There are currently two daily newspapers in Aberdeen - the Press and Journal and Evening Express. The Evening Express first appeared in January 1879. The Press and Journal has a much longer history being first published in January 1748 as the Aberdeen's Journal - the first newspaper to be published in northern Scotland.
 
Its editor was James Chalmers, son of the Rev. James Chalmers, Professor of Divinity at Marischal College. After his death in 1764, his son, also James, took over the business, and he, in turn, was succeeded by his son David in 1810.

Over the years there have been several rivals to the Journal's initial monopoly but the earliest was first published on 3rd October 1752 by Francis Douglas and William Murray. They called their paper the Aberdeen Intelligencer. It was supportive of the Jacobite cause whereas the Journal had Whig sympathies.

The Journal notes the forthcoming appearance of its rival in an advert in 1752 and subsequent notices give some idea of the contest between the two papers. This rivalry ended in 1757 when there appears to have been an agreement that Douglas and Murray should gain an interest in the Journal while ceasing to publish their own newspaper. The last issue of the Intelligencer appeared on 22nd February 1757.
 
Most of the conflict between the papers appears to have revolved around the cost of advertising. The population of Aberdeen and Old Aberdeen totalled less than 16,000 at this time and the available advertising revenue was unable to support both titles. Both Chalmers and Douglas reduced their prices for advertisements in 1753.
 
By February 1757, a proposal to unite the papers had been brought to the Commissioners of Supply for the County of Aberdeen and a notice in the Aberdeen Journal of 1st February 1757 says "And as the publishers of the Intelligencer are from that time to have a concern in the Aberdeen Journal, the Intelligencer will not be published after the last Tuesday of February". In the Journal of 1st March 1757, Chalmers notes that the price of advertisements will be raised again.

Unfortunately, it appears that a complete file of this short-lived newspaper has not survived in any library or archive. Individual issues may exist in private hands but the only copy held in our Local Studies collections was donated to the Public Library in 1927 by Henry Simpson, a teacher at Robert Gordon's College. It is number 96, dated Tuesday 30th July to Tuesday 6th August 1754. The City Librarian G. M. Fraser expressed his gratitude for "this only known number of that rare Aberdeen periodical" in letters to Mr Simpson in December 1927 and January 1928 when he promised that "It will be very carefully preserved".

Like the Journal of that period, it has four A3 size pages of 3 columns and comprises mostly national or international news selected from other newspapers as was the custom at that time, with a few local notes on page 4, including lists of shipping arrivals and departures.

The earliest original issue of the Aberdeen Journal held in our Local Collections is from 1758, but microfilm copies of the Journal from 1748 onwards are available for consultation in the Information Centre.

Although few copies of the Intelligencer survive, there are references in other publications which quote some of its content. The Scots Magazine of 1753 publishes an obituary for Mrs Janet Gordon of Aberdeen who was over 100 years old and reprints a poem which appeared in the Intelligencer. In 1755, the Scots Magazine published a discussion on the new method of singing church tunes which was spreading from the parishes in north-east Scotland into the city, as described in the Intelligencer on 26th November 1754.

The London Evening Post quotes a story detailing the tragic circumstances of a Highlander suffering from severe frostbite after being lost in a snow storm near Lochaber in January 1754.

Despite their rivalry in newspaper printing, Douglas and Murray published the Aberdeen Almanac for 1753 jointly with James Chalmers. This little volume lists phases of the moon, days when fairs were to be held in various Scottish towns, tide tables, Sovereign Princes of Europe with their year of accession, post days and postage rates.

There are currently two daily newspapers in Aberdeen - the Press and Journal and Evening Express. The Evening Express first appeared in January 1879. The Press and Journal has a much longer history being first published in January 1748 as the Aberdeen's Journal - the first newspaper to be published in northern Scotland.

Its editor was James Chalmers, son of the Rev. James Chalmers, Professor of Divinity at Marischal College. After his death in 1764, his son, also James, took over the business, and he, in turn, was succeeded by his son David in 1810.

Over the years there have been several rivals to the Journal's initial monopoly but the earliest was first published on 3rd October 1752 by Francis Douglas and William Murray. They called their paper the Aberdeen Intelligencer. It was supportive of the Jacobite cause whereas the Journal had Whig sympathies.

The Journal notes the forthcoming appearance of its rival in an advert in 1752 and subsequent notices give some idea of the contest between the two papers. This rivalry ended in 1757 when there appears to have been an agreement that Douglas and Murray should gain an interest in the Journal while ceasing to publish their own newspaper. The last issue of the Intelligencer appeared on 22nd February 1757.

Most of the conflict between the papers appears to have revolved around the cost of advertising. The population of Aberdeen and Old Aberdeen totalled less than 16,000 at this time and the available advertising revenue was unable to support both titles. Both Chalmers and Douglas reduced their prices for advertisements in 1753.

By February 1757, a proposal to unite the papers had been brought to the Commissioners of Supply for the County of Aberdeen and a notice in the Aberdeen Journal of 1st February 1757 says "And as the publishers of the Intelligencer are from that time to have a concern in the Aberdeen Journal, the Intelligencer will not be published after the last Tuesday of February". In the Journal of 1st March 1757, Chalmers notes that the price of advertisements will be raised again.

Unfortunately, it appears that a complete file of this short-lived newspaper has not survived in any library or archive. Individual issues may exist in private hands but the only copy held in our Local Studies collections was donated to the Public Library in 1927 by Henry Simpson, a teacher at Robert Gordon's College. It is number 96, dated Tuesday 30th July to Tuesday 6th August 1754. The City Librarian G. M. Fraser expressed his gratitude for "this only known number of that rare Aberdeen periodical" in letters to Mr Simpson in December 1927 and January 1928 when he promised that "It will be very carefully preserved".

Like the Journal of that period, it has four A3 size pages of 3 columns and comprises mostly national or international news selected from other newspapers as was the custom at that time, with a few local notes on page 4, including lists of shipping arrivals and departures.

The earliest original issue of the Aberdeen Journal held in our Local Collections is from 1758, but microfilm copies of the Journal from 1748 onwards are available for consultation in the Information Centre.

Although few copies of the Intelligencer survive, there are references in other publications which quote some of its content. The Scots Magazine of 1753 publishes an obituary for Mrs Janet Gordon of Aberdeen who was over 100 years old and reprints a poem which appeared in the Intelligencer. In 1755, the Scots Magazine published a discussion on the new method of singing church tunes which was spreading from the parishes in north-east Scotland into the city, as described in the Intelligencer on 26th November 1754.

The London Evening Post quotes a story detailing the tragic circumstances of a Highlander suffering from severe frostbite after being lost in a snow storm near Lochaber in January 1754.

Despite their rivalry in newspaper printing, Douglas and Murray published the Aberdeen Almanac for 1753 jointly with James Chalmers. This little volume lists phases of the moon, days when fairs were to be held in various Scottish towns, tide tables, Sovereign Princes of Europe with their year of accession, post days and postage rates.

Document Type

Newspaper

Document Reference

TR13_20

Keyword

Newspapers

Collection

Aberdeen Local Studies

Magnifier?

Yes

Public Access

Yes