This chapbook was a cheap book; nondescript at first, it soon afterwards became a print of 16 pages, usually illustrated with a woodcut or woodcuts. This size was later extended to 24 pages—to all intents and purposes a tract. It was sold at different prices at first; then afterwards vended for a penny.

Whether its price or the man who sold it—the chapman—gave it its name may never be known, but probably both factors fixed the name "chapbook." These books practically took the place of our later local newspapers throughout the 18th century, for the newspaper was for the squire, the clergyman, and the well-to-do farmer. The Dicey family, who fully established the "Northampton Mercury" in our county town, before the century was a quarter old, were the most extensive of all the chapbook publishers. In those early days there was little county news published in the newspaper save market prices, criminal news, and a little general country news besides. This news was supplemented by couriers' news from town, where fast riders rode from London throughout the country's length and breadth to disseminate Parliamentary and Court news, together with such other world happenings as were thought to be of interest.

The currier was the telegraph of those days, in fact. The average villager trusted to his chapbook for such fact or fancy as might be offered by the chapman. This pabulum was often written in four-line verse, more or less doggerel in nature—often more rather than less—a ballad, or verse narrative, in fact.

John Ashton, in the introduction of his compilation of chapbook literature, says this: "Nine-tenths of them (the chapbooks) emanated from Aldermany Churchyard, afterwards removed to Bow Churchyard (Cheapside), close by." Then Ashton further states: of "The names of the proprietors are William and Oliver Dicey, and they seem to have come from Northampton. Some of these chapbooks bear the impress: "W. Dicey, in Bow Churchyard; sold also at his warehouse in Northampton."

The bi-centenary history of the "Nortnampton Mercury," published in 1920, 200 years after the premier paper was issued, is a more exact record. A few excerpts from this book will tell how the chapbook was circulated by W. Dicey, the original owner of the "Northampton Merury." Hadley, the writer of the bi-centenary record, says: "The first (chapbook) was published at the price of 3d. in the summer of 1720, and it was followed by hundreds of others. For half-a-century most of the chapbooks circulated in this country were originally printed by the Diceys." This chapbook publishing was carried on first at Northampton, but was afterwards transferred to London. In the bi-centenary history the chapmen are described as the men that carry the news." It further states that they not only carried the "Mercury" to ''hall and grange and rectory" (for the 18th-century "Mercury" was a non-political paper), but that quack medicines and pills were also added to their stock, a celebrated nostrum of the time being prepared by the Diceys, in fact.

The "Northampton Mercury's" great rival was the "Stamford Mercury," and these two papers, for about a century, were practically the only sources of news for this Rushden district. The Stamford paper claims an earlier entry into the world of news—as early as 1695 and has been practically continuous in publication ever since. The "Northampton Mercury," however, proudly boasts an absolute continuity from its first number published in 1720, until this present time. It is interesting to note that the Raikes family was connected with this early paper, Robert, of Sunday School fame, being one of them.

The Reform agitation of 1831-32 was a democratic movement of sufficient force to influence Thomas Edward Dicey, the then owner of the paper, to throw over the paper's non-partisan position in favour of the Reform movement. This led to the publishing of the "Mercury’s" first successful rival "The Northampton Herald," and to a definite party Press. It should be stated that the Dicey family were always Whig at heart, from the time of the very first publication of their paper.

Laurence Washington, an ancestor of George Washington, had his home where the "Mercury" press was afterwards set up. Here, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, he carried on business as a wool merchant, and was twice Mayor of his borough.

As these chapbooks were extensively circulated in this district by the chapmen, some little description as to their varied contents may not prove amiss.

In turning over these several chapbooks, one is impressed by the quaintness of the wood-block illustrations; some are of queerest nature imaginable. In many instances their seriousness of intention is a whole fund of humour in itself.

But to come to detail. A noted one of Dicey series is that of "The Life and Death of St. George, the Noble Champion of England." It is a marvellous story, one that has no tittle of historic foundation, but it exactly suited the intellectual status of the common folk of the time of its publication.

In this chapbook history of St. George, Coventry is given as his birthplace, and Albert was his father, whilst his mother was a king's daughter. She dreamed to the purport that she would bear a dragon as child, so that when she bore a son (the future St. George) she died of fright, as she believed him to be the dreamed-of dragon, whilst the father died of grief at the loss of St. George’s mother.

After many wonderful adventures in land, the youthful St. George—for, according to the story, he seems to have been always called St. George, not canonised after his death—migrated to Egypt, where he slew an awful maiden-devouring dragon and obtained the usual reward. Adventure followed adventure, until St. George again returned to Coventry. On Dunsmore Heath he slew another dragon, but this time the fearsome beast threw poison upon him, which "infected his vital spitals that two days afterwards he died,” to use the phraseology of the chapbook story.

From the standpoint of historic fact, there is no sure evidence that St, George ever lived. He certainly did not live in England. If St. George really existed, it was probably in Cappadocia, about the fourth century of our era, but all available evidence is very confused and of a contradictory nature. Legend asserts that his goodness of character was worthy of sainthood; on the other hand, doubtful history claims him for a profiteer as provider for the Roman army, and so reprehensible a character in general as to merit severe censure.

At the end of a chapbook containing the history of "Tom Thumb, of King Arthur Court," written in ballad form, this verse-occurs:

"In Bow Church Yard, where is sold
Diverting histories many,
A pleasant tale as e'er was told
For purchase of One Penny."

This Tom Thumb story, as told in the chapbook, is indeed a miracle of imagination not of literature. Hangings and other criminal horrors are told with much gusto in these chapbooks, both by word and illustration.

Another story, "The History of the King; and Cobbler," was appropriately enough, printed in Shoe-lane, whilst a rhyming conundrum chapbook is quaint, as this culling will show:

Q[uestion].—"To the green wood
Full oft it hath gang'd,
Yet yields us no good
Till decently hanged."

A[nswer].—"It is a hog, fattened with acorns, which makes good bacon when hanged a-drying."

These excerpts could be added and added to from the greatly varied chapbook publications published throughout the 18th century. These publications died out in fatuitous banality in the early 19th.

Local interest lies not alone in a description of the old-time chapman and his circulating library, the chapbook; for, above and beyond such fact, is that of the knowledge that these peripatetic travellers added a touch of brightness to the drabness of life’s existence as found in the 18th century in this immediate neighbourhood.