Last Chance To Read makes available a searchable collection of thousands of pages of scarce British and Irish newspapers and other publications, most of which were printed between the years 1710 and 1870.
Why is the site called "Last Chance To Read"?
The name "Last Chance To Read" was chosen to highlight the scarcity of the content. While many copies of each issue of a newspaper were printed, very few survive today, so few in fact we believe that some of the images on this website could be the last copies in existence of that issue.
Why are you called "Luminary Trading"?
We took our inspiration from a distant relative of ours, John Burniston, who produced the now extremely rare newspaper “Burniston’s Northern Luminary” which was printed by him at Knaresborough in Yorkshire. His thirty year passion to publish from his independent press has left an extraordinary legacy and a moving obituary. We hope to make examples of his work available on this site in the near future. 'The Northern Luminary', a small paper of eight quarto pages of which John Burniston was sole proprietor, editor, printer, and manager, was published (with intervals of suspended animation) from November 1848 until his death Jan.2nd 1879. This paper was probably unique in England, being the production of only one person, who collected the matter, wrote the editorials, set the types, worked off the sheets, and then sold them; in short did everything connected therewith by his own exertions. He was a self-taught printer, and manufactured his own printing press.
January 2nd 1879
"Died at Knaresborough, John Burniston, proprietor, editor and printer of the ‘Northern Luminary’ newspaper; which was one of the most singular papers in the kingdom; for he was the writer, printer, and salesman, hawking his small production, all around the towns of Knaresborough, Harrogate and Wetherby. The first No. was published Nov. 29th 1848, and was continued, with interruptions until his death. He was only ill about a week, and that was not considered seriously so. He was about to set up the type for a sale bill, when he found that he had lost the use of the fingers of his right hand, which was soon followed by that of his right arm, and eventually the whole of his right side became paralysed. He was conscious nearly to the last; and his hearing, which a few months before had become impaired, became as acute as ever it was at any period of his life. His school education was of the scantiest kind, so that he might be truly styled a self-taught man both as a writer and printer. He also made his first printing press; which we have heard him jocularly remark was once mistaken for a cobbler’s stall. Burly in build, and ungainly in appearance; he was also negligent even slovenly in his dress. Sometimes his paper contained witty remarks of the most biting and caustic kind. Upon the whole he was a most remarkable character."
Source: Unpublished transcript by William Grainge (provided by Margaret Power)
For more information please see our
FAQ pageTitles included in the Last Chance To Read collection:
Aberdeen Journal
Baldwin's London Weekly Journal
Bells Weekly Messenger
Berrow's Worcester Journal
Boddley's Bath Journal
Cleave's Penny Gazette
Commonsense or, The Englishman's Journal
Daily Courant Evening Mail
Figaro In London
Hue and Cry
Kentish Gazette
Lincoln Gazetter; or Public Advertiser
Lincoln, Rutland, and Stamford Mercury
Liverpool Mercury or Commercial, Literary, and Political Herald
Lloyd's Evening Post
London Evening Post
Macclesfield Courier, Stockport Express, and Cheshire General Advertiser
Nottingham Journal
Old England
Paul Pry / Paul Pry The Reformer of the Age
Perth Courier
Police Gazette
Reynolds Political Instructor
St James's Chronicle
The Aberdeen Chronicle
The Age
The Athenian Mercury
The Atlas
The Black Dwarf
The British Apollo
The British Spy or New Universal London Weekly Journal
The Bury Post and Universal Advertiser
The Caledonian Mercury
The County Journal or, the Craftsman
The Courier
The Craftsman; or Say's Weekly Journal
The Daily Advertiser
The Dorset County Chronicle Somersetshire Gazette
The Durham County Advertiser and Commercial, Agricultural, and Literary Journal
The Edinburgh Advertiser
The Edinburgh Evening Courant
The Evening Post The Examiner
The Flying Post or the Post-Master
The Free Briton
The General Advertiser
The General Evening Post (London)
The Globe
The Glocester Journal / The Gloucester Journal
The Hull Advertiser
The Ipswich Journal
The Kentish Gazette
The Kentish Post, or Canterbury News-Letter
The Leeds Intelligencer
The London Daily Post and General Advertiser
The London Morning Penny Post
The Morning Chronicle / The Morning Chronicle, and London Advertiser
The News
The Nonconformist
The Norfolk Chronicle or the Norwich Gazette
The Northend Album
The Norwich Gazette
The Observator
The Penny Morning Advertiser
The Penny Sunday Times and People's Police Gazette
The Post Boy
The Post Man
The Public Advertiser
The Radical Reformer and Hereford and Ware Patriot
The Rehersal of Observator, &c
The Rememberancer
The Salopian Journal
The Selector or Say's Sunday Reporter
The Southern Reporter and Cork Commercial Courier
The Sun
The Telegraph (Brussels)
The Warwick and Staffordshire Journal
The Weekly Journal or Saturday's Post
The Weekly Pacquet of Advice from Rome : or The History of Popery
The Wellington Gazette
The Whitehall Evening Post
Wheelers Manchester Chronicle