The Burnley Gazette was originally called the Burnley Free Press. Founded as a weekly newspaper on 3rd January 1863, it was 8 pages long and priced at 1d. Printed and published by James Nuttall at Chancery Street, Burnley, the name of the paper was changed to the Burnley Gazette from 6th February 1864.

The paper was published on Wednesdays and Saturdays in 1896 by Benjamin Moore who had risen from the post of journalist through to manager and eventually proprietor of the Gazette and a Justice of the Peace.

Liberal in political orientation, the Burnley Gazette later became the Burnley News, which then merged with the Burnley Express (originally a Conservative newspaper) in 1933 as the Burnley Express and News.