Cheltenham Looker-On Explained

The Cheltenham Looker-On was a social and literary weekly periodical published in Cheltenham, England between 1833 and 1920.

The Looker-On was founded in 1833 by Henry Davies, then the librarian and bookseller of Montpellier Spa,[1] with its first issue in May 1833. Davies had established his own newspaper in preference to taking a post offered with the Gloucester Chronicle.[2] Initially, the Looker-On was a literary periodical professing itself to be "A Note Book of the Sayings and Doings of Cheltenham". It quickly established a reputation as a weekly fashionable and literary paper, the Gentleman's Magazine in 1837 crediting the editor "whose talents as an essayist and editor have been honourably displayed".[3] The periodical's news and social gossip was widely quoted. For example, its report regarding the nursing of Queen Victoria's daughter was quoted in 1841 as far away as New Zealand[4] as was a report in 1847 of the Turkish Minister's wife arriving at Court in Court Dress rather than veiled.[5]

The Looker-On mixed social news and literary contributions and followed its editor's opinions being very partisan in the Conservative cause.[6] Following the death of its founder and editor for 57 years in 1890, it was taken over by his son Edward Llewellyn Davies until his death in 1898. The Looker-on became more a journal of news and fashion, and remained in publication until 1920. The Looker-On's Printing Works were also employed for local publications.[7]

The Cheltenham Looker-On has been widely referenced in local studies publications,[8] [9] biographies,[10] [11] music [12] [13] and miscellaneous articles.[14]

Historical copies of the Cheltenham Looker-On, dating back to 1833, are available to search and view in digitised form at The British Newspaper Archive.[15] The Cheltenham Local Studies Centre at Cheltenham Public Library holds physical copies of the periodical.[16] There is also a set at the British Museum.[17]

Notes and References

  1. Boase, Frederick (1904) Modern English Biography
  2. In Memoriam H. D. Cheltenham Looker-On March 1890
  3. https://books.google.com/books?id=I-QIAAAAIAAJ&dq=Cheltenham+%22looker-on%22&pg=PA291 Gentleman's Magazine March 1837
  4. Web site: New Zealand Gazette and Wellington Spectator, Volume 10, Issue 52, 10 April 1841, Page 3 . 1 October 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121004090242/http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=NZGWS18410410.2.11&cl=&srpos=0&st=1&e=-------en--1----0-all . 4 October 2012 . live .
  5. Web site: New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume III, Issue 223, 18 September 1847, Page 3 . 1 October 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121004090401/http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=NZSCSG18470918.2.7&cl=&srpos=0&st=1&e=-------en--1----0-all . 4 October 2012 . live .
  6. Web site: Adrian Courtney Cheltenham Spa and the Berkeleys, 1832-1848:Pocket Borough and Patrol? . 2008-10-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090316044539/http://www.midlandhistory.bham.ac.uk/issues/1992/courtea.pdf . 2009-03-16 . live .
  7. Beale, D. (1904) History of the Cheltenham Ladies' College 1853-1904
  8. Web site: Miller . Eric . Eminent Cheltonians Commemorated at Leckhampton . Cheltenham Local History Society . 16 July 2020.
  9. http://www.hwnp.org/history/alstone.pdf The Other Alstone
  10. Web site: Wellcome Library Summers Higgins . 2020-07-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140913060725/http://archives.wellcome.ac.uk/DServe/dserve.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqCmd=show.tcl&dsqSearch=(RefNo

    %27RAMC%2F489%27)

    . 2014-09-13 . live .
  11. Web site: Paul P. Reuben Perspectives in American Literature - A Research and Reference Guide - An Ongoing Project Chapter 8: Dion Boucicault (1820-1890) . 2008-10-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081123042827/http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap8/boucicault.html . 2008-11-23 . live .
  12. A Cheltenham Music-Making The Musical Times, Vol. 45, No. 733 (Mar. 1, 1904), pp. 165-168
  13. Web site: Glos Folk Resource Information . 2008-10-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080929021159/http://www.glosfolk.org.uk/research_information.html . 2008-09-29 . live .
  14. https://archive.today/20120729004609/http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/2-5-2003-34978.asp Guardian Newspapers Pioneers and Packets 2 May 2003
  15. Web site: Digitised copies of the Cheltenham Looker-On . 2014-11-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303211833/http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/search/results?newspaperTitle=Cheltenham%20Looker-On . 2016-03-03 . live .
  16. Web site: Cheltenham Local and Family History Society . 2008-10-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071008123259/http://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/libraries/index.cfm?articleid=1369 . 2007-10-08 . live .
  17. Web site: Devon County Council Local Studies Service . 2008-10-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081202080825/http://www.devon.gov.uk/localstudies/111043/1.html . 2008-12-02 . dead .

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