Mortons of Horncastle

At the age of 21, William Kirkham Morton introduced mechanical typesetting to the small market-town of Horncastle, Lincolnshire, when he founded Mortons of Horncastle. He started the Horncastle News in 1887. The company eventually collapsed after Morton's death in 1935, but the bankrupt remains were bought by Market Rasen journalist Charles Edward Sharpe in the late 1950s. He consolidated his various assets and Mortons of Horncastle was revived as a printer and publisher of several Lincolnshire regional newspapers. In 1980 it started the Louth Leader and in 1985, the Skegness News. In 1999, it divided into three separate companies – Mortons Media Group, Mortons Print and Mortons Motorcycle Media. In February 2001 the company sold its Lincolnshire Independent Newspaper Group to Welland Valley Newspapers to concentrate purely on hobbyist magazine publishing, events and exhibitions and contract printing. Its former titles, and those of the former Lincoln Standard Group, are now owned by Johnston Press. With its four divisions – publishing, events, print and mailing – its operations now fall under the banner of Mortons Media Group. The company employs around 250 staff and achieved the Investors in People standard in 1997. ==Divisions==

Mortons Media Group Ltd Mortons Media Group – a subsidiary company of Mortons of Horncastle – produces a range of hobbyist magazine titles and newspapers, organisers several major exhibitions, offers contract print and mailing services and houses a motorcycle and heritage image and publication archive. Publishing Having been involved in regional newspaper production for more than 40 years, in the mid-1990s Mortons began publishing hobbyist titles with the purchase of motorcycle newspaper Old Bike Mart. The acquisition of several more motorcycle-related titles followed, as did titles covering gardening, traction engines, classic American cars and scooters. Mortons also publishes The Railway Magazine – first produced in 1897, the title celebrated its 120th anniversary in 2017. Current print publishing portfolio: • Back Street Heroes • Classic American • Classic Bike Guide • Classic Dirt Bike • Classic Motorcycle Mechanics • Classic Racer • Classic Scooterist • Fast Bikes • Heritage Railway • Kitchen Garden • Motorcycle Sport & Leisure • Motor Cycle Monthly • Old Bike Mart • On 2 Wheels • Rail Express • Railways Illustrated • RealClassic • Scootering • Steam Days Mortons Mailing In January 2010 Mortons announced the acquisition of Lincolnshire Mailing Company to add capabilities encompassing polywrapping and lettering services to its services. Lincolnshire Mailing Company had been a long-standing supplier to the Mortons Media Group for more than 15 years and had relocated its operation to factory units within the Mortons site in 2004. Mortons Archive Comprising the historical archives of The Motor Cycle and Motor Cycling, Mortons Archive contains more than four million images dating back the earliest days of motorcycle development. ==References==