'Dr. Bagford,—When you were at Cambridge, I thought you would have come to Norwich. I send this to put among your other collections of printers. It is the first thing that was ever printed here.'[16]
In this statement, however, Tanner was wrong, unless we suppose this broadside to have been printed nearly five weeks in advance, as there had appeared, on September 27th, 1701, Some Observations on the Use and Original of the Noble Art and Mystery of Printing, by Francis Burges, which is also claimed as the first book printed at Norwich since the sixteenth century. There is also evidence that Burges began to issue a newspaper called The Norwich Post early in September. Among his other work of that year were sermons by John Jeffery and John Graile, and Humphrey Prideaux's Directions to Churchwardens for the Faithfull Discharge of their Offices. For the Use of the Archdeaconry of Suffolk. (Norwich 1701, quarto.) Francis Burges died in January 1706, leaving the business to his widow, who in the following year printed and published a little tract of eight quarto pages, with the title, A true description of the City of Norwich both in its ancient and modern state.
Meanwhile, in November of the preceding year, a second press was started in the town by Henry Crossgrove, who began to issue a paper called the Norwich Gazette.
Burges's business seems to have been taken by Freeman Collins, who printed from the same address, in 1713, Robert Pate's Complete Syntax. He in his turn was succeeded by Benjamin Lyon, who in 1718 reprinted the True Description, as The History of the City of Norwich ... To which is added Norfolk's Furies: or a view of Kett's Camp. (Norwich. Printed by Benj. Lyon near the Red-well, for Robert Allen and Nich. Lemon. 1718. 8vo. pp. 40.) He added to this some useful lists of bishops, etc., and a 'Chronological Account of Remarkable Accidents and Occurrences, to date,' in which the following entries occur:—
'1701. The first printing office was set up in Norwich, near the Red-well, by Francis Surges.
'1706. Sam. Hashart a distiller, set up a Printing Office, in Magdalen St., and sent for Henry Cross-grove from London to be his journeyman.'
Crossgrove appears to have continued work till 1739, being succeeded by William Chase, who had been printing since 1711, and who established the Norwich Mercury in 1727.
At Bristol the press that William Bonny had established in 1695 continued to flourish until 1713. About November 1702 he began to issue a weekly paper called the Bristol Post-Boy, which ran until 1712, when it was either replaced or supplanted by Samuel Farley's Bristol Postman.[17]
The Parleys were noted printers in the West of England at this time, and the above-named Samuel must not be confounded with Samuel Farley the Exeter printer.
In Cirencester printing began in 1718, in which year Thomas Hinton brought out the first number of the Cirencester Post, and the Gloucester Journal was printed in that city by R. Raikes and W. Dicey on April 9, 172-1/2. Robert Raikes continued printing there till 1750, and was succeeded by his son Robert, the founder of Sunday Schools.[18]