Welsh Journals

Hamilton. His second son was named Frederick Tymbs,10 indicative of the link with Tymbs of the Worcester Journal. Finally, his youngest daughter was named Georgina Haynes, signifying his esteem for his bene- factor in Swansea, George Haynes. During the summer of 1803 Jenkins accepted the position of editor, printer and publisher of the Cambrian a great responsibility and an im- mense challenge, participating in the establishment of the first newspaper to be published in Wales. In July of that year he was authorised to pur- chase all the necessary equipment and materials by George Haynes, John Jeffries, Thomas Lynch, Robert Nelson Thomas and John Voss (all lead- ing Swansea townsmen) as representatives of the shareholders." Prior to 7th January 1804 suitable premises had to be found in Swansea to house the presses, staff had to be employed and arrangements made to move the Jenkins family to the town. The organisation of a distribution network also needed attention so that news items, articles and advertisements could be received at the premises as soon as possible for publication and copies of the Cambrian despatched promptly to various parts of the country. However, by the end of the year Jenkins and his family were residing in Swansea, suitable premises for the business having been obtained in Wind Street, next door to the old theatre, and almost everything was ready for the first issue. Despite all the planning, fate intervened in the events leading to the printing of the first copy of the Cambrian. The larger presses were waiting to be shipped to Swansea from Bristol but it soon became obvious that their delivery would be unavoidably delayed due to atrocious weather conditions in the Bristol Channel. Not only was the Phoenix, the ship carrying the presses and other materials, delayed in Bristol by unfavour- able winds, but, when she finally sailed she was blown off course to Milford Haven! To explain the delay Jenkins produced fresh copies of the prospectus on the smaller presses already in place. He made minor alterations to the text and added a list of agents who would sell the news- paper and accept advertisements and articles for publication.12 In fact, these agents would be a vital link between the public and the newspaper and could be found in the main Welsh towns, the border county towns, the major English towns, and, of course, London. The publishing date was postponed for three weeks an inauspicious beginning for Wales' first newspaper. Eventually on 28th January 1804, the first issue of the Cambrian news- paper, comprising four pages made by folding one sheet of paper in half, was printed. The aims behind its establishment were explained on the first page and perhaps believing that honesty was the best policy from the start, a full explanation was given for the delay in publication. Jenkins, very wisely through the medium of the editorial, apologised in advance