CHAPTER XII

CONCLUSION

The important points in the history of the British Post Office are necessarily somewhat obscured by the great mass of less important characteristics which accompanied its development. Organized at the beginning of the sixteenth century as a means for the conveyance of state letters, its messengers, by tacit consent, were allowed to carry the letters of private individuals. The advantage so afforded for the control of seditious correspondence led to the monopolistic proclamations of the closing years of the sixteenth and the opening years of the seventeenth century. Before 1635 the state obtained no direct revenue for the conveyance of private letters. The messengers or postmen who were supposed to be paid by the state, derived the larger part of their income from the postage on these letters and from letting horses to travellers.

The object in retaining for the Royal Posts the sole right to carry the letters of private individuals assumed a new form in the seventeenth century. Witherings showed that by diverting the postage on private letters from the postmen to the state the Post Office might be made self-supporting. Legal rates were imposed, letters were carried at a much higher speed, and the system of packet posts was extended over the great roads of England. The supervision of private correspondence became a matter of only secondary importance. The struggle between the King and Parliament resulted in securing popular control over the posts of the kingdom. At the same time, during the political unrest, competing systems of posts were repressed with difficulty. The inability of government officials to meet the increasing needs of a growing metropolis led to the establishment of a Penny Post in London by Dockwra, a private individual.

The first part of the eighteenth century saw the extension of a postal system in the colonies and an attempt on the part of the Post Office to obtain the postage on letters passing over the cross-roads of England. The increase in England's colonial possessions and her growing trade with foreign countries produced a corresponding growth in the packet service. The last part of the century saw the establishment of Palmer's mail coaches in order to meet competition from the post coaches. The great increase in revenue which accompanied the industrial revolution led to corruption among the postal officials, resulting in the reform of 1793. The period of rapid growth had passed, and the close of the eighteenth century was a period of consolidation for the new offices which had been created, and better coöperation in the work which they performed.

The first forty years of the last century saw the Post Office at its best as an instrument of taxation. But this very fact drew attention to the lack of other and more important objects. Rates had been forced so high that people resorted to legal and illegal means to evade paying them. The feeling was growing that a tax upon correspondence was not only a poor method of raising money but that its ulterior effect in restricting letter writing was producing undesirable results upon the people of England industrially and socially. A great mistake had been made by the Post Office in acquiring steam packets. They suffered severely from private competing lines and were always a loss to the Government. A partial remedy was attained by the transfer of all the packets to the Admiralty. Eventually the popular cause, championed by Hill and Wallace, forced itself upon the attention of the Government. A Parliamentary committee, after listening to the evidence of representative witnesses, declared itself in favour of low and uniform rates of postage for the United Kingdom, the result being the adoption of inland Penny Postage in 1840.

Among the numerous changes which have characterized the development of the Post Office since 1840 are the successive reductions in rates; the transfer of the packet boats from the Admiralty, followed by the resolution of the Government to revert to the old principle of depending upon private enterprise for the sea carriage of the mails; the extension in the use of the railways as a medium of conveyance; the establishment of a parcel post; and the decision of the government to provide banking and assurance facilities for the thrifty person of small means. But the greatest departure in the field of the department's activities has been the acquisition of the telegraphic system of the Kingdom. Misled by their advisers as to the capital cost and induced by popular pressure to abandon strictly business methods of administration and extension, the telegraphic experiments of the department have not been a financial success. Not only has this been the case, but, in their efforts to protect the revenue, successive Governments have hindered the development of telephonic communication. At this late date we can safely assume that in 1870 the department should either have granted the telephone companies far greater powers or should themselves have assumed the burden of providing an adequate system of telephonic communication. In 1911, the property and franchises of the telephone companies will pass to the control of the Government, thus vastly increasing the work of the department if, as seems probable, the Government should assume direct management, and greatly enlarging the number of dissatisfied members of that part of the civil service under the control of the Post Office.

APPENDIX

EXPENDITURE AND REVENUE TABLES

TABLE I

GROSS PRODUCT, EXPENDITURE, AND NET PRODUCT OF THE POST OFFICE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM FROM MARCH 25, 1723 TO APRIL 5, 1797

