Publication of
The Edinburgh Gazette began on 2 March 1699 by
James Watson, nearly 34 years after the first edition of
The London Gazette in November 1665. Watson printed 41 issues, the last on 17 July 1699. Captain Donaldson, the editor, said afterwards that Watson "found it in his interest to disengage himself", perhaps alluding to his imprisonment in the preceding June for printing false news on the wool export and reporting the riotous behaviour of some textile workers in
The Edinburgh Gazette. The publication was then transferred to John Reid. It reappeared sporadically, but did not begin an unbroken and continuous publication run until 1793. == Publication ==