I would like to thank the Stephen Copley Bursary committee for the financial help to
cover my research expenses. My thesis, which looks at Romantic theatre in early
nineteenth century England, focused on a decade generally overlooked by theatre
historians, and demanded considerable time in the archives. My focus on provincial
theatre included regular trips to Bristol, where I studied existing playbills and
newspapers in order to establish the connection between contemporary political
concerns and the entertainments offered on stage. In the early nineteenth century,
newspapers were an important aspect of provincial culture, and for two weeks, I went
to Bristol to read Felix Farley’s Bristol Journal and the Bristol Gazette. The British
Library’s digitalization process for Nineteenth Century Newspapers is a wonderful
resource, but unfortunately, does not yet offer a complete catalogue of papers outside
London. Most of the newspapers for my period are available in microfiche at the
Bristol Central Reference Library. I am very grateful for the financial peace of mind
given by the Bursary, which helped me cover train and bus fares between Oxford and
Bristol. The research was demanding, but very rewarding. Above all, it was
fascinating to see how a prominent city like Bristol used contemporary forms of
media to negotiate its distance from London politics, society, and culture.