_Year ending_ _Gross Product_ _Expenses_ _Net Product_ £ £ £ March 25, 1724 178,071 81,732 96,339 25 175,274 75,407 99,867 26 178,065 83,253 94,812 27 182,184 81,295 100,889 28 183,915 79,250 104,665 29 179,189 86,882 92,307 30 178,817 84,027 94,790 31 171,412 79,243 92,169 32 176,714 84,678 92,036 33 171,283 79,137 92,146 34 176,334 84,633 91,701 35 182,171 83,541 98,630 36 188,210 90,589 97,621 37 182,490 85,402 97,088 38 186,578 93,914 92,664 39 183,747 85,497 97,250 40 194,197 103,532 90,085 42 197,721 110,137 87,584 43 190,626 102,185 88,441 44 194,461 109,347 85,114 45 194,607 108,852 85,755 46 201,460 120,570 80,890 47 209,028 123,086 85,942 48 217,453 138,701 78,752 49 212,801 124,478 88,323 50 207,490 110,093 97,397 51 203,748 104,633 99,115 52 207,092 109,371 97,721 April 5, 53 206,666 108,518 98,148 54 214,300 116,935 97,365 55 210,663 108,648 102,015 56 238,445 144,203 94,242 57 242,478 162,629 79,849 58 222,075 148,346 73,729 59 229,879 143,784 86,095 60 230,146 146,643 83,493 61 240,497 153,808 86,689 62 233,722 155,927 77,795 63 238,999 141,166 97,833 64 225,326 109,134 116,182 65 262,496 104,925 157,571 66 265,427 103,484 161,943 67 275,230 113,286 161,944 68 278,253 112,470 165,783 69 284,914 120,154 164,760 70 285,050 128,988 156,062 71 292,782 137,239 155,543 72 309,997 144,394 165,503 73 310,126 142,940 167,176 74 313,032 148,965 164,077 75 321,943 148,755 173,188 76 318,418 150,936 167,482 77 329,921 171,346 158,575 78 347,128 209,124 137,994 79 372,817 233,569 139,248 80 387,092 250,683 136,409 81 417,634 263,477 154,157 82 393,235 275,910 117,325 83 398,624 238,999 159,625 84 420,101 223,588 196,513 85 463,753 202,344 261,409 86 471,176 185,201 285,975 87 474,347 195,748 278,599 88 509,131 212,151 296,980 89 514,538 195,928 318,610 90 533,198 202,019 331,179 91 575,079 219,080 355,999 92 585,432 218,473 366,959 93 627,592 236,084 391,508 94 691,268 260,606 430,662 95 705,319 295,822 409,497 96 657,541 191,084 466,457 97 691,616 178,266 513,350[842]

[842] _Parl. Papers_, 1812-13, _Reports from Committees_, ii, pp. 60-61.

TABLE II

AVERAGE YEARLY GROSS PRODUCT, EXPENDITURE AND NET PRODUCT OF THE POST OFFICE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM FROM 1725 TO 1794

_Gross Product_ _Expenses_ _Net Product_ £ £ £ 1725-29 179,725 81,217 98,508 1730-34 174,912 82,344 92,568 1735-39 184,639 87,989 96,650 1740-44 193,682 105,304 88,378 1745-49 207,069 123,137 83,932 1750-54 207,859 109,910 97,949 1755-59 228,708 147,522 81,186 1760-64 233,738 141,340 92,398 1765-69 273,264 110,864 162,400 1770-74 302,197 140,525 161,672 1775-79 338,045 182,766 155,279 1780-84 403,337 251,331 152,006 1785-89 486,587 198,273 288,314 1790-94 602,514 227,033 375,481

TABLE III

GROSS PRODUCT, EXPENDITURE, AND NET PRODUCT OF THE POST OFFICE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM, INCLUDING THE TWOPENNY POST, FROM JANUARY 5, 1804 TO JANUARY 5, 1838

_Year_ _Gross_ _Net_ _Loss on_ _ending_ _Product_ _Expenses_ _Product_ _Returned_ £ £ £ _Letters_[843] Jan. 5, 1804 1,429,429 416,767 956,21 56,450 5 1,466,271 420,395 983,363 62,513 6 1,648,523 457,686 1,119,429 71,408 7 1,718,187 456,968 1,185,659 75,560 8 1,711,980 468,531 1,167,425 76,024 9 1,739,855 489,469 1,173,062 77,324 10 1,855,746 519,359 1,260,822 75,565 11 1,987,404 546,460 1,365,251 75,693 12 1,960,510 540,397 1,344,109 76,004 13 2,078,879 576,885 1,422,001 79,993 14 2,209,213 616,564 1,506,064 86,585 15 2,372,429 675,548 1,598,295 98,586 16 2,418,741 704,639 1,619,196 94,906 17 2,280,209 649,129 1,537,505 93,575 18 2,186,621 665,354 1,433,871 87,396 19 2,240,553 683,680 1,467,533 89,340 20 2,191,562 586,193 1,522,640 82,729 21 2,172,875 611,187 1,465,605 96,083 22 2,122,965 645,241 1,393,465 84,259 23 2,128,926 620,977 1,428,352 79,597 24 2,154,294 596,336 1,475,167 82,791 25 2,255,238 628,829 1,540,022 86,387 26 2,367,567 636,353 1,632,267 98,947 27 2,392,271 706,640 1,589,672 95,869 28 2,278,411 706,192 1,484,164 88,095 29 2,287,961 663,775 1,544,224 79,962 30 2,265,481 675,319 1,509,347 80,815 31 2,301,431 694,254 1,517,951 89,226 32 2,321,310 658,325 1,569,038 93,947 33 2,277,274 643,464 1,531,828 101,982 34 2,294,910 636,756 1,553,425 104,729 35 2,319,979 696,387 1,513,052 110,540 36 2,353,340 678,836 1,564,458 110,046 37 2,461,806 704,768 1,645,835 111,203 38 2,462,269 698,632 1,641,106 122,531

[843] _Reports from Com._, 1837-38, xx, pt. r. p. 509. Before 1797, the loss on returned letters seems to have been included in the Charges of Management.

