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It's not every day that a newspaper reaches its bicentenary
knowing that, barring a short bout of yellow fever, |
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and under the same banner. The story of the Gibraltar
Chronicle is not very different from the story of modern
Gibraltar itself... |
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Gibraltar Chronicle Ltd,
2 Library Gardens,
P.O. Box 27,
Gibraltar.
Tel: +350 78589
Fax: +350 79927
email: gibchron@gibnet.gi
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To download the history of the Chronicle in a Microsoft
Word Document (size 35k) click
here.
To download a high resolution image of the first edition
of the Chronicle in TIFF Format (size 1.7Mb) click
here.
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THE BIRTH OF A NEWSPAPER
On 4 May 1801, a bulletin headed, "Continuation of the
Intelligence from Eygpt received by His Majesty's ship
Flora in three weeks from Alexandria," was printed at
the Garrison Library press and sold by H. and T. Cowper,
book sellers and stationers opposite Bell Lane.
It was first published as The Gibraltar Chronicle
on 15 May 1801, when the leading articles revealed the
wonderful spirit which animated those stirring times,
but also foresaw, with surprising accuracy, the pitfalls
which would surround the editor of a small paper in
a small community.
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This was the year that Britain's Act of Union
came into effect, the music of the day was being composed
by Beethoven and the industrial revolution was
in its infancy.
The first editor was a Frenchman named Charles Bouisson,
who had settled in Gibraltar in 1794. Bouisson said
to have been "a little man, in his white cravat
and knee breeches" was to occupy the Chair for
54 years. On 15 May 1801, on the front page of the newly
crowned "Gibraltar Chronicle" he wrote:
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The first Editor
Charles Bouisson |
"Never did
any newspaper commence at a more auspicious era than the
Gibraltar Chronicle; the events we have to record,
whether from the East, or from the North, have been alike
glorious to the British Nation. It is not however to be
expected from the mutable nature of human affairs, that
it will be our singular good fortune to relate an uninterrupted
series of triumphs; misfortunes may come, but we venture
to pronounce that disgrace can never attend us. With the
unconquerable spirit of Britons, and linked together in
the bonds of brotherly affection, our united empire
may defy the World in arms. Let the vaunting First Consul
of Republican France, pursue his absurd, and self-injuring
line of politics, in endeavouring to shut out the sovereign
of the seas from the Ports of the Continent, and for
that purpose pour his troops into the Countries he has
humbled: we trust that under the guardianship of the divine
Governor of the Universe, the Commerce of Britain will
flourish, in spite of his machinations; her Glory will
never rise so high as when she stands singly: and the
valour of her intrepid Sailors, and Soldiers, will perpetuate
her Fame and protect her coasts.
It may have been expected by some that our Chronicle should
have opened with a Prospectus of its plan, and object:
but, as our supply of materials for a regular periodical
Paper of this sort, during the War, can only be casual,
it is not advisable to make promises which we may be unable
to perform...........
Tho' we might be able to eke out a paper with such Essays,
and Observations as the Subscribers to the Garrison Library
might be inclined to contribute, still our readers must
be aware that this would be slippery ground.......
We shall therefore, in general, aim at nothing beyond
plain matter of fact, since the selecting of the
effusions of genius, and fancy, is attended with so much
care, and pains......."
The second page of this edition, The Chronicle publishes
what is the very first story, of what even to this day
fills up pages of the paper in any given year - a charity
event, and of course how much money was raised. The
report says that a "charity sermon" preached
at the King's Chapel had resulted in £819-13-6
being subscribed for the relief of "Wives and Children,
Widows and Orphans of soldiers......who are now serving
in Egypt."
If one substitutes "First Consul" for the Kaiser,
Hitler, Stalin or Franco, or any other world figure of
the twentieth century or the dawn of this new Millennium,
and "supply of materials" for shortage and price
of newsprint, or "plain matter of fact" simply
for straight reports on affairs of world and local interest
without favour, Mr Bouisson's words have echoed right
through the whole history of the Gibraltar Chronicle,
just like when he dipped his quill into his pewter
ink-well 200 years ago.
Production has never been interrupted through shortage
of materials, only on very few occasions has the Gibraltar
Chronicle not been published in 200 years. It has had
a continuous run from its inception. When the Gibraltar
Chronicle was only three years old a terrible epidemic
fever struck the Garrison. It claimed 6,000 lives. At
the time there were only 15,000 people living in
Gibraltar. No paper appeared as a consequence between
September 1804 - March 1805. Even in those days the Levanter
was held responsible for all "personal and other
ills". The last edition before the paper stopped
without warning says: "Owing to the unfavourable
state of the Atmosphere, and the continuance of the Easterly
Wind, the sickness continues, but the increase is inconsiderable......."
That no warning was given for the paper's discontinuance
under such terrible circumstances, is perhaps understandable.
But subscribers who had expected to buy their paper on
11 February 1804 were made to wait until 17 March, whilst
the Printing Press "transacted more urgent
business". The Printing Press was wanted for printing
at the time, the standing orders of the Garrison, the
first book to be printed on the Rock since its capture
in 1704.
Famed for its scoop on the Battle of Trafalgar 1805,
which reached London over a week after local publication,
the Chronicle in its early days cost almost as much as
a labourer could earn in a week. |
The newspaper commenced in parallel English and French
texts but has been otherwise published in English. An
exception to this was the Spanish Civil War when
a special edition was printed to inform the local population
on events in the area.
During the World War II there was a great succession of
military editors but one anecdote is that Reg Cudlipp,
Hugh's brother was around the premises at the time working
on the Rock Magazine and had close links with us.
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Spanish Civil War Edition |
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Apart from being a close follower of local political
events arising from Spain's sovereignty claim over the
past 35 years - before that the Governor's office ensured
censorship on most local news and any issues that might
upset either Gibraltarians or Spain - the Chronicle
has been in the right place, right time for some dramatic
international stories such as the Mary Celeste case,
the sinking of Utopia, John Lennon -Yoko Ono
wedding, the SAS shooting of IRA members and
most recently the enduring HMS Tireless story.
Today, as the Rock's only daily newspaper, it is an
institution.
Until the 1990s the newspaper was still owned
by the trust composed of serving officers of the
Gibraltar Garrison Library. Today an independent
local trust, governed by a Charter to uphold its non-partisanship,
is its owner.
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John Lennon's wedding in Gibraltar
HMS Tireless
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