So popular, shares in Portsmouth newspapers were all sold in an hour

There was such a rush for shares that the list had to be closed within an hour of opening.

The story of Portsmouth newspapers dates back to 1747, but it was not until the Hampshire Telegraph appeared in 1799 that a permanent paper was established.

In the early years of the 19th century several attempts were made to set up other journals, but all ended in failure.

In 1850, the Portsmouth Times appeared and continued in friendly rivalry until March 1928 when it was absorbed into the Hampshire Telegraph.

A similar fate befell the Hampshire Post which, started in 1874, fell into the arms of the Telegraph in December 1913.

Of evening papers there was none until April 1877 when the Evening News was started in a modest way in Arundel Street, Landport. In 1884 it found a rival in the Evening Mail (subsequently renamed the Southern Daily Mail), but this too joined forces with the Evening News in January 1905.