A treasure trove of newspaper history has been saved from the skip during the big clear-out of Chronicle House.
Hundreds of old photographs and masses of correspondence, memos, accounts ledgers, handwritten minutes and other material have been taken away by staff from Shropshire Archives.
They will now be sifted through by volunteers and boxed up for the benefit of historians in future generations.
They were discovered during the move of the Shrewsbury and North Shropshire Chronicle’s reporters, receptionist and circulation staff to our new home in Abbey Foregate.
And in the last few hours while all the “junk” was stripped out of Chronicle House and thrown into a skip, staff from Shropshire Archives and local historian David Trumper were invited along to see if there was anything they could rescue for posterity.
They found plenty of fascinating material to add to the social history of Shrewsbury. Chronicle House, which opened in Castle Foregate in 1927 with its own print works, was the town’s nerve centre for newspaper publishing for much of the 20th century.
The Chronicle’s ownership changed several times but its core values are the same now as they were in 1920 when David Rowlands, founder of the Montgomery County Times, bought the Shrewsbury Chronicle and and Newport and Market Drayton Advertiser.
Reliable
In 1921, he declared: “Newspapers such as the Shrewsbury Chronicle occupy an important position in the life of the country, not only for the dissemination of local news but as organs of opinion.
“They are for the most part immune from the habit of indulging in ‘stunts’. They are in close touch with their public and they are often more reliable guides to the opinions of the people than many of the dailies.”
In those days, the Chronicle was printed at Newport and brought to Shrewsbury by rail – with bundles of newspapers often going astray. The offices were in Market Street and working conditions were uncomfortable. An unsigned memo (presumably from the editor) in 1921 says his room is “fairly damp” and he is worried about the health of his staff.
“When five men and two women are tumbling over each other, it does not make for efficiency,” he writes.
“The reporters intimate it will be impossible for them to carry on for an indefinite time in an overcrowded, ill-ventilated and artificially lighted passage.”
The archive material continues until 1980, ending with correspondence between the National Union of Journalists and directors during the era of industrial disputes over the introduction of computer technology in newspapers.
Shropshire Council archivist Samantha Mager said: “We are very grateful to the Shrewsbury Chronicle. This will be a great addition to our archives and people will be able to make appointments to come and see it. People tend to assume that 20th century material is not very interesting. But even photographs taken in the 1970s are an important resource.”
Shropshire Archives is keen hear about historic material in danger of being thrown away. Call 01743 255350.
By Pete Johnson