TABLE IV

AVERAGE YEARLY GROSS PRODUCT, EXPENDITURE, AND NET PRODUCT, ETC., OF THE POST OFFICE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM FROM 1805 TO 1838

_Gross Product_ _Expenses_ _Net Product_ _Loss on_ _Actual_ _Returned_ _Gross_ _Letters_ _Product_ £ £ £ £ £ 1805-09 1,656,963 458,610 1,125,787 72,566 1,584,397 1810-14 2,018,350 559,933 1,379,649 78,768 1,939,582 1815-19 2,299,710 675,670 1,531,280 92,760 2,206,950 1820-24 2,154,124 611,987 1,457,045 85,092 2,069,032 1825-29 2,316,289 668,358 1,558,079 89,852 2,226,437 1830-34 2,292,081 661,623 1,536,318 94,140 2,197,941 1835-38 2,399,348 694,656 1,591,112 113,580 2,285,768

SCOTLAND

_Gross Product_ _Expenses_ _Net Product_ £ £ £ 1800-04 117,108 18,952 98,156 1805-09 148,816 23,981 124,835 1810-14 182,259 29,153 153,106 1815-19 191,812 40,736 151,076 1820-24 185,235 46,351 138,884 1825-29 205,599 49,485 156,114 1830-34 204,481 54,729 149,752 1835-37 216,191 59,553 156,638

IRELAND

£ £ £ 1800-04 92,745 64,368 28,377 1805-09 150,845 90,922 59,923 1810-14 192,969 115,019 77,950 1815-19 210,159 124,149 86,010 1820-24 190,431 119,200 71,231 1825-29 214,165 115,875 98,290 1830-34 244,098 108,898 135,200 1835-37 247,068 114,093 132,975

TABLE V

GROSS PRODUCT, EXPENDITURE, AND NET PRODUCT OF THE POST OFFICE FOR SCOTLAND AND IRELAND FROM 1800 TO 1837

_Scotland_

_Year ending_ _Gross_ _Expenses_ _Net_ _Jan. 5_ _Product_ _Product_ £ £ £ 1800 100,651 16,896 83,755 01 113,126 18,020 95,105 02 121,700 18,692 103,007 03 124,809 20,581 104,228 04 125,257 20,562 104,694 05 137,479 21,175 116,303 06 146,148 22,465 123,682 07 151,696 23,358 128,338 08 152,453 27,496 124,956 09 156,305 25,412 130,892 10 168,098 26,543 141,555 11 169,082 24,853 144,229 12 178,896 26,260 152,636 13 191,857 26,248 165,609 14 203,366 [844]41,814 161,551 15 201,992 40,950 161,042 16 193,727 40,570 153,157 17 185,417 41,181 144,236 18 189,690 39,756 149,934 19 188,236 41,225 147,011 20 184,512 43,106 141,405 21 179,403 47,078 132,324 22 184,014 47,302 136,711 23 184,164 47,515 136,649 24 194,085 46,755 147,330 25 205,988 49,066 156,921 26 214,271 50,113 164,158 27 203,137 49,378 153,759 28 203,305 51,393 151,911 29 201,298 47,476 153,822 30 202,754 50,999 151,754 31 204,593 55,434 149,159 32 206,594 54,601 151,992 33 203,324 54,875 148,448 34 205,144 57,738 147,406 35 209,069 59,306 149,762 36 218,748 59,408 159,339 37 220,758 59,945 160,813

_Ireland_

_Year ending_ _Gross_ _Expenses_ _Net_ _Jan. 5_ _Product_ _Product_ £ £ £ 1800 84,040 59,216 24,824 01 [845]66,030 48,656 17,376 02 102,293 70,489 31,806 03 102,518 66,008 36,510 04 108,844 77,471 31,373 05 118,429 79,448 38,981 06 146,682 93,651 53,031 07 149,857 90,940 58,917 08 158,749 91,200 67,549 09 180,510 99,371 81,139 10 180,670 110,064 70,606 11 195,531 117,639 77,892 12 189,963 118,344 71,619 13 195,458 112,938 82,520 14 203,226 116,113 87,113 15 212,562 121,371 91,191 16 225,000 132,331 92,669 17 212,269 126,476 85,793 18 203,456 123,186 80,270 19 197,510 117,384 80,126 20 197,677 123,060 74,617 21 192,511 127,494 65,017 22 187,120 118,932 68,188 23 186,024 112,778 73,246 24 188,826 113,739 75,087 25 199,602 118,698 80,904 26 207,177 113,539 93,638 27 207,757 117,564 90,193 28 216,232 116,836 99,396 29 239,559 112,740 126,819 30 241,063 111,955 129,108 31 247,711 117,622 130,089 32 256,976 102,654 154,322 33 242,671 107,127 135,544 34 232,071 105,145 126,926 35 240,471 109,973 130,498 36 245,664 112,045 123,619 37 255,070 120,261 134,809

[844] First payment of tolls amounting from £16,000 to £20,000 a year. 2d _Rep._, app. no. 39, _Rep. Com._, 1837-38, xx.

[845] Three quarters only. 1st _Rep._, app. no. 28.

