entertainment complex in
Manchester at the revamped Withy Grove site of Hulton's business premises Hulton was born in Manchester on 16 July 1838, While working as a
compositor for
The Manchester Guardian (now known as
The Guardian), he earned extra income publishing the
Sporting Bell, a popular local
horse racing tip sheet, The
Sporting Bell ultimately grew into the
Sporting Chronicle newspaper Hulton founded in 1871 with financial backing from Edward Overall Bleackley (1831–1898), a local cotton merchant. Sales were boosted by the decision of several local newspapers including
The Manchester Guardian to restrict racing coverage to appease the growing anti-gambling sentiment in society. The
Sporting Chronicle, a
broadsheet which specialised in horse racing and published
starting price odds, became the first major national
daily sporting newspaper. Hulton's publishing business started off in a basement in Spear Street in
Manchester city centre. the current site of
The Printworks entertainment complex. In 1875 Hulton also founded the
weekly Athletic News, which covered weekend sports fixtures other than horse racing and supported
professional football, The newspapers founded by Hulton survived in some form long after his death. In 1931 the
Athletic News merged with the Monday edition of the
Sporting Chronicle, which ceased publication in 1983. Hulton's second son
Edward expanded his father's newspaper interests, founding the
Manchester Evening Chronicle in 1897, the
Daily Dispatch in 1900 and the
Daily Sketch tabloid in 1909. Edward sold his publishing business based in London and Manchester, which included a large group of newspapers, for £6 million when he retired in 1923. The newspapers sold included:
Sporting Chronicle,
Athletic News,
Sunday Chronicle,
Empire News,
Evening Standard,
Daily Sketch,
Sunday Herald,
Daily Dispatch and
Manchester Evening Chronicle. ==Marriage and children==