George
Reynolds founded the Reynolds's Weekly
Newspaper in May, 1850. Reynolds was a strong supporter
of Chartism and in its first edition he
stated that his newspaper would be "devoted to the cause of freedom
and in the interests of the enslaved masses". However, Reynolds
added it will "prove not only a staunch, fearless, and uncompromising
friend of popular principles, but likewise a complete and faithful
chronicle of all domestic, foreign, and colonial events of interest
or value." To deliver this promise, Reynolds gained the services
of correspondents from Dublin, Paris, Madrid, Berlin, Vienna, Turin,
Rome, Athens, Constantinople and New York.
Initially the Reynolds' Weekly Newspaper
cost 4d. but it was reduced to one penny in 1864 after the abolition
of the stamp duty, the advertisement
duty, and paper duty. The newspaper was a great success and by 1870
had a circulation of 350,000 a week.
After the death of George Reynolds in
1879, his brother, Edward Reynolds took over the running of the newspaper.
When he died in 1894, the Liberal M.P.,
James Henry Dalziel, became the new proprietor.
Dalziel brought in several new features including a women's page,
serial stories, words and music of popular songs and help finding
missing relatives and friends. The newspaper, which employed leading
trade unionists such as George Howell,
also provided extensive advice on legal and medical matters.
(1)
H.
Simonis, The Street of Ink (1917)
Reynolds's
Newspaper was born ten years after the News of the World.
Its first editor was G. W. M. Reynolds, who came of a highly aristocratic
stock, being the son of an old Tory, Admiral Reynolds. He was, however,
a man with democratic leanings, and enthusiastically adopted the policy
of the promotion of the new venture which was to provide a newspaper
devoted to the interests of the masses at a time when other papers
catered for the favoured classes.