TABLE VI

GROSS REVENUE, EXPENDITURE, AND NET REVENUE OF THE POST OFFICE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM, NOT INCLUDING TELEGRAPHS, FROM 1838 TO 1907.

_Year ending_ _Gross Revenue_ _Expenditure_ _Net Revenue_ £ £ £ Jan. 5, 1838 2,339,737 687,313 1,652,424 1839 2,346,278 686,768 1,659,509 1840 2,390,763 756,999 1,633,764 1841 1,359,466 858,677 500,789 1842 1,499,418 938,168 561,249 1843 1,578,145 977,504 600,641 1844 1,620,867 980,650 640,217 1845 1,705,067 985,110 719,957 1846 1,887,576 1,125,594 761,982 1847 1,963,857 1,138,745 825,112 1848 2,181,016 1,196,520 984,496 1849 2,143,679 1,403,250 740,429 1850 2,165,349 1,324,562 840,789 1851 2,264,684 1,460,785 803,898 1852 2,422,168 1,304,163 1,118,004 1853 2,434,326 1,343,907 1,090,419 1854 2,574,407 1,400,679 1,173,727 Dec. 31, 1854 2,701,862 1,506,556 1,195,306 1855 2,716,420 1,651,364 1,065,056 1856 2,867,954 1,660,229 1,207,725 1857[846] 3,035,713 1,720,815 1,314,898 1858[847] 3,241,535 1,953,283 1,288,252 1859 3,461,924 1,952,432 1,509,492 1860 3,531,165 1,953,234 1,577,931 1861 3,665,128 3,154,527 510,601 1862 3,764,004 2,926,551 837,453 1863 3,999,455 2,956,486 1,042,969 1864 4,231,558 3,078,297 1,153,261 1865 4,423,608 2,941,086 1,482,522 1866 4,599,667 3,201,681 1,397,986 1867 4,668,214 3,246,850 1,421,364 1868[848] 4,683,646 3,266,724 1,416,922 1869 4,764,575 3,459,227 1,305,348 1870[849] 4,929,475 3,435,865 1,493,610 1871 4,900,454 3,610,700 1,289,754 1872 5,208,922 3,684,946 1,523,976 1873 5,348,040 3,792,679 1,555,361 1874 5,751,600 3,915,213 1,836,387 Mar. 21, 1875 5,815,032 3,920,891 1,894,141 1876-77[850] 6,017,072 4,070,006 1,947,066 1877-78 6,047,312 3,990,620 2,056,692 1878-79 6,274,450 3,840,076 2,434,374 1879-80 6,558,445 4,060,758 2,497,687 1880-81[851] 6,733,427 4,135,659 2,597,768 1881-82 7,024,600 4,286,596 2,741,004 1882-83 7,300,960 4,545,398 2,755,562 1883-84 7,764,855 5,154,829 2,610,026 1884-85 7,906,406 5,317,213 2,589,193 1885-86 8,170,604 5,486,724 2,683,880 1886-87 8,471,198 5,880,141 2,591,057 1887-88 8,705,337 5,933,820 2,771,517 1888-89 9,102,776 6,062,902 3,039,874 1889-90 9,474,774 6,266,263 3,208,511 1890-91[852] 9,851,078 6,687,089 3,163,989 1891-92 10,451,998[853] 7,192,487 3,259,511 1892-93 10,600,149 7,507,645 3,092,504 1893-94 10,734,885 7,759,712 2,975,173 1894-95 11,025,460 7,955,344 3,070,116 1895-96 11,759,945 8,086,272 3,673,673 1896-87 12,146,935 8,246,356 3,900,579 1897-98 12,420,376 8,683,317 3,737,059 1898-99 13,049,317 9,190,006 3,859,311 1899-1900 13,394,335 9,683,999 3,710,336 1900-01[854] 13,995,470 10,064,903 3,930,567 1901-02 14,465,870 10,465,101 4,000,769 1902-03 15,005,262 10,819,938 4,185,324 1903-04 15,824,394 11,201,122 4,623,272 1904-05 16,274,978 11,446,279 4,828,699 1905-06 17,064,023 11,849,012 5,215,011 Est'm'd 1906-07[855] 17,361,042 12,289,787 5,071,255

[846] 1st _Rep. P. G._, 1855, p. 68. 20th _Rep. P. G._, 1874, app., p. 46.

[847] Expenditure for sailing packets in 1858 was £935,883.

[848] Postage ceased to be charged on government departments early in 1868.

[849] 10th _Rep. P. G._, 1864, pp. 32-38; 18th _Rep. P. G._, 1872, pp. 26-27. Until 1858 revenue does not include revenue from impressed newspaper stamps nor does expenditure include cost of packet service until 1861.

[850] In 1876 the beginning of the financial year of the Post Office was changed from 1st January to 1st April.

[851] 27th _Rep. P. G._, 1881, app., p. 52.

[852] 37th _Rep. P. G._, 1891, app., p. 64.

[853] Including estimated value of services to other departments from 1891-1892 on.

[854] 47th _Rep. P. G._, 1901, app., p. 82.

[855] 53d _Rep. P. G._, 1907, p. 95.

