Henry Muddiman facts for kids

Henry Muddiman was an English journalist and publisher. He lived from 1629 to 1692. He became very important after the king returned to power in England in 1660. He is best known for starting the London Gazette, which is still published today.

Early Life and Education

Henry Muddiman was born in London on February 5, 1629. His birthplace was an area called St. Martin's-in-the-Fields. He grew up in the Strand, another part of London.

He went to school at St Clement's Temple. Later, he studied at St John's College, Cambridge, a famous university. After finishing his education, he worked as a school teacher.

Starting a News Business

In late 1659, Henry Muddiman started writing and publishing news. He created two regular "newsbooks." These were like early newspapers. Their names were Parliamentary Intelligencer and Mercurius Publicus.

These newsbooks reported on what was happening in the Rump Parliament. This was the government at the time. It seems that George Monck, an important general, suggested Muddiman start these newsbooks. Monck also got good publicity from them.

Gaining a Monopoly

On April 16, 1660, Muddiman's role became even more secure. The government banned all other news journals. Especially those published by Marchamont Needham, who supported Oliver Cromwell.

This meant Henry Muddiman received a special right. He got a monopoly on printing news. This meant he was the only one allowed to print certain types of news. He shared this right with John Birkenhead, who was a strong supporter of the king. Birkenhead also helped supervise the news.

The London Gazette

Three years later, Henry Muddiman lost his right to publish the news journals. The rights were given to Roger L'Estrange. L'Estrange changed the newsbooks. He made them very strong political statements.

Because of these changes, the publishing rights were returned to Muddiman in 1665. By this time, Muddiman had a good business. He was distributing handwritten news about what happened in parliament. He was not allowed to print these details.

Once he got his printing rights back, he started publishing the London Gazette. This newspaper is still published today. It is the oldest surviving English newspaper.

Later Years and Retirement

Henry Muddiman kept his exclusive publishing rights for a long time. He had them until 1688, during the Glorious Revolution. There was a short break during the Exclusion crisis. At that time, people tried to stop all publications.

When the new government came to power in 1688, Muddiman was seen as too close to the old rulers. So, he decided to retire from publishing. Henry Muddiman passed away on March 7, 1692. He died in Coldhern, near Earl's Court, London.

See also

In Spanish: Henry Muddiman para niños