The first provincial newspaper in Devon was published in about 1704 although early copies have completely disappeared. Since that date more than 250 different newspapers have appeared with over 350 different changes of name. A list of newspapers published in Devon with details of library holdings is available on the Internet. Files of local newspapers are held in the main local studies libraries and in several museums in Devon. The Westcountry Studies Library has local newspaper coverage for every year from 1737 to date. Many major files have been microfilmed and to safeguard the fragile originals microfilm will always be produced where available. The Bibliography of British newspapers: Cornwall and Devon (British Library, 1991) provides very detailed listings of surviving newspapers in libraries throughout the world. The first Devon newspaper to be indexed was Trewman's Exeter Flying Post, which was indexed from 1763 to 1885 in the late 1970s. The card index is in the Westcountry Studies Library. The name index ceases at 1835 but, if the field of activity is known, references to individuals can be located for the period 1836-1885. Other local newspapers which have been indexed since then include the North Devon Journal (1850-1900, Barnstaple Library), Bideford Gazette (Bideford Archive) and Totnes Times (Totnes Museum).

Until the 19th century newspapers were regularly published only in Exeter, attempts to found newspapers in Plymouth in 1718, 1759 and 1780 failing after a few years. In 1808 two newspapers were established in Plymouth but the spread was relatively slow. Barnstaple received its first newspaper in 1824, Torquay an 1839. From 1847 the spread accelerated and in 1860 the first daily newspaper was established in Plymouth. Until the early 19th century there was relatively little local news and the main value of early newspapers is for advertisements. These can cover patent medicines, auctions and sales, markets, shipping, coaches and carriers. As the 19th century progressed there were frequently full reports of the meetings of local bodies which can supplement the bald accounts in official minutes. One unusual feature of early newspapers in coastal resorts such as Torquay and Ilfracombe was the regular publication during the season of a directory of local residents, services and visitors.

CUTTINGS FILES

Details of these are included here as they are frequently made up largely from newspapers, but many collections contain material from a wide range of other sources including ephemera, manuscript notes, extracts from periodicals, illustrations postcards etc. Collections are arranged in a number of ways. In the Westcountry Studies Library there are parish files with broad subject subdivisions for the smaller parishes and frequently several boxes for larger localities. The files for Exeter have a much more detailed subject subdivision. There are also separate sequences for biographical cuttings and family information. For cuttings referring to more than one place there is a sequence of subjects. The parish cuttings files in the Westcountry Studies Library have been copied for inclusion in the parish files which have been placed in branch libraries and schools throughout the county. Other libraries maintain their cuttings collections in different ways. In Plymouth there is a classified subject sequence and Torquay place great reliance on an arrangement based on the national grid. There are special collections of cuttings in many libraries, for example the Sabina Lamb Collection which is held in the Devon and Exeter Institution. This is much smaller than the collections in the Westcountry Studies Library but is strong on the 1950s and 1960s, a period when the WSL collection is somewhat weak.