TABLE VII

AVERAGE YEARLY GROSS REVENUE, EXPENDITURE, AND NET REVENUE OF POST OFFICE FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM NOT INCLUDING TELEGRAPHS FROM 1841 TO 1906.

_Gross Revenue_ _Expenditure_ _Net Revenue_ £ £ £ 1841-45 1,658,214 1,001,405 656,809 1846-50 2,143,717 1,304,772 838,944 1851-55 2,569,836 1,441,334 1,128,502 1856-60 3,135,587 1,785,911 1,349,676 1861-65 4,016,750 3,013,389 1,003,341 1866-70 4,729,155 3,322,069 1,407,086 1871-75 5,404,809 3,784,886 1,619,923 1876-81 6,326,141 4,019,423 2,306,718 1881-86 7,634,085 4,958,152 2,675,933 1886-91 9,121,032 6,166,043 2,954,989 1891-96 10,914,487 7,701,292 3,213,195 1896-1901 13,001,286 9,174,516 3,826,770 1901-1906 15,926,905 11,156,292 4,770,613

BIBLIOGRAPHY

This list does not contain a complete record of all the authorities consulted. It merely brings together, with a fuller statement of title, the more important references scattered through the footnotes. Unless it is otherwise stated, London is to be understood as the place of publication for the English books here cited.

PRINTED RECORDS--PARLIAMENTARY DOCUMENTS--REPORTS

_Acts of Parliament._

_Acts of the Parliament of Scotland._ 12 vols., 1814-75.

_Acts of the Privy Council of England._ New Series, ed. J. R. Dasent. 32 vols., 1890-1907.

_Calendar of Border Papers._

_Calendar of State Papers, America and West Indies._ _Do.,_ _Colonial._ _Do.,_ _Domestic._ _Do.,_ _Foreign._ _Do.,_ _Ireland._

_Calendar of Treasury Books._

_Calendar of Treasury Books and Papers._

_Calendar of Treasury Papers._

_Finance Reports, 1797-98._

Hansard. _The Parliamentary Debates._ 422 vols., 1803-91. 41 vols., to 1820; "New Series," 25 vols., to 1830; Third Series, 356 vols., to 1891. The work has been continued under other management since 1891, as _Parliamentary Debates_, Fourth and Fifth Series.

Howell, T. J. _A Complete Collection of State Trials_ [to 1820]. 34 vols., 1816-28.

_Journals of the House of Commons._

_Journals of the House of Lords._

_Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, of the Reign of Henry VIII._

[Cobbett, William.] _The Parliamentary History of England, from the Earliest Period to the Year 1803._ 36 vols., 1806-20.

_Parliamentary Papers._ Since 1831 the volumes for each year have been arranged regularly in four series, as follows:--

1. _Bills Public._ 2. _Reports from Committees._ 3. _Reports from Commissioners._ 4. _Accounts and Papers._

The volumes are ordinarily quoted, under each year, according to their consecutive numbering; but each series is also numbered separately.

_Proceedings and Ordinances of the Privy Council of England._ Ed. Sir Harris Nicholas. 7 vols., 1834-37.

_Reports of the Postmasters-General on the Post Office._ Beginning with 1854-55. These may be quoted either according to their consecutive numbering, or by years: 1st report = 1855; 51st report = 1905, etc.

Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts. _Reports._

Scobell, Henry. _A Collection of Acts and Ordinances made in the Parliament held 3 Nov. 1640 to 17 Sept. 1656._ 1658.

OTHER BOOKS

Blomefield, F., and Parkin, C. _An Essay towards a Topographical History of the County of Norfolk._ 2d ed., 11 vols., 1805-10.

Cunningham, W. _The Growth of English Industry and Commerce in Modern Times._ 3 vols., Cambridge, 1896-1903.

De Laune, Thomas. _Angliae Metropolis: or, the Present State of London._ 1681.

_Dictionary of National Biography._

Eaton, D. B. _Civil Service in Great Britain._ New York, 1880.

Froude, J. A. _A History of England from the Fall of Wolsey to the Death of Elizabeth._ 12 vols., New York, 1870.

Gairdner, J., _editor_. _The Paston Letters._ 3 vols., 1872-75.

Green, E. _Bibliotheca Somersetensis._ 3 vols., Taunton, 1902.

Joyce, H. _The History of the Post Office from its Establishment down to 1836._ 1893.

Knight, Charles. _London._. 6 vols., 1841-44.

Latimer, John. _The Annals of Bristol in the XVIIIth Century._ Bristol, 1893.

Lewins, William. _Her Majesty's Mails._ 2d ed., 1865.

_London and its Environs described._ 6 vols., 1761.

Macaulay, T. B. _History of England from the Accession of James II._ 4 vols., 1849-56.

Macpherson, David. _Annals of Commerce, Manufactures, Fisheries, and Navigation._ 4 vols., London and Edinburgh, 1805.

Maitland, William. _The History and Survey of London._ 2 vols., 1760.

Malden, H. E. _The Cely Papers: Selections from the Correspondence and Memoranda of the Cely Family, Merchants of the Staple, A. D. 1475-88._ 1900.

