Morning Post
Encyclopedia
The Morning Post, as the paper was named on its masthead
, was a conservative daily newspaper
published in London
from 1772 to 1937, when it was acquired by The Daily Telegraph
.
. Originally a Whig
paper, it was purchased by Daniel Stuart in 1795, who made it into a moderate Tory
organ. A number of well-known writers contributed, including Samuel Taylor Coleridge
, Charles Lamb, James Mackintosh
, Robert Southey
, and William Wordsworth
. In the seven years of Stuart's proprietorship, the paper's circulation rose from 350 to over 4,000.
From 1803 until his death in 1833 or 1835, the owner and editor of the Post was Nicholas Byrne; his son William Pitt Byrne
later held these roles.
Later the paper was acquired by a Lancashire
papermaker named Crompton. In 1848 he hired Peter Borthwick
, a Scot
who had been a Conservative
MP for Evesham
1835-1847, as editor. When Peter died in 1852, his son Algernon took over. During the 1850s, the Post was very closely associated with the Palmerston ministry.
With the aid of Andrew Montagu, Borthwick purchased the Post in 1876. His son Oliver (1873–1905) was business manager and editor, but died young, and upon the father's death in 1908 control went to his daughter Lilias Borthwick (1871–1965), wife of Seymour Henry Bathurst, 7th Earl Bathurst (1864–1943).
The paper was noted for its attentions to the activities of the powerful and wealthy, its interest in foreign affairs, and in literary and artistic events. It began regular printing of notices of plays
, concert
s, and opera
s in the early 20th century, and is said to have been the first daily paper in London to do this.
In 1881, it appointed the first woman war correspondent
when it sent Lady Florence Dixie
to South Africa
to cover the First Boer War
.
Beginning in 1900, the Australian politician Alfred Deakin
wrote anonymous commentaries on Australian politics for the paper, continuing even when he had become Prime Minister
.
Maurice Baring
was a foreign correspondent
for the paper, reporting from Manchuria
, Russia
and Constantinople
between 1904 and 1909. He was war correspondent with Russian forces during the Russo-Japanese War
(1904–1905).
Howell Arthur Gwynne
took over as editor in 1911.
The paper invited the ire of all the anti-colonialists in 1919 when it organised a collection for a purse of £
18,000 to be presented to Reginald Dyer
, the general of Amritsar massacre for his services to the British Empire
on his return to Britain.
text previously published in Russian
by Sergei Nilus
as the last chapter, Chapter XII, of Velikoe v malom... (The Great in the Small: The Coming of the Anti-Christ and the Rule of Satan on Earth
). It is still widely held that Victor E. Marsden
, the paper's Russia
n desk correspondent, used the copy of this rare book retained by the British Museum
to translate this last chapter for the paper. Some have questioned this because the anonymous
1923 publication creditng Marsden as the translator in the pamphlet
's preface
occurred three years after Marsden's death on October 28, 1920.
These articles were subsequently collected and formed the basis of the book, The Cause of World Unrest, to which half the paper's staff contributed, mainly George Shanks
; also Nesta H. Webster. But main credit for the compilation was given to the paper's editor, Gwynne. The book further denounced international Jewry and cultural and social dissolution among the Christian Nations.
organized by the Duke of Northumberland
in 1924.
In May 1926, during the General Strike
, the newspaper's grand offices at Glenesk House, Aldwych
were commandeered by the authorities to produce the British Gazette
, a government newspaper under the editorship of the then Chancellor of the Exchequer
, Winston Churchill
.
The controversial campaign against Jewish control of the political echelons and the press in Britain led to a more and more successful Jewish boycott
of advertising
, so the newspaper gradually declined.
Eventually on August 24, 1937, the Morning Post was sold to the competitor Daily Telegraph. It was noted that the owners of Daily Telegraph, Lord Camrose
and his brother Lord Kemsley, were personally related to powerful Jewish families
. Kemsley's son was married to a Rothschild
; the manager of Telegraph, Colonel Burnham
, was also Jewish.
Contrary to the then general expectation, the Morning Post did not remain a separate title but was 'merged' into the Daily Telegraph. Many of the journalists on the Post were retired; others joined the Telegraph, one of the latter group included W. F. Deedes
.
