THE GUARDIAN INDEX, 1842-1928

Part 2: 1881-1904

The Guardian newspaper has a permanent and respected place amongst the leading international newspapers of record.  It has always been characterised by its liberal outlook, its interest in world affairs and the quality of its writing.  Many libraries hold backfiles, but access to the paper has been hindered by the absence of any index prior to 1986.  This gap was filled with the discovery of the newspaper's own working index.  For the period from 1842 to 1928, this was in the form of large manuscript ledgers. 

Part 2 covers the period 1881-1904, which witnessed Gladstone's second and third ministries, the Franchise Bill, the Home Rule Bill for Ireland, the Factory and Workshops Bill, the London Dock Strike led by Ben Tillett, Tom Mann and John Burns, the Jameson Raid, the Sudan War, the Boer War and the death of Queen Victoria. 

These were the years in which C P Scott made The Manchester Guardian into a newspaper of national and international importance.  He was a close friend of Gladstone and - through his championing of the Home Rule Bill - of John Redmond and John Dillon.  These landed the paper with scoops and inside information that few others could match.   Letters, interviews and articles by leading protagonists can all be accessed through the detailed index.