May, T. E. _Constitutional History of England._ 1882.

Noorthouck, John. _A New History of London._ 1773.

Ogilby, John. _Itinerarium Angliae._ 1675.

Roberts, George. _The Social History of the Southern Counties of England in Past Centuries._ 1856.

Rothschild, Arthur de. _Histoire de la Poste aux Lettres, depuis ses Origines les plus Anciennes jusqu'à nos Jours._ 2d ed., Paris, 1873.

Sharpe, R. R. _London and the Kingdom._ 3 vols., 1894-95.

Stow, John (1525-1605). _A Survey of the Cities of London and Westminster, improved and enlarged by John Strype._ 2 vols., 1720.

Thornbury, W., and Walford, E. _Old and New London._ 6 vols. [1873-78.]

PERIODICALS

_The Economist._

_The London Times._

_Notes and Queries._

With reference to the foregoing bibliography, the "Letters and Papers of Henry VIII" and the "Calendar of State Papers" have formed the basis of this sketch of the British Post Office during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, with many references to the papers of private individuals and institutions collected by the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts. The "Proceedings and Ordinances and the Acts of the Privy Council" contain important orders issued to the Postmaster-General or the postmen during the sixteenth century as well as complaints from the postmen and the public. From the beginning of the eighteenth century the chief sources of information are the historical summaries appended to the "Reports of Committees and Commissioners" compiled during the first half of the nineteenth century. Of these, the "Report of 1844" is the most important. The "Journals of the Lords and Commons" throw some light upon the history, purpose, and intent of the various acts of Parliament dealing with rates and finance. "The Financial Report of 1797," various returns submitted to the House of Commons, and the reports contained in the "Accounts and Papers" for the first part of the nineteenth century are chiefly concerned with the financial side of the history of the British Post Office. Since 1840 the most important sources of information are the yearly reports of the Postmasters-General, dating from 1854, and the voluminous reports of committees appointed to investigate debated points in the organization and policy of the Post Office as well as to advise upon matters which had produced friction between the department and its employees.

Of the secondary works there is little to be said. The only one from which any important information has been obtained is Joyce's "History of the British Post Office to 1836." This book contains a great deal of valuable matter arranged in rather a haphazard fashion and with no references. Writing as a Post Office official at the end of the nineteenth century, Joyce hardly appreciated the conditions which his predecessors had to meet. In Stow's "London" are found some interesting facts about the London Penny Post, in Blomefield's "Norfolk" early postal conditions in Norwich are described. The other books of the same description contain only incidental references to minor points of Post Office development.

INDEX

Abuses in the Post Office, 42-46, 127, 128.

Allen, Ralph, 36, 37, 37 note.

American colonies, Post Office in, 32, 33, 59.

American Express Company, 70.

Annuities, 74. _See also_ Savings Bank Department.

Arlington, Lord, 27.

Arundel, Earl of, 11.

Assurance facilities, 74. _See also_ Savings Bank Department.

Bennett, Sir John, 27.

Billingsley, 11, 19.

Bishop, Henry, 24, 25.

Book Post, 68, 173. _See also_ Halfpenny Post and Rates, Book Post.

Bower, Sir George, 80.

Bradford Committee, 84, 85.

British and Inland Magnetic Telegraph Company, 202, 206, 208.

Burlamachi, Philip, 17, 18.

Buxton, Sydney, 85, 87, 88.

Bye-letters, 35 note.

Bye-posts, 36, 39, 144; receipts from, 185, 186.

Canadian Pacific Railway Company, 134.

Carteret, Lord, 42.

Cash on delivery, 70, 71.

Chamberlain, A., 83.

Chesterfield, Countess of, 25.

Clerks of the road, 38, 50.

Coaches. _See_ Mail Coaches and Post Coaches.

Coke, Sir John, 11, 12, 15, 16, 18, 111, 112.

Competition in carrying letters, 191-197.

Competitive examinations, 78.

Compulsory prepayment. _See_ Prepayment of rates.

Cotton and Frankland, 31, 115.

Cromwell, orders to the postmasters, 23.

Cross-posts, 140, 144. _See also_ Bye-posts.

Cross-post letters, 35 note, 36. _See also_ Post-roads, Cross-posts.

Cunard Steamship Company, 132, 133, 134.

Customs duties, 125.

Dead Letter Office, 50.

Delivery of letters, 9, 38, 39; rural, 65, 66; express or special, 67, 68.

Departmental committee, 82.

De Nouveau, 114.

De Quester, 10, 12, 135.

De Taxis, 112, 114.

Dockwra, William, 28, 30.

Double letter, 13 note.

Dublin Penny Post, 30 note, 54, 150.

Edinburgh Penny Post, 54.

Edison Telephone Company, 219.

Electric and International Telegraph Company, 202, 205, 206, 208.

Embossed stamps. _See_ Stamps.

Employees, postal, appointment brought under civil service examination, 78, 79; report of Bradford committee, 84, 85; of departmental committee, 82; of Hobhouse committee, 86-88; civil rights, 82; postal unions, 85; wages, 80, 83; Tweedmouth settlement, 81, 82; strike, 81; grievances, 80, 82, 83; increase in wages, 81, 82.

