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Delivery in rural areas in the 18th century

Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2010 7:00 pm
by earsathome
Can anyone help us with this please :
We have been asked when delivery of mail began - outside of London, and have
been unsuccessful in finding out this information - none of our reference
books (including Oxley's The English Provincial Local Posts 1765-1840 )
give this information.

We have information about the Penny Posts and in various County Directories
of the 1820s- 1840s, there is always information about the times of the
mails but nothing about delivering letter/parcels.

The latest query we have had involves a letter of 1688 in Salisbury
addressed to London. We know that this letter would have had to be lodged at
the Receiving Office or Post Office, but what about the delivery of the
reply?

We have read in some instances where the postmaster arranged delivery by his
employee, and charged a penny for the service, but we have been unable to
find out whether that applied as early as 1688, and whether this was in
force over the whole of England.

Do we have any experts who can point us to any other reference books please?
We have been searching for this information ourselves for years.

Eunice and Ron in Queensland.

Transfer from previous board: original post 1140

Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2010 7:05 pm
by maneanut
Dear Eunice and Ron
I would refer you to the forty-fourth report of the Postmaster General of 1898. Appendix 1(8 pages) which is headed Delivery of Letters in Rural Districts. This report indicates that up to 1764, apart from London letters would be carried to the Post Town only.
Martin Evans

Transfer from previous board: original post 1141

Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2010 7:10 pm
by maneanut
Dear Eunice and Ron
Have now photographed the pages.
Martin Evans

Transfer from previous board: original post 1142

Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 7:00 pm
by earsathome
Dear Martin,
Thank you for that swift response.

That is absolutely wonderfull, exactly what we needed to know and we are very grateful for all the trouble you took over this.

How on earth did you manage to get hold of that report.

This is going to be such a great help to us in our future researches.

Again many thanks.

Eunice and Ron.