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October 7, 2015

295-year-old Northampton newspaper, once named as ninth oldest in the world, closed by Johnston Press

By William Turvill

The Northampton Mercury has been closed by Johnston Press after 295 years.

The Mercury was founded in 1720 by William Dicey, according to the book 'Local History In England'.

And the title was named as the ninth oldest newspaper in the world by the book 'Top 10 for Men: Over 250 lists that matter'.

In 2011, the Mercury's website, which it shares with the Northampton Chronicle, reported it "was the UK’s oldest newspaper with a proven record of continuous publication".

The Northampton Mercury was among 11 free newspapers that Johnston Press announced the closure of today.

According to the website British Newspapers Online, it was bought by Johnston Press from Emap Newspapers in 1996.

The last time the title was audited, in 2012, it had a free circulation of 44,000.

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