Evasion of rates, 197-201. _See also_ Monopoly, attempts to break.

Express delivery. _See_ Delivery of letters.

Farmers of the Post Office, 21, 22, 36, 37.

Fawcett, Henry, 74, 75, 80, 81.

Fees, 9, 15, 45, 49.

Fifth-clause Posts, 65.

Finances of Post Office, 180-188.

Foreign connections: Belgium, 111; France, 111, 113, 114, 115, 117, 118, 120; Germany, 111; Holland, 111, 114; Italy, 111, 115; United States and the colonies, 120 note; stages settled on the continent, 112. _See also_ Rates and Sailing Packets.

Foreigners' Post, 6, 7.

Franking, 159-172; by members of Parliament, 25; of newspapers, 48.

Franking department, 57.

Frankland. _See_ Cotton and Frankland.

Freeling, Sir Francis, 52.

Frizell, 11, 18, 24.

Grimston, 205.

Halfpenny Post, 68, 69, 197.

Hall, John, 11.

Hamilton, Andrew, 33.

Hanbury, 82.

Hicks, James, 19, 20, 24, 26, 27, 112.

Hill, Sir Rowland, 59-61, 187.

Hobhouse committee, 86-88.

Inman Steamship Company, 132, 133.

Insurance facilities, 74. _See also_ Savings Bank Department.

Ireland, Post Office in, 31, 57. _See also_ Post-roads, Rates, and Sailing Packets, Ireland.

Letters, number of, 63.

London and Globe Telephone Company, 220.

London District Post, 71.

London District Telegraph Company, 202.

London Penny Post, 28-30, 34, 35 note, 51, 52; receipts from, 185. _See_ Twopenny post.

Mail coaches, 40, 41, 55, 104, 105.

Manley, John, 22, 23.

Marconi Company, 213, 214.

Mason, Sir John, 7, 8.

Merchant Adventurers' Post, 6, 11.

Messengers, 3, 5, 67.

Money Order Office, 50, 71.

Money orders, 176-180; number of, 71-73. _See also_ Rates, money orders.

Monopoly, attempts to break, 191-197; in carriage of letters and packets, 189-191, 195, 196. _See also_ Telegraphs, monopoly.

Mowatt, Sir F., 81.

National Telephone Company, 222-224, 229, 231, 233.

Neale, Thomas, 33.

Newspaper Office, 49.

Newspapers, chargeable and free, 68; franking of, 48; impressed stamps on, 68; number of, 68. _See also_ Rates, newspapers.

New Telephone Company, 223.

Norfolk, Duke of, 82.

O'Neale, Daniel, 25.

Opening and detaining letters, 16, 18, 21, 26, 46-48, 196.

Packet list, 48.

Packets. _See_ Sailing Packets.

Paget, 7.

Palmer, John, 40-42, 44.

Parcel Post, 70, 174. _See also_ Rates, Parcel Post.

Patronage, 78, 79.

Pattern and Sample Post, 69. _See also_ Rates, patterns.

Peninsular and Oriental Steamship Company, 132.

Penny Post. _See_ London Penny Post.

Penny Postage, 59-62, 158-160.

Pensions, sailors', 127.

Pitt, William, 43.

Plague, 26.

Political patronage. _See_ Patronage.

Postal establishment, in seventeenth century, 27; in eighteenth, 38, 44; in nineteenth, 57.

Postcards, 174; number of, 69, 69 note; use of, 69. _See also_ Rates, postcards.

Post coaches, 40.

Post horses, 5, 8; fee for their use, 89, 90, 92; licences and taxes, 94, 95, 95 note; monopoly in letting, 92, 94; number to be kept, 92, 93; supply of, 89, 90.

Postmarks, 29.

Postmen's Federation, 85 note.

Post offices, number of, 71.

Post-roads, 13; cross posts, 103; in sixteenth century, 97, 101; in seventeenth century, 99; maps, 101; re-measured, 103, 104; in north of England, 102, 104; in south, 102; in Ireland, 102, 104; in Scotland, 103.

Prepayment of rates; compulsory prepayment inadvisable, 26, 26 note; unpopularity of, 64.

Prideaux, Edmund, 18-21, 136.

Raikes, 81.

Railways, 107, 108; amounts paid for conveyance of mails, 56, 78; authority of Postmaster-General over, 77; principles involved in estimating tollage for conveyance of mails, 77.

Randolph, Thomas, 7, 8.

Rates, for letters, 13, 23, 62-64; by weight, 157; re-directed, 173; ships' letters, 143, 148, 153.

In England, 136, 137, 141, 142, 145-148, 150, 151, 158; Ireland, 136, 137, 141, 142, 146, 151, 152, 158; Scotland, 136-139, 141-143, 145-148, 150, 151, 158; United Kingdom, 159, 172, 174.

