The Reformer

HERTS, BEDS, BUCKS, ESSEX, CAMBRIDGE AND MIDDLESEX ADVERTISER

This paper succeeded The Hertford and Ware Patriot in 1834 - as The Radical Reformer and Hertford and Ware Patriot, then The Reformer and later The Hertford Mercury and Reformer

Notes on the October 2, 1841 edition

While this paper claims a wide geographical coverage the information printed at the bottom of the last page shows that it was really confined to Herts and Beds.  The only Middlesex agent was in Enfield Town (listed under Hertfordshire) and the only Essex agent was in Saffron Walden. There are no agents in Bucks or Cambridgeshire. The St. Albans agent would have been Richard Gibbs, who founded the Herts Advertiser when newspaper stamp duty was abolished in 1855.

The Births, Marriage and Deaths entries reflect the emphasis on Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.

HERTFORDSHIRE BIRTHS

At Goldings, on the 26th ult, Lady Townsend Farquhar, of a son.

On the 29th ult., Mrs James Matthias Gibertson, Hertford, of a son.

HERTFORDSHIRE MARRIAGES

On the 25th ult., at St Augustines church, London, by the Rev. Dr. Vivian, Mr John Archer Purkiss, of London, to Ann, second daughter of Mr T Ginn, of Hertford.

On the 30th ult. by the Rev. M.R. Southwell, at Abbots Langley, the Rev. Richard Gee, to Marianne, second daughter of the late Captain Milbourn Jackson, R.N.

HERTFORDSHIRE DEATHS

On the 27th ult., in her 88th year, Mrs Caroline Simson, of the North Crescent, Hertford

On the 29th ult. at Hertingfordbury, in the 78th year of his age, Mr Thomas P. Lewis, many years an attorney at Hertford.

The Quelch/Gibbs marriage is of particular interest. Mary Ann was the youngest daughter of John Gibbs, the publisher of the Aylesbury News, and the brother of Richard Gibbs, agent for The Reformer in St Albans. John Gibbs had similar political views to those expresses in The Reformer and may have arranged for some of the entries in his paper to be duplicated here.