August 28, 2013 3.46 pm This story is over 134 months old

Historic Lincolnshire newspapers archives available online

Vintage papers: Libraries and the Lincolnshire Archives will let residents access digital versions of old local newspapers.

Digitised copies of old Lincolnshire newspapers, in some cases almost 300 years old, are now available to check for free at the Lincolnshire Archives and libraries.

The online records have articles, family notices, letters to the editor, obituaries and ads dating back to the 1700s, and can be found using the British Newspaper Archive.

The database uses newspapers held in the British Library, and contains five of Lincolnshire’s newspapers.

One of which is the Stamford Mercury, the oldest paper in the country in which the archives can source copies from 1714 to 1912.

Others include the Lincolnshire Echo (from 1893 to 1911), Grantham Journal (from 1854 to 1914), Lincolnshire Chronicle (from 1833 to 1904),and the Louth and North Lincolnshire Advertiser (from 1859 to 1910).

The British Newspaper Archive is available from computers or via Wi-Fi in libraries and the Lincolnshire Archives.

Up to 10 people across the network can use it at any one time.  Users don’t require their library card to access the service, but will need to register and create an account.

Jonathan Platt, head of libraries, said: “Previously, the county’s historical newspapers have only been available on microfilm or original print, making it difficult for local researchers to find and look at what they need.

“A search of the UK’s papers would’ve required a trip to the British Library in London.

“Now, researchers, family historians and history buffs need only log-on at their nearest library.

“Lincolnshire libraries have always collected and preserved local newspapers for current and future generations.

“By providing digital access to these valuable resources, we hope to encourage people to explore more of their local and family history.

“With all the other free resources available in libraries, The Collection and at Lincolnshire Archives, such as census records, the information about our past is now easier to uncover than ever before.”