The Hereford Times was established as a 4 page weekly broadsheet by Charles Anthony in 1832, with local Liberal support. Anthony edited the paper which was initially priced at 7d. In this period before the abolition of the stamp duty in 1855, 4d of the price went to the government in tax.

A new Hereford Times printing office was presented to him by “a few zealous reformers of the city and county of Hereford” in 1838 “as a testimony of their confidence in his political integrity and as an acknowledgement of his able services in the cause of civil and religious liberty". By then Anthony had been elected Mayor of Hereford and was to be Mayor five more times. He also stood for Parliament as the Liberal candidate in 1867. He remained a proprietor of the Hereford Times until his death in 1885.

By 1888, the paper was boasting the highest circulation of any paper in the county, “of the soundest character”, and had increased its size to 16 pages, “a giant double broadsheet”, priced at twopence halfpenny. The owners, Charles jun and Edwyn Anthony, had installed the latest machinery to produce the newspaper and encouraged visitors to tour the printing site.