Seren Gomer

Front page of the earliest surviving copy of the Welsh newspaper Seren Gomer; 1 January 1814

Seren Gomer was the first Welsh-language weekly newspaper. The first number was published in 1814 in Swansea by the local Baptist minister and writer Joseph Harris (Gomer).[1]

Publishing history

The weekly was intended to cover news from the whole of Wales. It contained news from Wales and overseas, as well as literary material. Its success was limited: it went out of business in 1815 after only 85 editions, partly due to the heavy tax on newspapers and a shortfall in advertising revenue.[2] In 1818 Harris revived the publication, which became associated with the Baptist denomination. In 1820 it became a monthly. The writer and poet Evan Owen Allen was among its contributors.

When Harris died in 1825, the paper was purchased by a Carmarthen publisher and became a quarterly Baptist magazine. This continued until 1983.

Editors

1951–1975: Lewis Valentine
1975–1977: David Eirwyn Morgan

References

  1. ↑ "Wales's first Welsh paper Seren Gomer shone brightly, but briefly", South Wales Evening Post, 8 January 2014. Accessed 23 February 2016
  2. ↑ BBC News, "Plaque unveiled for 200th anniversary of Seren Gomer". 12 April 2014. Accessed 23 February 2016
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