grandfather Arthur Young, a 'comic vocalist', performing in Cumbria.  There are also newspaper reports of a hardship fund set up by famous music hall entertainers at the time because Arthur went blind and could no longer perform.  Mentioned as contributing to the fund are artists including Vesta Tilley, and Charles Coborn, - who penned such classics as 'The man who broke the bank at Monte Carlo' and 'Two lovely black eyes'.

Councillor Young said:

"This is a fabulous addition to our libraries.  Not so long ago, it would have been impossible to look at these newspapers without going to the British Library's collection in London.

"It's a great resource to bring history alive and, as in my case, to find out more about family history - an activity which I don't think has ever been more popular."

The 19th Century newspaper collection can be viewed online at any of Cumbria’s libraries, and library members can also access the resource from home, via the libraries website - http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/libraries/

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Note

Here are some examples of what other searches have found:

From a report on the 'Factories Labour Regulation Bill' in the Derby Mercury of Wednesday, January 23, 1833:
"That children of five or six years old should labour at all is matter of deep regret, but that they should be compelled to toil....at an unhealthy pursuit...in an unnatural atmosphere...is a condition of existence demanding the gravest consideration of every reflecting man....they are helpless creatures, unprotected and uncared for."

An open letter in the Preston Chronicle of October 28, 1887, to the Directors of the Grand Junction Railway Company from an engineer tasked with surveying the county between Preston and Glasgow, to see if it would be suitable for a railway line:

"I also tried the Lake District, by a line passing from Lancaster to Milnthorpe, Windermere Lake, Ambleside, Rydal Water, to Raise Gap, but the ruggedness of the ground, the interference with private residents, the height of the ground at Raise Gap, through which a tunnel of nearly two miles would be requisite,..induced me at once to seek some other ground."

Please note: Cumbria County Council's media team telephone numbers have now changed.
Media enquiries to Alison Lister, Media Officer on 01228 226335