v Primary Sources v

The Morning Post was founded in 1772. Daniel Stuart purchased the newspaper in 1795 and by employing writers such as Samuel Coleridge, Robert Southey, William Wordsworth and Charles Lamb, increased its status and its circulation.

By 1855 there were ten newspapers published in London. The Times, at sevenpence, was the most expensive and had a circulation of 10,000. Its main rival, the Morning Post, cost fivepence. Both these two papers were badly hit by the arrival of the one penny Daily Telegraph.

In 1937 the Morning Post was purchased by Sir James Berry, the owner of the Daily Telegraph. Berry originally intended to publish it as a separate newspaper but sales were so poor that the two papers were amalgamated together.

^ Main Article ^

(1) Edward Lawson, The Story of the Daily Telegraph (1955)

The Morning Post, a newspaper of long and honourable tradition, and fine purpose, was suffering a decline in some ways similar to that of the Daily Telegraph, the chief reason of which was that it persistently and resolutely maintained a policy of extreme conservatism which had little support in the country at large. The decline had gone further than that of the Daily Telegraph because the circulation was lower. Lord Camrose's intention was not necessary to cease separate publication, and indeed the Morning Post continued independently for months. On consideration he decided that continuance was not a practical proposition. So the decision was taken to amalgamate.