The History of the Post Office, from Its Establishment Down to 1836

The apathy of the Post Office about this time is incomprehensible. More than twenty years before, the General Convention of the Royal Boroughs of Scotland had called the attenti...

We must now go back a few years. On the cessation of hostilities with France the state of the finances occupied a large share of men's thoughts, and among the plans for relievin...

The spirit of activity which Palmer had infused into the Post Office did not cease with the cessation of his official career. Those who served under him had been selected by him...

Of the packet service prior to 1686 we have no particulars; but that some such service had long existed, though probably on a very limited scale, hardly admits of a doubt. To Ir...

The name of Francis Freeling has been placed at the head of this chapter, not because, in devising new means of correspondence or extending means that already existed, he is to...

And perhaps this may be a convenient place to say a few words about those who had presided over the Post Office during the first five or six years of Allen's connection with it....

At the Union with Ireland the Irish Post Office was not merged into the Post Office of England as the Scotch Post Office was merged at the Union with Scotland. The existence of...

In 1685, on the death of Charles the Second, the revenue of the Post Office was settled on James, his heirs and successors. Rochester, the High Treasurer, became postmaster-gene...

In 1707, on the passing of the Act of Union between England and Scotland, the first step taken by the postmasters-general was to alter the colours of the packets. The cross of S...

Brighter days were in store for the Post Office, but not yet. Meanwhile the clouds grew darker and darker. During the twenty years that followed Allen's death, partly as the res...

At the Restoration the Post Office was leased to Henry Bishopp of Henfield in Sussex, for the term of seven years at a rent of £21,500 a year, or more than double the amount whi...

Armed with the King's commission, Witherings lost no time in applying himself to his task. And, indeed, the state of things which he found existing afforded ample scope for his...

Hardly had Prideaux assumed the direction of the letter office before he gave public notice that there would be a weekly conveyance of letters into all parts of the kingdom. The...

The early history of the posts is involved in some obscurity. What little is known on the subject is touched upon in the first Annual Report of the Post Office, the Report for 1...

American progress has long been the wonder of the world, and in nothing perhaps has it displayed itself more remarkably than in the matter of the posts. The figures which the Un...

At the beginning of the seventeenth century the established posts were only four in number,--the post to Scotland, the post to Ireland, the post to Plymouth, and the post to Dov...

There was one who realised not less fully than the postmasters-general themselves the difficulties by which they were beset. He knew well, even better than they, how letters wer...

Appointment of Second Postmaster-General abolished--Other Economies-- Transfer of the Falmouth Packets to the Admiralty--Speed of Mail-coaches--Mail-coaches the Disseminators of...

State of the Packet Service--Ship Letters--Special Boats built for the Harwich Station--M. Pajot, Director of the French Posts--Establishment of West India Packets--Edmund Dumme...

Palmer's Plan--Objections--First Mail-coach--Post-coach--Increase in Rates of Postage--Restrictions upon Franking--Obstruction alleged-- Anthony Todd--Transitional Period--Stage...

Model of Mail coach--Patent Coaches--Thomas Hasker--His pithy Instructions--Roof-loading--The King's Interest in his Coach--General Result of Palmer's Plan--Condition of the cou...

Ship-letter Office--Increase in Rates of Postage--Abolition of the Penny Post--Invoices and Bills of Lading--Convention Posts--Prosecutions-- Auckland's Pleasantries--Repressive...

Condition of the Post Office in Scotland at the time of the Union-- Inaction of the English Post Office--Charles Povey--William Lowndes-- Diversion of Postage from the Crown to...

The Irish Post Office--British Mail Office--Earl of Clancarty--Edward Smith Lees--Abuses--Express Clerks and Clerks of the Roads--Alphabet-- Provision for Soldiers' Wives--Thoma...

Posts regarded as Vehicles for the Propagation of Treason--Wildman-- Cotton and Frankland--Post Office Establishment--Revenue--Building in Lombard Street--Dispersion of Letters-...

Allen's Contract--General Review--The Secretary's Dismissal--Earl of Abercorn's Complaint--Sketch of Allen's Plan--His Qualifications for carrying it into effect--His local Know...

Penny Post--Franking--Newspapers--Clerks of the Roads--Numbering of Houses--Scotch and Irish Posts--Receiving Offices--Gratuities on Delivery--Appeal to the Courts--Appointment...

Prideaux's Activity--Unauthorised Post set up to Scotland--System of Farming--Prideaux ceases to be Master of the Posts--Secretary Thurloe-- The Posts become the Subject of Parl...

Decadence of the Posts--Witherings's Plan--Introduction of Postage-- Concessions to the common Carrier--Post-haste--Witherings appointed Master of the Inland as well as the Fore...

The Post through the County of Kent--This Post put under the care of De Quester--Stanhope of Harrington, as Master of the Posts, asserts his Rights--Vacillating Decisions of the...

Frequent Change of Farmers--Tediousness of the Course of Post--Existence of the Posts not a matter of common Knowledge--Dockwra's Penny Post--Introduction of Postmarks--Penny Po...