The Dumfries Courier is a weekly newspaper published in Annan, Scotland. It was founded in 1809 by Rev. Dr Henry Duncan (1774-1846) as The Dumfries and Galloway Courier and is currently published by the DNG Media Group as the Dumfries Courier.
History
Henry Duncan, minister of Ruthwell and creator of the savings bank, founded the Courier in order to compete with the Dumfries Weekly Journal, which he described as "an organ of public opinion" with "neither weight nor authority".[2] He obtained his financial backing from his brothers, who were shipping merchants in Liverpool. Duncan owned and edited the newspaper until 1817, when he requested that John McDiarmid take over the editorship and become a partner in the business. Both editors displayed a moderate-to-liberal political stance, demonstrated by lengthy commentaries on prison reform, suffrage, Catholic emancipation and education.[3] After McDiarmid's death in 1852, the editorship was taken over by his son, William R. M’Diarmid.[4]