There was an interesting addition to the British Newspaper Archive online last month (March). It is 498 issues of the monthly Settmakers & Stoneworkers Journal, dating from 1891.

It was produced by the Amalgamated National Union of Quarryworkers & Settmakers. It was published in Aberdeen, the ‘Granite City’, and contains correspondence over many years decrying the amount of granite being imported. In 1908 the magazine was writing to MPs in a ‘crusade’ to get the imports restricted.

The following year it was reporting the increase in demand for granite for roads following the introduction of motor buses. It had put the cost of roads up from £185 a mile to £450 a mile. And that at a time when there was practically zero inflation.

If you are interested in history and / or genealogy, you can see a copy of the magazine at britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/titles/settmakers-and-stoneworkers-journal. It is also on the Find My Past website.

Both sites require subscriptions, but the British Newspaper Archive gives you access to one issue free, although you get no choice about which issue you will see.