0 ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 7 . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁Western ▁Mail ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁Card iff ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 9 ▁by ▁John ▁Cr icht on - St u art , ▁ 3 rd ▁Mar qu ess ▁of ▁B ute ▁as ▁a ▁Conserv ative ▁pen ny ▁daily ▁paper ▁designed ▁to ▁promote ▁the ▁Mar qu ess ' ▁political ▁asp ir ations . ▁Henry ▁Las cell es ▁Car r ▁( 1 8 4 1 – 1 9 0 2 ), ▁editor ▁since ▁ 1 8 6 9 , ▁bought ▁the ▁paper ▁with ▁Daniel ▁O wen ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 7 . ▁Under ▁Car r , ▁and ▁later ▁William ▁Dav ies , ▁the ▁paper ▁became ▁influ ential ▁in ▁Wales . ▁Histor ically ▁in ▁South ▁Wales ▁the ▁Western ▁Mail ▁has ▁always ▁been ▁associated ▁with ▁its ▁original ▁own ers , ▁the ▁coal ▁and ▁iron ▁industrial ists . ▁O ften ▁this ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁paper ▁being ▁regarded ▁with ▁a ▁considerable ▁degree ▁of ▁en m ity , ▁especially ▁during ▁the ▁strik es ▁in ▁the ▁coal ▁industry ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁This ▁association ▁between ▁newspaper ▁and ▁its ▁owner ▁was ▁so ▁strong ▁there ▁is ▁still ▁a ▁degree ▁of ▁dist rust ▁of ▁the ▁paper ▁in ▁South ▁Wales . ▁ ▁In ▁contrast , ▁and ▁particularly ▁following ▁de volution , ▁the ▁newspaper ▁has ▁adopted ▁a ▁popul ist , ▁local ist , ▁pro - W ales ▁st ance , ▁mainly ▁in ▁trying ▁to ▁find ▁a ▁Wel sh ▁focus ▁on ▁major ▁news ▁stories . ▁The ▁newspaper ▁has ▁also ▁str