A FORMER Barnsley man believes he has unearthed a copy of the first Barnsley newspaper.
Dr John Ingman, of Chesterfield, who has a PhD in chemistry, paid £25 at a family history fair for the dusty old copy of the Barnsley Record, Commercial Advertiser and Monthly Miscellany, dated March 1854.
"I thought it looked interesting, because I was born in Barnsley and I thought 'crikey, that's old'," said John.
"The guy who sold it didn't seem that interested in it, as he was only really concerned with Sheffield.
"It's only when I went home and started Googling it, and talking to the Barnsley Archives department, I realised just what it is.
"As far as I am aware, this is the first Barnsley newspaper ever produced. It came out four years before the Barnsley Chronicle started.
"And as far as I'm aware, it's the only surviving copy. How it's survived 160 years I have no idea."
John, 67, born at Beech Street, Barnsley, has now donated the newspaper to the archives department at Experience Barnsley, and has asked that if they restore it and reproduce it, he can have a copy in return.
