On 26 April 1736, Hannah Baugh of the parish of St James Westminster was married by licence at St Luke’s Chelsea to printer and widower William Bettinson.
In 1737, William Bettinson and George Price (whose name disappears from the record after June 1737) moved to Sherborne and established a printing house (now Bute House) in Long Street from where they published the Sherborne Mercury, or Weekly Advertiser newspaper, with the first issue dated 22 February 1737.
Hannah and William’s first child William was baptised in Sherborne Abbey on 14 November 1739, and a daughter Margaret was baptised on 18 November 1741. The burial at Sherborne on 2 March 1742 of Hannah Baugh widow may be Hannah Bettinson’s mother.
After William’s death from ‘dropsical distemper’ in late August 1746, Hannah took over the business, announcing on 8 September 1746 that she would ‘keep on the Printing Business and publish the said Paper Weekly as usual’, which suggests that Hannah had been involved with the business prior to her husband’s death. Proof of Hannah’s industry can be found in the Dorset Quarter Sessions Order Books which record that at a Court held at Sherborne on 28 April 1747 it was authorised that the County’s treasurer should pay Hannah’s bill of three pounds for ‘printing warrants for impressing men in this County for his Majestys Service, and for printing other Warrants for the use of this County’.
Hannah remained sole proprietor of the newspaper until January 1749 when it was merged with Robert Goadby’s Western Flying Post or Yeovil Mercury. On the 23 January 1749, Hannah and Robert Goadby published in the Sherborne Mercury an announcement of the merger, saying that they ‘beg leave to inform the Public that they have agreed to unite the said Papers, to begin the Sixth of February, and to Print and Publish them at SHERBORNE under the title of the Sherborne and Yeovil Mercury, which by means of this Union, will be rendered the most numerous and extensive paper in Great Britain.’
On 28 February 1749, an auction was held in Sherborne of ‘ALL the Houshold Goods of the late Mr WILLIAM BETTINSON, Printer of the Sherborne Mercury, viz. All Sorts of the best and newest fashion’d Chairs, Mahogany Tables, Sconce Glasses, Beds and Bedding, the best London Pewter, with Brass and Copper Goods, Glass Ware, and great Variety of China Ware.’
Hannah Bettinson left Sherborne shortly after the auction and was last heard of in 1755 as being resident in a debtor’s prison in Nottingham. Unfortunately, no other details of her life are known.
Rachel Hassall
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