1731-+The+Daily+Courant

The Daily Courant was a newspaper first published on March 11, 1702. It was the first British daily newspaper. It was created by Elizabeth Mallet, a printer and bookseller. The paper was produced at her property next to the King’s Arms tavern at Fleet Bridge, London. It was printed as one single page of news, with advertisements on the reverse side. Mallet stated that she wanted only to publish international news and would never add her own opinions to the paper. The paper was politically and socially objective, with an aim to be completely neutral. Mallet believed her readers would be smart enough to make their own deliberations for themselves. In the debut issue, the paper officially states, “It will be found from the Foreign prints, which from time to time, as occasion offers, will be mentioned in this paper, that the author has taken care to be duly furnished with all that comes from abroad in any language. And for an assurance that he will not, under any pretense of having private intelligence, impose any additions of feigned circumstances to an action, but give his extracts fairly and impartially” (Daily Courant 1). The paper was mainly interested in translation of news from other countries, but soon began to add a assortment of advertisements. It increased in success as well as in size. The paper grew to a half-folio sheet, which it remained until the paper’s termination. Mallet sold the paper to Samuel Buckley, and the location of publication was changed to Little Britain. Although the paper always aimed to be informational and objective, it garnered controversy when Buckley reported on Parliament debates in 1712. Reports on these debates were illegal, and Parliament may have also been additionally unhappy with the overly objective and blunt report by the paper.. Buckley was called before the House of Commons, where he ended up fined. The Daily Courant was finally terminated in 1735, when it was merged with the Daily Gazetteer.
 * The Daily Courant **


 * Great Britain in 1731 **

Robert Walpole, also known as the first Earl of Orford, was the prime minister of Great Britain during 1731. Specifically, he w as in office from about 1721 to 1742. His over twenty years in power make him the longest serving prime minister in Great Britain’s history. He was a member of the Whig party, and he held positions in Parliament long before being elected prime minister. He was considered a great politician, as he was able to garner support from both the Whig and Tory parties and maintain power for the amount of time that he did.

During Walpole’s rule as prime minister, King George I was the reigning monarch. He died in 1727, and was succeeded by George II. George II allowed Walpole to remain as prime minister, and by 1930, Walpole becam e a leading member of government, as approved by the King. Walpole was then able to conclude the treaty of Vienna, which was signed the next year. The 1731 Treaty of Vienna was signed on March 16. Specifically, it was signed by Prince Eugene of Savoy of Austria, the British envoy Phillip Stanhope, Count Sinzendorf of Austria, and Count Starhemberg of Austria. This treaty ended the alliance between Britain and France, and marked the beginning of the Britain-Austrian alliance. Through this, France and England became somewhat of adversaries. The treaty put Britain and Austria against France and Spain. The Spanish would later sign the treaty in July. Illustrating the tensions between Spain and England, underlined by the treaty of Vienna, the two countries were involved in a conflict know as the War of Jenkins’ Ear. This strangely-termed conflict was named after a specific event that occurred in April of 1731. In Florida, a British vessel was boarded by a Spanish patrol boat. The British captain, Robert Jenkins, was accused of smuggling by the Spanish, and his left ear was cut off. The event was considered an insult to the honor of Britain, and seen as a justification for the war that would begin nine years later. Daniel Defoe, the English writer and journalist, died April of 1731. Famous for writing novels such as //Robinson Crusoe// and //Roxana//, he was one of the founders of the English novel. He wrote more than 500 books throughout his life. Focusing an array of topics such as politics, and religion, he even became a pioneer in economic journalism. In June, two great fires affected two separate towns. On June 4th, the city of Blanford was destroyed by a raging fire. Parliament stated that the town was to be rebuilt in brick and tile The very next day, the Tiverton fire of 1731, also know as the Great Fire, destroyed part of the city. Legislation was enacted soon after to prevent similar damage if a fire were to ever occur again. For example, thatched roofs were replaced and streets were widened. Both of these fires resulted in Parliamentary legislation on town planning. The year was particularly ruthless regarding fires, as another devastating fire occurred in Britain. A fire broke out in Ashburnham house, which contained the Cotton Library. This library was extremely important, as it held historic legal and constitutional manuscripts. Up to one-fourth of the documents were damaged in the fire. The Cotton Library would then be transferred to the British Museum four years later, under an act of Parliament.


 * Theatre of 1731 **

According to //The London Stage,// the beginning of 1731 featured some of “the most comprehensive offerings of plays and dramas thus far in the eighteenth century.” The leading theatre companies included Drury Lane, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, Goodman’s Fields, Haymarket, and Kings. The second half of the year was slightly less active, mainly because the Haymarket was less frequently used. There is no note of significant change in admission or show times. Regardless, the year was an exciting one for the theatre scene. Playwright Henry Fielding debuted three plays in 1731: //The Tragedy of Tragedies// (a reworked version of his earlier play, //Tom Thumb//), //The Welsh Opera// (a political satire), and //The Letter Writers// (a farce play on sex and adultery). While the last was deemed a failure, his other plays released that year were generally applauded by critics (“Henry Fielding”). Another play that debuted in 1731 was //The London Merchant//. The play is written by George Lillo, and is his most famous work. It became one of the most popular plays of the century. The play is based on a ballad about a Shropshire murder. It specifically follows George Barnwell, who has an affair with a prostitute named Sarah. Sarah is a vengeful young woman, and seeks to find a man to exploit through seduction. George is manipulated into committing crimes in order to maintain their relationship. Eventually they are both arrested and executed for their crimes.
 * How do these historical findings, cultural events, and publications relate to each other, if at all? **

One important matter to note is the growing interest in newspapers at the time. The Daily Courant was successful because many people were interested in international news. The age of enlightenment begins during the seventeenth century, and a craving for knowledge is a staple of the movement. The newspaper’s success is a testament to such. It is interesting to note that the newspaper never mentions Defoe’s death, even though he was such a prominent British writer. This shows perhaps a separation of politics and the arts, and is perhaps a result of enlightenment thinking, which valued logical information over anything else. Political advancement is a theme clear throughout many of the historical happening of the year. England formed and broke allies in order to gain power. They went to war with Spain for reasons of honor. A sense of national pride and power seems to motivate politics. Along with this, the preservation of history and maintaining of culture seems very important to the British. Through the many fires faced by the country in 1731, Parliament was quick to rebuild and make laws to prevent further damage. Their concern for historical documentation is clear by the site change of the Cotton library. It can also be argued that British Parliament worked very hard to maintain a powerful image. Walpole targeted and punished the Daily Courant for just commenting on Parliament debates, which shows the control government could hold over print media. Although many were excited for Britain’s future, some people were skeptical of the quickly modernizing world. The play, the //London Merchant// addressed themes of status and excess. The main character George, is a merchant, and man who deals firsthand with trade and capitalism. Commerce was growing in the 18th century, and while the play is set in an earlier time, it poses ethical and moral questions relevant to the 18th century. The pursuit of excess wealth is displayed as damaging and ultimately tragic, and perhaps Lillo is making a statement on the direction of society.

Works Consulted

//Daily Courant.// [London]. 1731. Print.

//The London Stage.// New York: Chanticleer, n.d. 77-211. Print.

"Sir Robert Walpole." //BBC.// N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.

"Daniel Defoe." //New World Encyclopedia.// 2013. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.

"The London Merchant." //Theatre Royal.// N.p., 2010. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.