Likely existed only during the trial of John Tutchin...
THE OBSERVATOR'S TRYAL AND DEFENCE THIS GOOD DAY, London, Nov. 4, 1704 A very rare newspaper to say the least, as it is not listed in Crane & Kaye, nor can anything be found about this title on the internet.
The Observator was published by John Tutchin beginning in 1702. It was vocal in its denunciations of Queen Anne and her Tory ministries. The paper was written in dialogue form, where "Observator" and "Countryman" speak to one another.
In December, 1703, The Observator was arraigned for scandalous libel on Parliament. In May 1704, Tutchin fled to France briefly to escape being seized. Tutchin was found guilty, but the conviction was overthrown on a technicality, as the evidence had been improperly presented.
This is issue #14. We can only suppose the previous 13 issues also dealt with the trial, and we have no idea if this newspaper existed beyond this issue #14.
An exceedingly rare newspaper about which nothing can be found.
Complete as a single sheet issue, 8 by 13 1/2 inches, some light foxing, very nice condition.
Item from our new catalog - #372, released for November, 2026
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