Edward Baines (1774-1848), newspaper proprietor, politician, historian

Edward Baines (1774-1848) was a newspaper proprietor and politician from Walton-le-Dale. His career in the printing industry began at 16 when he was apprenticed to the printer and stationer Thomas Walker in Preston.

Baines set up his own printing business in 1797 and became prosperous - by 1801 he was able to by the Leeds Mercury from Binns & Brown with the help of a group of Leeds reformist Liberals.

With Baines at the helm, the newspaper became widely-read and influential, and Baines became a significant presence in Leeds public life.

Baines became a politician; he was elected as a Whig MP for Leeds and served between 1834-1841. He was also a Justice of the Peace for the West Riding of Yorkshire.

Baines had married Charlotte Talbot in 1798 and they had eleven children. Two of their sons stayed in the newspaper business: Edward Baines (1800-1890) took over the Leeds Mercury and was a politician; and Thomas Baines (1806-1881) became a newspaper proprietor in Liverpool; and another son, Matthew Talbot Baines (1799-1860), was an MP for Kingston upon Hull.