Which was the first English newspaper?
first ENGLISH NEWSPAPER.
The first ENGLISH NEWSPAPER was the Corrant out of Italy, Germany, etc., of which 11 numbers survive bearing dates from 2 December 1620 to 18 September 1621. It was printed at Amsterdam by George Veseler and `soulde by Petrus Keerius, dwelling in the Calverstreete, in the uncertaine time’. The first issue bears no title at all, while some of the later numbers have a slightly varying title, no unusual thing in the early days of newspaper publishing. The lead story in the first issue, dateline Weenen, the 6 November’ relates: ‘The French ambassadour hath caused the Earle of Dampier to be buried stately at Presburg.’
The first newspaper published in Britain was issued some time during the summer of 1621 by Thomas Archer of Pope’s Head Alley, Cornhill, who was imprisoned in September ‘for making, or adding to, his corantos’. No issues of this have been located. Apart from some irregular corantos of 1621-2 translated from the Dutch, the earliest newspaper published in Britain was issued some time during the summer of 1621 by Thomas Archer of Pope’s Head Alley, Cornhill, who was imprisoned in September for making, or adding to, his corantos.’ No issues of this have been located. Apart from some irregular corantos of 1621-2 translated from the Dutch, the earliest newspaper published in Britain of which copies survive was the Weekly News, which was first issued
