Page 980 - Reading Mercury

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WOKINGHAM’S ‘BERKS CHRONICLE’ (concluded)
The “Berkshire Chronicle” of Reading was founded in 1825 by Mr. John Jackson
Blandy, Mr. Garrard and others. Mr. Blandy, the chief, was the solicitor-son of a
solicitor, and Town Clerk of Reading from 1830 until his death.
The first year of the “Berkshire Chronicle and Forest, Vale and General Advertiser”
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appeared on Saturday, January 29 , 1825. It was printed and published by Mr.
William Drysdale, in the High Street, Reading, priced at 7d. While under Blandy’s
ownership the paper was implicated in several libellous statements, clashed bitterly
with the “Mercury.”
An extraordinary feature of those early “Berkshire Chronicles” which intrigues and
invites further research is that, from the start, letters that are published under
pseudonyms and include the famous “Junius” are so vigorously in support of that
stormy petrel and labourer for the freedom of the Press, John Wilkes. When the
“Chronicle” was first published, Wilkes not only recently been released from
imprisonment for criticising the King’s speech
The second number of volume one has on its front page a leading article signed
“W,” which, judging by its contents and those later could well have been Clement
Cruttwell. But reports are given at length of the Robin Hood’s Society’s debates
concerned with Press freedom, the names appear of Domitian, Junius, John Wilkes
himself, many others concerned journalistically and nationally in the bitter political
battle of the day. A longer report appears in one issue of the handling by Wilkes as
Alderman, of complaints against Wheble and Miller, publishers respectively of the
“Middlesex Journal” and “London Evening Post.” Parliamentary debates are given
prominence. There are venomous attacks upon the Rev. John Horne (Tooke-Horne),
with whom Wilkes had quarrelled; and Horne replies at length. Horne, incidentally
was for a time tutor to the notorious Marcham miser, John Elwes.
It has never yet been proved who really was Junius. Wilkes himself has been held to
authorship—but so have many others. More commonly accepted is that the nom-de-
plume was of Sir Philip Francis, whose patron was Lord Barrington of Shrivenham.
“Junius” is said to have signed his letters to the Press thus from November 1768 until
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January 1772; one appears in the “Chronicle’s” January 27 issue (continued on
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February 3 ) addressed to Lord Chief Justice Mansfield.
It is possible that the “Berkshire Chronicle” collection now in the possession of the
Features Editor (to whom all especially interested should write) was made by John
Dodd—from 1763 until death in 1783 owner of Swallowfield Park—or some member
of his family.

WOKINGHAM DOCTOR FOR THE SEYCHELLES
A Wokingham resident, Dr. R. Child, who represents Wokingham East on Berks
County Council, left on Thursday for a five-week assignment under the United
Kingdom/ Seychelles Technical Assistance scheme. He is travelling via Nairobi and
Mombasa.
Dr. Child whose home is at 4, Astley Close, Woosehill Lane, will be examining the
scheme for the cultivation and production of tea in the Seychelles, and will advise the
government on problems of policy that are likely to rise.
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A Portsmouth Grammar School boy before taking a 1 Class Honours degree in
Chemistry at King’s College, Dr. Child was Director of Research at Ceylon’s
Cocoanut Research Institute from 1931 to 1949. He then became Chief Chemist and

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