Newcastle Journal
An eighteenth-century folio-sized weekly newspaper published in Newcastle-upon-Tyne from 1739 to 1788.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
The Newcastle Journal was a weekly newspaper published in Newcastle-upon-Tyne between 1739 and 1788. It belonged to the expanding eighteenth-century British provincial press and competed directly with the established Newcastle Courant. The paper was printed in folio format and sought to build a broad regional readership rather than serving only the immediate Newcastle market. The enterprise was initiated by William Cuthbert and the Quaker printer Isaac Thompson. In January 1739 they circulated a prospectus for a new newspaper, presenting the publication as politically impartial and commercially useful to the public. Their stated editorial position rejected formal service to a political party and promised to avoid factional rancour, sectarian hostility, and the promotion of particular interests. At the same time, the Journal did not interpret impartiality as political silence. It reported and defended the publication of opposing political views, including speeches critical of the government. The first issue appeared on 7 April 1739, despite mockery from the Newcastle Courant. By the summer of that year, the publishers claimed weekly sales of nearly 2,000 copies. The paper also described a network of agents extending beyond Newcastle, including locations as distant as Berwick and Newhaven in Derbyshire. These claims indicate an ambition to operate as a regional news business at a time when provincial newspapers relied on distributed sales and agency networks to reach readers outside their printing town. The Journal’s political identity developed through competition as well as principle. In its rivalry with the Courant, the two newspapers balanced editorial politics against the need to attract and retain paying readers. The Newcastle Journal defended the right to print opposition speeches, including John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll’s criticism of the government in the House of Lords in April 1740. In 1742 it also printed an anonymous criticism of David Hume’s essay on the character of Robert Walpole. Hume responded in The Scots Magazine, creating a small but notable connection between the Newcastle publication and wider eighteenth-century print debates. Isaac Thompson remained central to the paper’s production for most of its life. He continued printing the Journal until his death in 1776 and simultaneously published the Newcastle General Magazine from 1746 to 1760. Thomas Slack worked with Thompson at the Journal during the 1750s, but their relationship later deteriorated. Slack subsequently established the Newcastle Chronicle in 1764, creating another weekly competitor in the local newspaper market. The Journal continued to promote the extent of its circulation. In 1773 it claimed coverage across an area with a circumference of 600 miles, although this figure is a contemporary assertion by the newspaper rather than an independently verified circulation statistic. After Thompson’s death, the title changed hands. T. Robson and Co acquired the paper and printed it from 1778 until 1788. Publication ended in April 1788, bringing the run of this eighteenth-century Newcastle newspaper to a close. No modern continuation or active corporate successor is identified in the available reference material.
History
The Newcastle Journal emerged during the growth of the provincial newspaper trade in eighteenth-century Britain. William Cuthbert and Isaac Thompson, a Quaker printer, announced the proposed publication in a prospectus issued in January 1739. They presented the paper as independent of political parties and promised to avoid factional, sectarian, and personal-interest polemics while drawing information from all sides. The prospectus framed the Journal both as a public service and as an entertaining commercial newspaper. The first issue was published in Newcastle-upon-Tyne on 7 April 1739. Its launch took place in competition with the Newcastle Courant, which reportedly mocked the new title. The Journal nevertheless claimed rapid commercial progress, stating during its first summer that weekly sales were approaching 2,000 copies. It also claimed access to a substantial regional market through agents in places including Berwick and Newhaven in Derbyshire. The publication’s promise of impartiality did not prevent it from engaging with contentious politics. In April 1740 it defended the publication of an opposition speech by John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll, directed against the government in the House of Lords. In 1742 it printed an anonymous criticism of David Hume’s treatment of Robert Walpole. Hume answered in The Scots Magazine, illustrating how a provincial newspaper could participate in national intellectual and political exchanges. Thompson remained associated with the Journal for decades. He printed it throughout the 1750s and continued until his death in 1776. His other publishing activity included the Newcastle General Magazine, which he issued from 1746 to 1760. Thomas Slack worked with Thompson at the Journal during the 1750s. Their later disagreement contributed to Slack’s decision to launch the Newcastle Chronicle in 1764, adding another competitor to Newcastle’s weekly newspaper market. The Journal continued to emphasize the geographical scale of its readership. In 1773 it claimed circulation over an area with a 600-mile circumference. This should be treated as a contemporary promotional claim rather than a verified modern circulation measurement. Following Thompson’s death in 1776, the newspaper was acquired by T. Robson and Co. That firm printed the title from 1778 until 1788. The Newcastle Journal ceased publication in April 1788 and is therefore a defunct historical newspaper title rather than the modern Newcastle newspaper bearing a similar name.
- 1788
Publication ended
[1]The Newcastle Journal ceased publication in April 1788.
- 1778
T. Robson and Co began printing the paper
[1]Following Thompson’s death, T. Robson and Co acquired the paper and printed it during its final decade.
- 1776
Isaac Thompson died
[1]Thompson, the paper’s founding printer and long-serving publisher, died after continuing his association with the Journal for most of its run.
- 1773
Circulation reach claimed
[1]The newspaper claimed that its circulation extended across an area with a 600-mile circumference.
- 1764
New competitor established
[1]After falling out with Isaac Thompson, former associate Thomas Slack launched the Newcastle Chronicle in competition with the Journal.
- 1742
Dispute with David Hume
[1]The Journal published an anonymous criticism of David Hume’s discussion of Robert Walpole, to which Hume replied in The Scots Magazine.
- 1740
Opposition speech defended
[1]The paper defended its right to publish John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll’s opposition speech against the government.
- 1739
Prospectus issued
[1]William Cuthbert and Isaac Thompson announced plans for a new Newcastle newspaper and described an intended policy of political impartiality.
- 1739
First issue published
[1]The first issue of the Newcastle Journal appeared in Newcastle-upon-Tyne on 7 April.
Products and positioning
A regional weekly newspaper positioned around broad public usefulness, political impartiality, varied news, and resistance to overt factional or sectarian partisanship.
Weekly newspaper · 1739
Newcastle Journal
The core offering was a folio-sized weekly newspaper printed in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. It combined general news, political material, commentary, and content intended to provide both information and entertainment. The paper sought regional distribution through agents beyond Newcastle and competed with other weekly newspapers, especially the Newcastle Courant and later the Newcastle Chronicle.
Sources1 sources
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