HISTORY OF THE PRINTING PRESS IN DERBYSHIRE. 145 
24th, 1730,” the deficiencies between these two dates being very 
considerable. As it is very improbable that so extensive a series 
of this rare journal will ever again be accumulated, these facts 
are worth recording here. 
Mr. Samuel Hodgkinson now disappears, and ‘Mr. Samuel 
Drewry comes upon the scene as projector of Zhe Derby Mercury, 
a newspaper which subsequently proved its great vitality by 
successfully holding its own against the attacks of all competitors 
down to the present day. The first number was published on 
Thursday, March 23, 1732. The following is a reduced copy of 
the heading :— 
‘The Derby Mercury, 
Tuurspay, March 23. 1732. To be continu’d Weekly 
Humpty Inscris’p To THE 
GENTLEMEN, TRADESMEN, and OTHERS, of the 
Borough of DERBY, 
nd to all OTHERS who are willing to encourage this UNDERTAKING 
This Specimen of a WEEKLY NEws-PaPER is most Humbly Presented. 
The address which follows states that the printer, being en- 
couraged by the solicitations and promises of several persons, 
is now determined to print a weekly newspaper under the title of 
THE DERBY MERCURY, as above, and here presents his 
_ readers with the first paper “‘ Gratis by way of Specimen ;” and 
concludes thus: ‘‘N.B.—This Paper will be publish’d every 
II 
