 "The Daily Universal Register" published from 1785 and become known as "The Times" from 1788.In 1817 Thomas Barnes became general editor; he was a political radical, a sharp critic of parliamentary hypocrisy and a champion of freedom of the press.Under Barnes and his successor in 1841, John Thadeus Delane, the influence of "The Times" rose to great heights, especially in politics and in the financial district (the City of London).