Original Copy of The First English Newspaper - The Oxford Gazette, To Go On Sale For A Quarter Million Dollars

Washington, DC. – Mark E. Mitchell, an internationally known historical newspaper dealer, appraiser and historian is selling his copy of the first true newspaper ever printed, The Oxford Gazette, first published on November 16, 1665 in Oxford and London, England. Mitchell, proprietor of The Mitchell Archives, says it is finally time to part with his ultra rare historical piece and let others have the opportunity to own, read and hopefully share it with the world. Experts note that fewer than a handful of first editions are privately owned, literally making this a true one-of-a-kind opportunity.

“On this momentous anniversary, I am excited to bring to the public the premiere edition of The Oxford Gazette, the very first true newspaper ever published,” says Mr. Mitchell.  “And it’s just in time the commemoration of the 350th anniversary of that newspaper’s first publication in 1665.  This is really a collector’s or newspaper publisher’s dream come true.  The anniversary itself is perhaps the most important in the history of journalism. In fact, today’s newspapers all point back to the groundbreaking Oxford Gazette.

The Oxford Gazette was the first English language journal to meet all the standards of a true newspaper, including longevity and availability to all classes. But most importantly, The Gazette was the first English news publication regularly issued in what is now recognized as newspaper format – beginning with a half sheet with text divided into columns unlike earlier newsbooks or pamphlets. 

The Oxford Gazette lasted 23 issues before King Charles II, who was holding court in the city west of London because the Plague was ravaging London and other English towns, moved his court back to London as the contagion subsided in the capital city. King Charles took the new Gazette with him. It then became the iconic London Gazette with issue No. 24; Mr. Mitchell has an original of the first London Gazette as well as other rare issues of The Oxford Gazette.

The retitled London Gazette covered most major historical events of the time, including The Great Plague, coronations of English monarchs such as William and Mary in 1689, Lord Nelson’s heroic death in the Battle of Trafalgar (1805), and even news reports on Spanish galleons bringing treasure from the New World. Mr. Mitchell has all of these legendary events and many others in his collection/inventory that spans well into four centuries of history. “Original historic newspapers are the closest things to a “time machine” I have ever encountered,” says Mitchell. “And to think all this began with The Oxford Gazette way back in 1665!”

Beginning in the late 1600s, the Gazette was brought to the American colonies by ship captains where it was widely circulated to the news-starved colonists, since the first regularly published American newspaper, The Boston News-Letter, did not appear until April 4, 1704.

Mr. Mitchell suggests that if people want to learn more about the history of the Gazette, they can consult “A History of The London Gazette, 1665-1965,” by P.M. Handover, published in 1965. The Oxford Gazette is also described in virtually every important work on journalism history ever written.

The Oxford Gazette can be seen at Mr. Mitchell's Collectible Newspaper website. For an additional example of Mr. Mitchell’s rare newspapers, view this recent press release.