Darlington & Stockton Times
Encyclopedia
The Darlington & Stockton Times also known as the D&S Times is a regional weekly newspaper
serving the north-east
of England
. The paper is based in Priestgate, Darlington
.
It is published in three editions covering North Yorkshire
, Cleveland
and County Durham
.
in 1847. It was the brainchild of Liberal philanthropist and barrister, George Brown, who sought to challenge the Tory
monopoly of the press in the region.
The following year it relocated to Darlington, where it has continued to be published from to the present day. Founder George Brown then sold it to property developers, Robert and William Thompson. In 1864, the Thompsons went into liquidation and it was then sold to Henry King Spark. Spark purchased the paper to raise his own political profile in and around the Darlington area.
In 1867, the D&S Times was instrumental in both Darlington's Incorporation and its creation into a Parliamentary borough. But both campaigns brought the paper into conflict with local industrial barons, the Peases, who responded by creating The Northern Echo
. In 1878, following a decade of feuding between the two factions Spark was made bankrupt and was forced to sell the D&S Times to the Northern Echo proprietor John Hyslop Bell.
In 1903, it was then sold to the North of England Newspaper Company, which later became part of the Westminster Press group.
In 1996, Newsquest
Media Group bought the Westminster Press Group and its titles, including The Northern Echo. Shortly after on 3 October 1997 it ditched the classified advertisements from the front page and replaced it with news, being one of the last newspapers in the UK to do so.
In 2009, the newspaper switched from its traditional broadsheet format to a smaller 'compact' layout, following in the footsteps of its sister title, The Northern Echo.
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...
serving the north-east
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The paper is based in Priestgate, Darlington
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
.
It is published in three editions covering North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, Cleveland
Cleveland, England
Cleveland is an area in the north east of England. Its name means literally "cliff-land", referring to its hilly southern areas, which rise to nearly...
and County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
.
History
First published in Barnard CastleBarnard Castle
Barnard Castle is an historical town in Teesdale, County Durham, England. It is named after the castle around which it grew up. It sits on the north side of the River Tees, opposite Startforth, south southwest of Newcastle upon Tyne, south southwest of Sunderland, west of Middlesbrough and ...
in 1847. It was the brainchild of Liberal philanthropist and barrister, George Brown, who sought to challenge the 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...
monopoly of the press in the region.
The following year it relocated to Darlington, where it has continued to be published from to the present day. Founder George Brown then sold it to property developers, Robert and William Thompson. In 1864, the Thompsons went into liquidation and it was then sold to Henry King Spark. Spark purchased the paper to raise his own political profile in and around the Darlington area.
In 1867, the D&S Times was instrumental in both Darlington's Incorporation and its creation into a Parliamentary borough. But both campaigns brought the paper into conflict with local industrial barons, the Peases, who responded by creating The Northern Echo
The Northern Echo
The Northern Echo is a leading daily regional morning newspaper, serving the North East of England. The paper is based in Priestgate, Darlington. Its covers national as well as regional news. It is one of the UK's most famous provincial newspaper titles....
. In 1878, following a decade of feuding between the two factions Spark was made bankrupt and was forced to sell the D&S Times to the Northern Echo proprietor John Hyslop Bell.
In 1903, it was then sold to the North of England Newspaper Company, which later became part of the Westminster Press group.
In 1996, Newsquest
Newsquest
Newsquest is the third largest publisher of regional and local newspapers in the United Kingdom with 300 titles in its portfolio. Newsquest is based in Weybridge, Surrey and employs a total of more than 5,500 people across the UK...
Media Group bought the Westminster Press Group and its titles, including The Northern Echo. Shortly after on 3 October 1997 it ditched the classified advertisements from the front page and replaced it with news, being one of the last newspapers in the UK to do so.
In 2009, the newspaper switched from its traditional broadsheet format to a smaller 'compact' layout, following in the footsteps of its sister title, The Northern Echo.