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Printing was however an expensive business. Despite his success in publishing a weekly newspaper for over two years, in 1856 the Rev J T Jones was still putting off the purchase of the expensive ‘steam powered’ printing machines that had been introduced to Wales three years earlier. While in 1870 he had to make a printed appeal to the subscribers of his two volume Welsh biographical dictionary to pay their debts as he had nearly four hundred pounds owed in unpaid subscriptions.

Despite this, other businessmen interested in the possibilities offered by printing quickly followed his example and established new print works.

May 1858 saw the establishment of a new eight page weekly newspaper costing 1d – ‘Y Gwladgarwr’ - ‘The Patriot’. Its publication was linked to a ‘cultural movement’ built around ideas of ‘patriotism’ and what it meant to be Welsh.

It was printed by the local postmaster William Morris on behalf of one of its founders Abraham Mason. Another involved in the paper was William Williams ‘Carw Coch’ of the Stag Inn, Trecynon. He had previously demonstrated his interest in and concern for Welsh language and culture through eisteddfodau held at his inn.

The paper had particular ideas of what made a patriot; it saw its opponents as ‘… unfeeling, narrow-minded and mean-spirited men – men without an ember of the fiery muse in their breasts’.

In one of its first editorials the paper stated that it was determined to ‘support lovers of civic and religious freedom at home and across the face of the whole earth, - to fight all violence and injustice, - to exalt literature, knowledge, art, science and virtue’.

The editors took great pride in their independence and promised that no on would profit financially from the paper. They informed their readership that their paper ‘belongs to the nation’. This pride and loyalty was highlighted by the use of the Prince of Wales feathers on top of their editorials.