Masthead (publishing)
The masthead is a list, published in a newspaper or magazine, of its staff. In some publications it names only the most senior individuals; in others, it may name many or all...
, was a conservative daily newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
published in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
from 1772 to 1937, when it was acquired by The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
.
History
The paper was founded by John BellJohn Bell (publisher)
John Bell was an English publisher. The Dictionary of National Biography has Charles Knight calling Bell a "mischievous spirit, the very Puck of booksellers." His 109-volume, literature-for-the-masses Poets of Great Britain Complete from Chaucer to Churchill, which rivaled Samuel Johnson's Lives...
. Originally a Whig
British Whig Party
The Whigs were a party in the Parliament of England, Parliament of Great Britain, and Parliament of the United Kingdom, who contested power with the rival Tories from the 1680s to the 1850s. The Whigs' origin lay in constitutional monarchism and opposition to absolute rule...
paper, it was purchased by Daniel Stuart in 1795, who made it into a moderate Tory
Tory
Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
organ. A number of well-known writers contributed, including Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge was an English poet, Romantic, literary critic and philosopher who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets. He is probably best known for his poems The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla...
, Charles Lamb, James Mackintosh
James Mackintosh
Sir James Mackintosh was a Scottish jurist, politician and historian. His studies and sympathies embraced many interests. He was trained as a doctor and barrister, and worked also as a journalist, judge, administrator, professor, philosopher and politician.-Early life:Mackintosh was born at...
, Robert Southey
Robert Southey
Robert Southey was an English poet of the Romantic school, one of the so-called "Lake Poets", and Poet Laureate for 30 years from 1813 to his death in 1843...
, and William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth was a major English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with the 1798 joint publication Lyrical Ballads....
. In the seven years of Stuart's proprietorship, the paper's circulation rose from 350 to over 4,000.
From 1803 until his death in 1833 or 1835, the owner and editor of the Post was Nicholas Byrne; his son William Pitt Byrne
William Pitt Byrne
William Pitt Byrne was a British newspaper editor and proprietor of The Morning Post.He graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge with a B.A. and M.A....
later held these roles.
Later the paper was acquired by a Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
papermaker named Crompton. In 1848 he hired Peter Borthwick
Peter Borthwick
Peter Borthwick was a British politician and newspaper editor.-Political career:Borthwick was MP for Evesham from 1835–37 and again from 1841-47. In between, from 1837–41, the MP for Evesham was Sir George Rushout of Northwick Park, Worcestershire...
, a Scot
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
who had been a Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
MP for Evesham
Evesham (UK Parliament constituency)
Evesham was a parliamentary constituency in Worcestershire which was represented in the British House of Commons. Originally a parliamentary borough consisting of the town of Evesham, it was first represented in 1295...
1835-1847, as editor. When Peter died in 1852, his son Algernon took over. During the 1850s, the Post was very closely associated with the Palmerston ministry.
With the aid of Andrew Montagu, Borthwick purchased the Post in 1876. His son Oliver (1873–1905) was business manager and editor, but died young, and upon the father's death in 1908 control went to his daughter Lilias Borthwick (1871–1965), wife of Seymour Henry Bathurst, 7th Earl Bathurst (1864–1943).
The paper was noted for its attentions to the activities of the powerful and wealthy, its interest in foreign affairs, and in literary and artistic events. It began regular printing of notices of plays
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
, concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s, and opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
s in the early 20th century, and is said to have been the first daily paper in London to do this.
In 1881, it appointed the first woman war correspondent
War correspondent
A war correspondent is a journalist who covers stories firsthand from a war zone. In the 19th century they were also called Special Correspondents.-Methods:...
when it sent Lady Florence Dixie
Lady Florence Dixie
Lady Florence Caroline Dixie , before her marriage Lady Florence Douglas, was a British traveller, war correspondent, writer and feminist.-Early life:...
to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
to cover the First Boer War
First Boer War
The First Boer War also known as the First Anglo-Boer War or the Transvaal War, was fought from 16 December 1880 until 23 March 1881-1877 annexation:...
.
