Our paper has a long history

THE Dumfries and Galloway Courier was originally founded in 1809 by Rev Henry Duncan, creator of the savings bank. He owned and edited the newspaper until 1817, when John McDiarmid took over the editorship and become a partner in the business. His son, William, was the next editor, from 1852 until 1884 when it was purchased by local conservatives and merged with the Dumfriesshire and Galloway Herald and Register in order to form the Dumfries and Galloway Courier and Herald. It was a popular paid title until paper shortages during WWII meant it had to cease publication altogether. [caption id="attachment_67943" align="alignnone" width="680"]

FIRST EDITION . . . the Courier when it returned in 1977[/caption] The newspaper then lay dormant until 1977, when it was restarted by us here at DNG Media (then Dumfriesshire Newspapers), with the shorter and punchier name of The Dumfries Courier and as a freesheet. Now approaching its 50th birthday, it’s affectionately known to many as The Courier and has an established presence in and around Dumfries.