Huge collection of historic Shropshire newspapers now viewable online

Shropshire Council has announced that a huge collection of historic Shropshire newspapers, dating back to 1772 have been digitised and made available for people to view online.

The collection of local newspapers documents the everyday life of communities, with reports on everything from village fetes and town council meetings to entertainment listings, sporting fixtures and reports on crimes and sentencing.

They also feature details relating to birth, marriage, and deaths, often accompanied by lengthy obituaries and reports on society weddings, so an ideal hunting ground for family historians.

In all, 288,672 images have been added to the British Newspaper Archive.  This includes a significant increase in the number of copies of the Shropshire Star and Newport and Market Drayton Advertiser that are already included in the archive, as well as the addition of new titles such as the Shropshire and Montgomeryshire Times, the Shropshire Mercury, the Oswestry Herald, Bridgnorth Beacon and many more.

The digitised newspapers are available to view for a subscription fee via the British Newspaper Archive or can be accessed free of charge by visitors to Shropshire Archives or any of the 21 Shropshire Libraries. The addition of the new collection makes it simpler than ever to uncover stories, trace family roots, and connect with the county’s history.