Beginning in 1900, the Australian politician Alfred Deakin
Alfred Deakin
Alfred Deakin , Australian politician, was a leader of the movement for Australian federation and later the second Prime Minister of Australia. In the last quarter of the 19th century, Deakin was a major contributor to the establishment of liberal reforms in the colony of Victoria, including the...
wrote anonymous commentaries on Australian politics for the paper, continuing even when he had become Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
.
Maurice Baring
Maurice Baring
Maurice Baring was an English man of letters, known as a dramatist, poet, novelist, translator and essayist, and also as a travel writer and war correspondent...
was a foreign correspondent
Foreign correspondent
Foreign Correspondent may refer to:*Foreign correspondent *Foreign Correspondent , an Alfred Hitchcock film*Foreign Correspondent , an Australian current affairs programme...
for the paper, reporting from Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
between 1904 and 1909. He was war correspondent with Russian forces during the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
(1904–1905).
Howell Arthur Gwynne
Howell Arthur Gwynne
Howell Arthur Keir Gwynne, CH was a British author, newspaper editor of the London Morning Post from 1911 to 1937. The owner was Lilias, Countess Bathurst , a.k.a. Lady Bathurst, wife of Seymour Henry Bathurst, 7th Earl Bathurst...
took over as editor in 1911.
The paper invited the ire of all the anti-colonialists in 1919 when it organised a collection for a purse of £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
18,000 to be presented to Reginald Dyer
Reginald Dyer
Colonel Reginald Edward Harry Dyer CB was a British Indian Army officer who as a temporary Brigadier-General was responsible for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar ....
, the general of Amritsar massacre for his services to the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
on his return to Britain.
The Cause of World Unrest
The paper gained notoriety in 1920 when it ran a series of 17 or 18 articles based on the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, an antisemitic hoaxAntisemitic canard
An antisemitic canard is a false story inciting antisemitism. Despite being thoroughly disproved, antisemitic canards are often part of broader theories of Jewish conspiracies. According to Kenneth S. Stern,Historically, Jews have not fared well around conspiracy theories. Such ideas fuel...
text previously published in Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
by Sergei Nilus
Sergei Nilus
Sergei Aleksandrovich Nilus was a Russian religious writer and self-described mystic....
as the last chapter, Chapter XII, of Velikoe v malom... (The Great in the Small: The Coming of the Anti-Christ and the Rule of Satan on Earth
Tribulation
The Great Tribulation refers to tumultuous events that are described during the "signs of the times", first mentioned by Jesus in the Olivet discourse...
). It is still widely held that Victor E. Marsden
Victor E. Marsden
Victor Emile Marsden was a journalist and translator, known for allegedly translating an English language version of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion...
, the paper's Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n desk correspondent, used the copy of this rare book retained by the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
to translate this last chapter for the paper. Some have questioned this because the anonymous
Anonymity
Anonymity is derived from the Greek word ἀνωνυμία, anonymia, meaning "without a name" or "namelessness". In colloquial use, anonymity typically refers to the state of an individual's personal identity, or personally identifiable information, being publicly unknown.There are many reasons why a...
1923 publication creditng Marsden as the translator in the pamphlet
Pamphlet
A pamphlet is an unbound booklet . It may consist of a single sheet of paper that is printed on both sides and folded in half, in thirds, or in fourths , or it may consist of a few pages that are folded in half and saddle stapled at the crease to make a simple book...
's preface
Preface
A preface is an introduction to a book or other literary work written by the work's author. An introductory essay written by a different person is a foreword and precedes an author's preface...
occurred three years after Marsden's death on October 28, 1920.
These articles were subsequently collected and formed the basis of the book, The Cause of World Unrest, to which half the paper's staff contributed, mainly George Shanks
George Shanks
George Shanks was an expatriate British man, who is most famous as the first translator of Protocols of Zion into the English language. His version was produced for The Britons, an early anti-immigration and anti-Semitic organization....
; also Nesta H. Webster. But main credit for the compilation was given to the paper's editor, Gwynne. The book further denounced international Jewry and cultural and social dissolution among the Christian Nations.
Final years
The Bathursts sold the paper to a consortiumConsortium
A consortium is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations or governments with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a common goal....
organized by the Duke of Northumberland
Alan Percy, 8th Duke of Northumberland
Alan Ian Percy, 8th Duke of Northumberland KG CBE MVO TD was the son of Henry Percy, 7th Duke of Northumberland and Lady Edith Campbell....
in 1924.
