Local Newspapers Held on Microfilm

Heritage Hub Source List

The Heritage Hub holds on microfilm twenty-five titles of local newspapers.  These range from a complete run of  “Southern Reporter”, first published in 1855, to titles which have long past into history such as the “Teviotdale Record” and “St. Ronan’s Standard”.

The oldest newspaper in the collection is the “Kelso Mail” of 1804.  Peeblesshire coverage is very limited with many past issues not preserved.     Earlier editions of the”Hawick News” and “Border Telegraph” are held at the respective libraries in Hawick and Galashiels.

The earlier local newspapers contained little local news, but were full of headlines on “Foreign Intelligence”, “London Intelligence” and “Colonial News” with reports on parliamentary debates, court cases, military campaigns, society events, royal visits etc.  Local news usually featured under a heading for the individual town or village.

After the Newspaper Stamp Duty was abolished in 1855, the prices of newspapers dropped and towns rushed to print their own. As national newspapers emerged in the later 19th century, local papers concentrated more on events in their immediate area.

Notices of births, marriages & deaths were often short merely stating “On the 1st inst. a son to…… _” – with the mother’s name not always given.  Descriptions of weddings and funerals and obituaries of prominent people were often lengthy, with details of relatives, guests and mourners.  Accident reports could be graphic and the newspapers were full of quirky happenings to give a colourful picture on life at the time. Reports during the First World War are particularly poignant as pages were filled with profiles of casualties.

 It is always worth checking on dates of anniversaries of events.  For example the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Selkirk to Galashiels Railway in April 1856 received extensive coverage in “The Southern Reporter” of April 1906. 

Advertisements, generally on the front page for maximum impact, offer a valuable source of information on all aspects of life.   In “The Kelso Mail” of January 1804 the main advert informed readers of the signals that would be made across Berwickshire and Roxburghshire on the “enemy’s fleet appearing off the coast”, with the threat of a Napoleonic invasion.  Regular features throughout the years included railway timetables, market prices, local shipping agents offering passages to America, Canada and Australia, notices of farm sales, balls and talks, bankruptcies, tradesmen, and new arrivals at shops from the latest novel by Charles Dickens to India rubber boots.

Few newspapers have been indexed (1996-2006 only) so it can be a long trawl to find relevant information - made much easier if you can be as exact as possible with the date of an event.

Printouts can be made from newspaper articles – current cost 40p per A4 sheet, 80p per A3 sheet for visitors the Hub.  Copies can also be supplied by post – please ask for further details.  

 

Local Newspapers Held on Microfilm

Publication:	Dates Available
Berwickshire News	1869-1870, 1873-1877, 1880, 1883-1891, 1893-1901, 1903-1927, 1930-1931, 1933 – to date
Border Advertiser	1853-1855
Border Sporting Outlook	23 September 1924-14 October 1924
Border Telegraph	1979, 1981– to date  (Galashiels Library holds earlier editions)
Border Watch	Various dates from 19 October 1843 -  November 1846
Coldstream Guard	27 May 1876 - 21 December 1878 4 January 1879 - 29 January 1881
Galashiels Record	27 June 1860 - 30 March 1861
Hawick Advertiser	1854-1878
Hawick Express	1903, 1904, 1913-1940, 1947, 1948, 1950-1952, 1972-1977. (Other years held at Hawick Library)
Hawick News	1987– to date  (Hawick Library holds earlier editions)
Innerleithen Gazette	5, 12, 19 May 1926, 1 December 1926, 26 January 1927-27 July 1927
Jedburgh Gazette	1 April 1871-1964
Jedburgh News	January 1999 – January 2000
Kelso Chronicle	1832 - February 1983
Kelso Mail	1804, 1805, 1808, 1809, 1813, October 1820-1844
Peebles News	19 December 1896 - 4 September 1920
Peeblesshire Advertiser	1862-1865, 1880-1881, 1989-1925, 1928-1932, 1935-1936
Peeblesshire Herald	1888-1913, 1914-1927, 1937– to date (1977 missing)
Peeblesshire News	1987 – to date
Peeblesshire Standard	11 April 1917 - 1921
St Ronan's Standard	12 May 1893 – 8 March 1916
Selkirk Advertiser	1893, 1896 – 12 August 1916;   17 May 1919 – December 1936
Selkirk Weekend Advertiser	January 1994 – to date
Southern Reporter	1855 – to date
Teviotdale Record	July 1855 - 1872, 1874 –1910

telephone: 01450 360699
email: archives@scotborders.gov.uk