LAST week we looked back at the history of the Evening Press as this august organ donned its modern new clothes for the first time. In passing we mentioned some of the city newspapers which had predated it, the York Chronicle among them.

By strange coincidence, the first editions of the Chronicle have been rediscovered in the basement of our sister publication, the Bradford Telegraph & Argus.

It is a remarkable find. Here are the very papers that York people were reading 232 years ago, the Evening Press of the day.

The papers, yellowed with age but otherwise well preserved, are neither broadsheet nor compact, but a little larger than a modern A4 page.

Obviously printed on a good quality press they remain remarkably easy to read. The only difficulty for the contemporary reader is the old habit of substituting the letter 'f' for every 's' found at the start or middle of the word: so one report about royal orders talks of "thofe who fhall refufe to fubfcribe to them".

The rediscovered Chronicles are bound together and cover the first year of publication. Bookseller and stationer Christopher Etherington of Coppergate launched the paper in December 1772. The first edition in the bound volume dates from Christmas Day that year - although it is marked as "No 2", there is no sign of a "No 1".

Mr Etherington set out his aims on the front page of that edition of The York Chronicle And Weekly Advertiser.

"Many sensible and ingenious men in this country having expressed their warmest wishes for a periodical publication, which might be considered a record of the occurrences, improvements and literature of the county of York, I am induced, under their patronage, to offer to the Public a paper upon that liberal plan; and in order to make it of more general use, I have thrown it into the form of a News-paper, in which the foreign and Domestic occurrences of the week will be judiciously and impartially related.

"Advertisements of every kind will be received, and no pains shall be wanting to render the work worthy of the public esteem."

Demonstrating a Murdoch-style grasp of cut-throat newspaper marketing, Mr Etherington distributed the first two editions for free, with editions published every Friday after that costong two-pence halfpenny.

Many of the reports, set out over four columns of tightly-packed print, concerned national and international events. As Christopher Etherington promised, though, there was a fair amount of local information.

That Christmas Day edition included news of charitable donations: "Last week Francis Bacon Esq paid a charitable donation of 40l from a person unknown to Mr Mortimer, the treasurer, for the equal benefit of the Blue-Coat-Boys and Grey-Coat-Girls charity schools of this city.

"The prisoners in the Castle, in number 90, have received 30 mets of coals from his Grace the Archbishop, one guinea from Mrs Ford, of Stockton, and half a guinea from a lady unknown; and those in Ousebridge gaol have received ten mets of coals from his Grace the Archbishop, one guinea from Mrs Ford, of Stockton, and one guinea from a person unknown."

As ever there was news of births, marriages and deaths. And there were other announcements too: "We are credibly informed that there is a goose-berry tree in Mr Webster's garden, without Bootham Bar, York, that is in full bloom, and has a dozen or more fine berries on it."

Although more than two centuries old, some of the stories reflect contemporary concerns. A certain Thomas Rankin made it clear that anti-social behaviour would not be tolerated after "diverse persons... have made disturbance by behaving in an indecent and unchristian manner in the Methodist Preaching House (so called) in the city of York". Anyone informing the authorities of the identity of the troublemakers "shall receive half a guinea reward" as part of his zero tolerance crackdown.

Meanwhile, town clerk J Raper was organising a meeting of the "merchants, traders and others residing in this city" to consider taking action "to suppress or regulate the trade, as now carried on, by hawkers and pedlars". Legitimate traders' livelihoods were at risk, he warned.

As for advertisers, Mr Etherington had already attracted a fair few to his new journal. One advert promoted a new book, The Complete English Cook, or Prudent Housewife. Elsewhere Thomas Spooner, mercer and draper, wanted York people to know he "has at present by him a quantity of fine old Jamaica Rum".

It was announced that Sheffield dentist Mr Wooffendale, next in York on January 13, "draws teeth and stumps though so much decayed as to be out of sight". And just arrived in York was Mr Molineux's Smelling Medicine, "for the cure of the scurvy, itch, pimpled faces, scald heads, films in children, rheumatic pains, and all cutaneous eruptions, by smelling only."

In the property columns, a house in Bedern, York, was to be sold at an auction at the York Tavern.

By issue five, the York Chronicle was making moral pronouncements. "On Gaming. Few evils are attended with so many, and such distressful events as an unalterable attachment to play. It is a fact which admits of no controversy."

In the following week's edition came more local news: "There will be no Play at the Theatre in this city on Saturday the 30th of this month, on account of its being the anniversary of King Charles's Martyrdom...

"The lunatic hospital, to be erected in this city, as far as we can learn, is intended to relieve the distresses of the parish-poor, or such as are in low circumstances."

By February, the York Chronicle was advising on the latest fashions from London.

"The established dress for February. Gentlemen still continue the light French frock...

"Waistcoats and breeches spotted velvet, and plain waistcoats, trimmed with fur or ermine; the size of breeches diminishing.

"Ladies wear sacks trimmed as last month; with hoops, and pocket-hoops, as usual. Heads dressed lower and flat on the sides; small, single-drop earrings and necklaces; bracelets, with black velvet; and Tambour shoes."

And so the York Chronicle began chronicling the life of the city, the country and the world. It lasted longer than most other newspapers of the time. Although Christopher Etherington appears to have gone bankrupt in 1777 the paper survived under different names and publishers until it was bought by the owners of the Yorkshire Gazette in 1838.

Updated: 09:21 Monday, September 13, 2004