History: 350 Years of The Gazette landing page

A history of Britain since 1665

In 1665, King Charles II relocated his court to Oxford to escape the Great Plague in the capital. Exiled courtiers were so terrified of the disease that they were unwilling to even touch London newspapers for fear of contagion. For this reason, The Oxford Gazette was first published on 7 November 1665.

350 years of history

Discover the wealth of history The Gazette holds with our 350 years timeline. From the Great Fire of London to the birth of Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, The Gazette has documented it all.

Tell us your research success story

Have you discovered something memorable about a family member in The Gazette?

If you have a story to tell, then we want to hear from you.

Gazette resources

View our bank of resources and discover some of the surprising stories that can be found in The Gazette’s archive.

Commemorative editions

The Gazette is available to buy as a personalised edition, whether it's for your own achievement, or to mark the achievement of someone special.