[The Sherborne Mercury, or Weekly Advertiser, Dorset's first newspaper, a printed periodical predating The Times.] Number for ?Tuesday, April 29, 1740.?

An important provincial publication, predating The Times by half a century. See the Oxford DNB entry of the later proprietor Robert Goadby, and the article by Roger Guttridge, ?Dorset?s first newspaper?, in ?Dorset Life?, August 2019. 4pp, folio. On two leaves, which originally formed a bifolium, but have now become detached from one another. Aged and worn, with chipping to extremities and along central horizontal and vertical folds, resulting in occasional loss of text. The title in the masthead is flanked by two illustrations: to the left a huntsman on horseback blowing his horn, to the left Mercury. Each page printed in three columns. Begins with ?Thursday?s Post?: ?MAIL from FRANCE and HOLLAND?, Ireland, Scotland, ?Country News? (including a ?mad Bullock? in Norwich, robbery by a footman in Bristol, and fires Foulden and ?St. Jame?s-Back? [sic]) and London. ?Saturday?s Post? details ?Foreign Affairs? in Madrid, Ireland and London; and ?Sunday?s Post? has ?Foreign Affairs? at ?Petersbourg? and London?. The news ends with a list of bankrupts and a legal notice. At the bottom right-hand corner of the third page is an advertisement for the ?Modern History? of ?Mr. Salmon?, and other advertisements cover the whole of the last page.