Eighteenth century Manchester as illustrated in the Manchester mercury, 1752-1794
Date
1975
Authors
Lord, Richard Allan
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Abstract
The purpose of this thesis is to trace the development of Manchester by thoroughly examining the local newspaper press, as illustrated by the Manchester Mercury, and to determine the role that it played in reflecting and formulating a local public consciousness in the town between 1752 and 1794. The decision to limit the use of primary source materials almost exclusively to the columns of the Mercury, was arrived at for several reasons. First, this newspaper had an unbroken publication span for the entire period under consideration, unlike the majority of eighteenth century provincial publications, and provides the historian with a consistent source of information. Second, original sources such as minute books for various institutions, diaries, private correspondence, and contemporary documents, are either not published, compiled, or are inaccessible to the public. Finally, the emphasis of most historical research on the eighteenth century public opinion has been restricted, until very recently, to London and the metropolitan press. The number of secondary sources dealing with provincial public opinion and the role of the newspaper press is still very limited. Therefore, the bulk of the information used in this thesis has be ~n drawn from the columns of the Mercury, both by necessity and by design.
Exclusive use of the newspaper as primary research material presents certain problems for t he historian. The issues discussed in the local press are often biased and incomplete, and must be interpreted in the light of other research. Items which are selected for oubl1cation do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the entire populace, and at times discussion of important political or religious issues is completely absent. However, despite these drawbacks the Manchester Mercury does provide a representative sampling of issues which Mancunians experienced during these years.
In order to trace the growth of public opinion in the town the research in this thesis has centered around four major issues. First, the industrialization of the Lancashire cotton manufacture and the subsequent expansion of the town, with its accompanying urban problems. Second, local education and the emergence of a class consciousness among both the industrial poor and the merchant-manufacturing interests. Third, the development of an organized body of public opinion within both groups and their interaction with local and national issues. Finally, a study of local response to ool1tical and religious issues between 1788 and 1794, which had been noticeably absent after 1745.
After examining these issues, which ranged from local urban and commercial problems, to questions of a religious and political nature, it has been concluded that the provincial newspaper press, as exemplified by the Manchester Mercury, played an important role reflecting the growth of public consciousness in Manchester. However, there was insufficient evidence to conclude that the Manchester Mercury was actively involved in formulating public opinion in the town.