'The English Mercurie' was a hoax newspaper published in c.1744 Claiming to be the first English newspaper published 'by authoritie' in 1588 is gives a fictitious account of the Spanish Armada. This was one of three printed editions of the paper produced by the second Earl of Hardwick, Philip Yorke and Dr Thomas Birch as a literary game. Two other editions were produced in manuscript only. The English Mercurie was exposed as a hoax in 1839 by Thomas Watts, Assistant Keeper of Printed Books at the British Museum.
