A PORTRAIT of Journal co-founder Benjamin Collins is to take up residence at Salisbury Museum.

Benjamin Collins jointly founded the Salisbury Journal with his brother William.

Three centuries ago, Collins was a pioneer of his day and his portrait had proudly followed the Journal, wherever it was based.

After the Journal’s owners Newsquest sold the Rollestone Street offices, Benjamin had to go into temporary storage and the portrait's handover, which had been due to take place in December of last year was postponed due to Covid.

On Tuesday, August 16, the oil painting was handed over to Adrian Green, the director of Salisbury Museum. It joins portraits of other eminent figures in Salisbury's history, including artist Benjamin Blake, which are  in the museum's collection. 

It is hoped that the painting can go on display in the Salisbury History Gallery. 

On having the Benjamin Collins portrait join the museum collection, Adrian said: "It is amazing an edition to have yet another important Salisbury individual from the 18th century in our collection."

"For the moment we've got quite a few other individuals on display. What I'd like today is get him out temporarily so people can appreciate him. People like to encounter these figures from Salisbury's past," he added.

"It would be wonderful to put him up there with some of these other notables. We tend to change them from time to time so it would be the perfect place for it."

The Salisbury Journal remains one of the longest-running newspapers in the UK.

It faltered slightly at the start but has been published continuously since 1736.

It is second only in this achievement to the Worcester Journal.

Two other titles may claim to have their origins before.

These are the Kentish Gazette and the Yorkshire Post – but both began life under different banners i.e. the Kentish Post (1717) and the Leeds Mercury (1718).

Benjamin was the main force behind the Journal, taking the title to be one of the most widely circulated regional newspapers in England.

By the 1750s it was being delivered around neighbouring counties and could be purchased in the best coffee houses in London.

By the time he died in 1785, a father to eight children, he had well and truly put Salisbury on the map in publishing terms.

Salisbury Museum is currently fundraising for its Past Forward: Salisbury Museum for Future Generations project to revamp the museum and create new galleries dedicated to Salisbury history.

Adrian said: "We've got bigger plans in the future to redevelop this entire section of the museum so again there will again be opportunities there to put him on display from time to time because even in our new displays space is going to be at a premium. But given that he is such an important part of Salisbury's history and the founding of the Salisbury Journal in the 18th century he's clearly somebody that is going to be popular and be in demand to be seen in the museum's collections."

 

Get more Salisbury news. 

You can also like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date, as well as signing up for one of our newsletters.

If you want online news with fewer ads, unlimited access and reader rewards - plus a chance to support our local journalism - find out more about registering or a digital subscription.

Email newsdesk@salisburyjournal.co.uk with your comments, pictures, letters and news stories.