HISTORY OF THE PRINTING PRESS IN DERBYSHIRE. 147 
news, which forms so important an item in the provincial news- 
papers of to-day, there is but little to be found in these old 
journals. The communities for whose edification they were printed, 
were small and closely drawn together by ties of business, or 
“ consanguinity : everybody knew his neighbour’s business, and no 
energetic reporter was needed to put into print the gossip which was 
current in everybody’s mouth. The advertisements, too, are few 
and far between, partly for the same reason ; and, principally, 
because advertising in those days was an expensive luxury, upon 
which the Chancellor of the Exchequer had laid a heavy hand. 
The difficulties under which our old printers laboured. were 
numerous ; the following is a very curious, but perfectly genuine, 
complaint, which can hardly be understood in these days of free 
libraries and news-rooms. It occurs in No. 27 of the 1st volume 
of the Derby Mercury. 
«** * T would now remind my Readers of a Practice that too often prevails 
amongst some of them, very much to my Prejudice, which is the lending of 
this Paper from one Neighbour to another, whereby my Custom is undoubtedly 
diminish’d and if this Practice is encourag’d it cannot be expected this Paper 
can be continued, considering the great Charges I am Weekly at ; therefore 
hope my Readers instead thereof will promote and encourage it all they can. 
Another and worse Practice than the beforemention’d is, the letting out to hire 
this Paper for a Half-penny and returning them again to the Retailer, which 
is neither fair nor honourable, and therefore hope it will be for the future 
; discontinued.” 
2 Up to this time, I can discover no books of any import- 
ance to have emanated from Sam. Drewry’s press. It was his 
practice to issue broad sheets containing “ dying speeches” of 
condemned criminals; and the reports of executions in the 
z Mercury often state that the culprit “delivered a paper, with 
his confession, to the printer, authorising him to print it and 
none other!” This was “killing two birds with one stone,” in 
2 thoroughly practical manner! In April, 1733, we read that 
for printing by subscription, A Summary of the Bible, &c. 
The Second Edition. The Price to Subscribers will be One 