In May 1926, during the General Strike
UK General Strike of 1926
The 1926 general strike in the United Kingdom was a general strike that lasted nine days, from 4 May 1926 to 13 May 1926. It was called by the general council of the Trades Union Congress in an unsuccessful attempt to force the British government to act to prevent wage reduction and worsening...
, the newspaper's grand offices at Glenesk House, Aldwych
Aldwych
Aldwych is a place and road in the City of Westminster in London, England.-Description:Aldwych, the road, is a crescent, connected to the Strand at both ends. At its centre, it meets the Kingsway...
were commandeered by the authorities to produce the British Gazette
British Gazette
The British Gazette was a short-lived British newspaper published by the Government during the General Strike of 1926.One of the first groups of workers called out by the Trades Union Congress when the general strike began on 3 May were the printers, and consequently most newspapers appeared only...
, a government newspaper under the editorship of the then Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
, Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
.
The controversial campaign against Jewish control of the political echelons and the press in Britain led to a more and more successful Jewish boycott
Boycott
A boycott is an act of voluntarily abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with a person, organization, or country as an expression of protest, usually for political reasons...
of advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
, so the newspaper gradually declined.
Eventually on August 24, 1937, the Morning Post was sold to the competitor Daily Telegraph. It was noted that the owners of Daily Telegraph, Lord Camrose
William Berry, 1st Viscount Camrose
William Ewart Berry, 1st Viscount Camrose was a British newspaper publisher.The second of three brothers born in Merthyr Tydfil in Wales, Berry started his working life as a journalist and established his own paper, Advertising World, in 1901...
and his brother Lord Kemsley, were personally related to powerful Jewish families
Jewish lobby
The term Jewish lobby is used to describe organized lobbying attributed to Jews on domestic and foreign policy decisions, as a political participant of representative government, conducted predominantly in the Jewish diaspora in a number of Western countries...
. Kemsley's son was married to a Rothschild
Rothschild family
The Rothschild family , known as The House of Rothschild, or more simply as the Rothschilds, is a Jewish-German family that established European banking and finance houses starting in the late 18th century...
; the manager of Telegraph, Colonel Burnham
Baron Burnham
Baron Burnham, of Hall Barn in the Parish of Beaconsfield in the County of Buckingham, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1903 for the influential newspaper magnate Sir Edward Levy-Lawson, 1st Baronet, owner of the Daily Telegraph...
, was also Jewish.
Contrary to the then general expectation, the Morning Post did not remain a separate title but was 'merged' into the Daily Telegraph. Many of the journalists on the Post were retired; others joined the Telegraph, one of the latter group included W. F. Deedes
Bill Deedes
William Francis Deedes, Baron Deedes, KBE, MC, PC, DL was a British Conservative Party politician, army officer and journalist; he is to date the only person in Britain to have been both a member of the Cabinet and the editor of a major daily newspaper, The Daily Telegraph.-Early life and...
.
Editors
- 1848: Peter BorthwickPeter BorthwickPeter Borthwick was a British politician and newspaper editor.-Political career:Borthwick was MP for Evesham from 1835–37 and again from 1841-47. In between, from 1837–41, the MP for Evesham was Sir George Rushout of Northwick Park, Worcestershire...
- 1852: Algernon Borthwick
- 1905: Spenser WilkinsonSpenser WilkinsonHenry Spenser Wilkinson was the first Chichele Professor of Military History at Oxford University. While he was an English writer known primarily for his work on military subjects, he had wide interests...
- 1905: Fabian WareFabian WareMajor General Sir Fabian Arthur Goulstone Ware KCVO, KBE, CB, CMG was the founder of the Imperial War Graves Commission, now the Commonwealth War Graves Commission-Early life:...
- 1911: Howell Arthur GwynneHowell Arthur GwynneHowell Arthur Keir Gwynne, CH was a British author, newspaper editor of the London Morning Post from 1911 to 1937. The owner was Lilias, Countess Bathurst , a.k.a. Lady Bathurst, wife of Seymour Henry Bathurst, 7th Earl Bathurst...