To Austria, 135, 149, 150; Belgium, 135, 143, 149, 150, 155 note, 157, 176; Cape of Good Hope, 153, 154; Channel Isles, 148, 150; Denmark, 137, 143, 149, 150, 155 note; East Indies, 153, 154; Egypt, 155 note, 156; France, 135, 137, 143, 149, 149 note, 150, 155, 155 note, 176; Germany, 135, 137, 143, 149, 150, 155 note, 157; Gibraltar, 155 note; Greece, 155 note, 156; Holland, 135, 143, 149, 150, 155 note, 157; Italy, 115, 135, 137, 143, 149, 150, 155 note, 156, 176; Malta, 155 note; Mauritius, 153, 154; Mexico, 155 note, 157; Norway, 155 note, 157; Portugal, 143, 147, 149, 150, 155 note; Russia, 155 note; South America, 155 note, 157; Spain, 137, 143, 149, 150, 155 note, 157, 176; Sweden, 137, 143, 149, 150, 155 note, 157; Switzerland, 155 note, 157; Syria, 156; Turkey, 137, 149, 150, 155 note, 156; North American colonies, 143, 146, 147; United States, 155 note, 175.

In North American colonies, 140, 141, 144, 146; West Indies, 140, 140 note, 143, 146.

To the colonies, 159, 175; to foreign countries, 159, 176.

Book Post, 173; money orders, 71, 72, 176 _et seq._; newspapers, 153, 154, 173, 175, 176; Parcel Post, 174; patterns, samples, and writs, 145, 173; postcards, 174, 176.

Registered letters, 50, 64, 173, 174.

Returned Letter Office, 57.

Roads. _See_ Post-roads.

Royal Mail Steamship Company, 132.

Royal Post, 3, 6.

Sailing Packets, abuses in connection with, 127 _et seq._; British and foreign vessels, 123; cost of, 128, 134; customs difficulties, 125; number of, 120, 121; ownership transferred to Admiralty, 129, 130; steamships, 121-123, 131; subsidies for, 130, 131-134; use of private ships, 120 note, 123, 124.

To Cape of Good Hope, 120; Deal and the Downs, 110; East Indies, 120; France, 111, 115, 116; Gibraltar, 116; Holland, 115-117; Ireland, 109, 110, 121; Malta, 116; Isle of Man, 110; Mauritius, 120; Mexico, 120; Portugal, 115; Scotland, 109-110; South America, 120; West Indies, 118 _et seq._

St. Martin's-le-Grand, 57.

Sample Post. _See_ Pattern and Sample Post.

Savings Bank Department, 73, 76; annuity and assurance facilities, 74-77; criticism by "Economist," 75 note.

Scotland, Post Office in, 31, 32, 34, 59. _See also_ Post-roads, Rates, and Sailing Packets, Scotland.

Scudamore, 203-205, 208.

Shipping list, 48, 49.

Single letters, 13 note.

Smith, Llewellyn, 81.

Special delivery. _See_ Delivery.

Speed, 14; in sixteenth century, 98; in seventeenth century, 98, 99, 100 note; in nineteenth century, 104, 105, 105 note, 106; by use of railways, 107, 108; delays and attempts to remedy them, 100; delays between England and Ireland, 107; means for securing speed, 106.

Stamps, 65, 68.

Stanhope, Charles, 8, 17, 24.

Stanhope, Lord John, 8, 10, 135.

Stanley, Lord, 83-85, 203.

Steamships. _See_ Sailing Packets, Steamships.

Strangers' Post. _See_ Foreigners' Post.

Sunday posts, 55, 79, 80.

Tankerville, Earl of, 42-44.

Telegraphs, cost to Government of, 205, 206, 208, 209; finances, 216, 218; government ownership proposed, 203-205; international agreement, 211-214; messages sent, 202, 215; monopoly, 207-208; press messages, 209, 217; private companies, 202, 203; railway interests in, 206, 207, 209; rates, 202, 203, 209, 210, 213; relations with Marconi Company, 213, 214; underground lines, 211.

Telephones, call offices, 224, 227; exchange areas, 224; finances, 236; government, 220, 221, 225, 228; inter-communication, 224, 229, 232, 234; licences, 220-222, 224; municipal, 226, 228-230, 235; purchase agreement, 232 _et seq._; rates, 227, 230, 232, 234, 235; trunk lines, 221, 225; underground wires, 231, 232, 234; way-leave powers, 221, 223, 224, 232, 235.

Threepenny Post, 52-54.

Thurloe, 23, 24.

Travellers' Post, 89; abuses by postmasters, 93; by travellers, 91, 91 note; trials of travellers, 91.

Triple letters, 13 note.

Tuke, Sir Brian, 4-7.

Tweedmouth, Lord, 81.

Tweedmouth settlement, 81, 82.

Twopenny Post, 52-54, 149.

Unions. _See_ Employees, Postal Unions.

United Kingdom Telegraph Company, 203, 206, 208.

United Telephone Company, 220, 222.

Universal Private Telegraph Company, 208.

Wages, 4, 6 note; arrears in, 8, 25, 92, 99. _See also_ Employees.

Walpole, Spencer, 81.

Ward, 87.

Warwick, Earl of, 18, 19.

White Star Steamship Company, 133.

Windebank, 16, 17.

Witherings, Thomas, 11, 13-19, 24, 111, 112, 135, 137, 138.

York, Duke of, 25, 30.

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