Family notices of BMDs- did relatives pay to publish these in newspapers?

[belfordian]

Iam always surprised when ancestors living in relative poverty, incl some described in census as paupers, have details of births, marriages and deaths within their family printed in newspapers as far back as 1840s or even earlier?

Did relatives have to pay for these? Or did newspapers have their own ways of obtaining info and print them of their own accord?

Would be grateful for any info.

[Tickettyboo]

I had a quick look at a couple of Northumberland newspapers in 1869
The Newcastle Journal was aimed at a large, densely populated area and charged
The Alnwick Mercury was aimed at a very much smaller area and did not charge

Boo

[belfordian]

That’s interesting. The obituary which started me thinking about this was in Newcastle Journal and one of that  family was listed on census as a pauper! But it does explain why I can find so many of mine in small local newspapers if they didn’t have to pay. Thanks for your help.

[Tickettyboo]

what year was the obit in the Journal? Those two clips were both from 1869 and I have no idea what the situation was either earlier or later.

Let me know the date and I'll have a look to see if I can find the rates in force in that year

Boo

[belfordian]

The obituary in question was 15 Feb 1845 in N/C Journal. I found it on Family Search and then looked in British NEwsp Archive but strangely could not find it in latter by simple search. Had to locate it by searching for the publication date of that newspaper. I think it was p3.

[Tickettyboo]

Sorry for the delay, I looked at a selection of editions in 1845-1850 but couldn't see anything like the charges info I posted for 1869.

I also looked at the BMD notices in the Journal on 15 Feb 1845. I think these may well have been local interest news . The info possibly came from a representative of a local paper speaking to vicars in their area to find out who had been married/ buried the previous week and if anyone prominent had a new addition to the family? Perhaps then copied by the papers in the nearest large city?

These earlier death notices e.g. are not like the later ones where relatives paid for the notice and included funeral details etc,  they really just say who'd died where and when, so on balance I'd think they were 'local area news' items even in the Journal rather than being placed by relatives either for free or by paying. That sort of info being published may have helped to boost circulation ?

Boo

[belfordian]

Thank you for your pertinent comments. It all begins to make sense now as the mismatch of ancestors living in poor circumstances does coincide with the earlier period. Then, just as now, people were always interested in their neighbours goings- on! But I would not have worked this out without your help, so thank you, Tickettyboo!

Belfordian

[Tickettyboo]

I can't say for definite that is what happened, its just the only logical conclusion I can come to :-)

I too have older announcements in Newcastle papers in lists that say things like In this Town, at Wooler etc etc. and they 'definitely' didn't pay to have them printed, as church mice were well off in comparison to some of them :-)

Boo

[MollyC]

Beware of inaccuracies.  In Dec 1841 we found the death of a one-year old child named JAMES, with correct surname and the address of a farm.  All the other sources give JOHN: GRO birth and death indexes, also the 1841 census, aged 7 months.